I have a few Mauser actions that I am dreaming of making into sporting-hunting/target rifles. I have Swedish '96 actions and 94/95 Spanish actions. I was looking for opinions on what caliber choices that would be appropriate for both these types. The '96 actions have a unique bolt face diameter, so am I limited to the 6.5x55 or a wildcat variant? The '94/95's have a standard bolt diameter, but are allegedly metallurgically inferior to the later actions. Pressure seems to be a concern with the earlier actions. I am a fan of efficient small bore calibers and the largest game that I would ever attempt to take would be a white tail deer. I also hunt for woodchucks and mainly target shoot. Thanks, Peter.

My 6.5x257 Roberts Ack Imp is made up in a 'Swede Mod 38 action. The parent case is a 7mm Mauser. Don't have any problems with the bolt face diameter or chambering of this round. I would think any of the .308 Win family of cartridges should work up pretty well. You need to have the action gone over by a competent gunsmith to assure it will be good for the added chamber pressures of these modern cartridges.

The 94 and 95 actions should only be used with the lower pressure cartridges, as you surmise.

Forgot to add: Welcome to the board! There's lots of forums here, even one on ex-military rifles and cartridges. Be sure to join the discussions in the many forums.

I have a few Mauser actions that I am dreaming of making into sporting-hunting/target rifles. I have Swedish '96 actions and 94/95 Spanish actions. I was looking for opinions on what caliber choices that would be appropriate for both these types. ---Thanks, Peter.

Peter,

these actions are rather common here in Scandinavia. However, we prefer not use them for customizing as they are not built to handle modern cartridge pressures. My personal advice would be to go with such cartridges as the 6,5x55, 7x57, 8x57, 9,3x57 or perhaps cartridges like the ,300 Savage, and to avoid hot loads. They are not the most modern or the hottest ones, but they all will do a rather good job. The 9,3x57 is a ideal wood cartridge when loaded with 286 grs bullets to 2200 fps - the deer will not ever here the muzzleblast! You have some factory ballistics at www.norma.cc

Regards,

Old Shatterhand

Spanish actions have a not undeserved reputation of being of lesser quality than, say German or Swedish actions. The '93/'95 actions them selves should be limited to cartridges operating at the same presure the action was designed for. Something in the 7x57, .250/.300 Savage range. I have seen some rebarreled to .35 Remington as well.
The 96 Swedish action has been successfully rebarreled with cartridges in the 7.62x51/.308 Winchester class, and passed European proof, but I wouldn't feel very comfortable holding it near MY face!. I've even seen some rechambered for the 6.5/06, and used on a regular basis. I would stick to the original 6.5x55, or something close. I've got a .257 Roberts I built on a '96 action, and I like it a lot. The '96 and the 6.5x55 are close enough to the rest of the Mauser cartridge family that the bolt face will make no difference.

i have no experience with model 93/95 mausers so i can not address that issue. but i have extensive experience with mauser models 88, 96 and 98.

a couple of days ago, i spoke to one of the finest barrelmakers in this country, who is also an expert on mauser actions. i asked him about a model 96 swede re pressures, because i had some moderately hot handloads worked up for a model 98, and i was concerned about using those same loads in a model 96 i just bought which is chambered for the same round

this expert -- who has been a barrelsmith for thirty years -- just about died laughing. he said that in his entire career, he has never seen a single swede with the lugs set back by pressure. he added that the steel used in the carl gustav and husqvarna model 96's is the best steel that was ever used in a rifle except for pre-war japanese 6.5 mm arisakas, the so-called .25 arisaka. (whereas wartime 7.7 arisakas were often garbage quailty.) so he had no qualms about pressure levels in one of the swedes.

that said, unless you might stumble across a black bear, a 6.5x55 with a 140 grain bullet is all the cartridge you would ever need for whitetail unless you are going to be a sniper shooting across a beanfield.

the 6.5x55 is a fine cartridge! you would be stunned to see how many moose are killed every year in norway & sweden with the 6.5x55! they use 156 grain bullets for moose, and the super-high sectional density gives good penetration with strongly-constructed bullets. (me, i use .35 to .45 caliber rifles on moose, i just mention the above as an indicator that the 6.5x55 is plenty powerful enough for whitetail.)

regards

lapsub

I have many more questions. One of the actions that I have has a crest that looks like a King Carlos "C" interlocking with what would best be described as an inverted "T" or two back to back "L"s. The side reads Mod. Mauser 1895. Then underneath that statement it reads Ludw. & Loewe & Co Berlin. The s/n is 90** which is preceded by a symbol of some type. Is this a Portugese small ring? Was it originally a 7mm? What was its actual year of Mfg? The second action is a Brazilian with a Brazilian crest and reads Estados Unidos Do Brazil, then underneath it reads Manufactura Loewe Berlim 1894. The s/n is C66**. What is the year of mfg on this and was it originally a 7mm? As far as caliber choices for my sporters, the 250/3000 Savage or 7mm interest me the most. Are there any other common small bore low pressure cartidges? What are the best books with info on the Mausers? Thanks again, Peter.

I would vote for a 257 Roberts. I built one on a 95 Mauser with an Adams and Bennet light contour 20" barrel. It has been suprisingly accurate with a variety of loads, and should cause no problems as long as loads are held to the normal levels of the 7x57 and such.

---this expert -- who has been a barrelsmith for thirty years -- just about died laughing. he said that in his entire career, he has never seen a single swede with the lugs set back by pressure. he added that the steel used in the carl gustav and husqvarna model 96's is the best steel that was ever used in a rifle except for pre-war japanese 6.5 mm arisakas, the so-called .25 arisaka. ---

We are not that sure about the reliablitie of our old M/96 Mausers here in Sweden. There have been accident with blow-ups and bolt going back into the shooter's face. Some years ago a boy parttaking in a militia training at a regiment here in the nearhood had severe facial damage by a bolt blowing back. Our gunsmiths oerfer the M/98 which is considered stronger here. Recommendations are to restrict the use of M96 to such calibers I suggested in may last posting.

When my memory doesn't lie, the proof pressure of the M96/ was about 3600 bars, which many a standard cartridge holds today.

Best regards,

Old Shatterhand

Since my last post I searched on the internet and found that the 1895 Luwig & Loewe action that I described is a Spanish action with a "generic Ludwig & Loewe crest". It would have been a 7 x 57 caliber in its original form. I will try and attach a picture. Any ideas on the best books with info? Thanks, Peter.

Kuhnhausen's "The Mauser Bolt Actions" is an excellent refrence for converting/rebarreling Mausers.

certainly the model 98 is stronger than the model 96

and undoubtedly there have been model 96 actions blown up -- just as there have been model 98's blown up, and winchetser model 70's, and any other action you care to name -- because people make stupid mistakes, or foolishly load to dangerous levels.

you didn't mention WHY the rifle blew up in the kid's face. maybe the muzzle was plugged with mud? maybe he loaded it to 75,000 PSI? wrong diameter bullet??

the strength of the model 96 action is largely dependent on the diameter of the front receiver ring and the quality of its steel, plus the size, fit and quality of steel of the bolt/lugs.

the swede's steel is superb. the lugs are amply large. and the front receiver ring is large enough for many cartridges asside from the 6.5x55

the swede gets a bum rap because it is "small ring". but measure that ring diameter -- it is still massive, even though smaller than the model 98.

ring diameter is the only issue; the small-ring's thread is irrelevant. for example, some turkish mausers used the small ring's thread but with a large-ring diameter receiver ring. and that turk is a strong action.

a good-quality swede (redundant) sure is preferable to a poor-quality model 98. when you send a model 98 to douglas to be rebarreled, they test the hardness of the receiver before they will work on the action. if it isn't hard enough, they'll refuse to rebarrel it. this is a good idea with any model 98 unless you know its provenance. if it is, say, a 1934 oberndorf, you know that there is no need to test it. but in these lawsuit-crazy times, douglas even tested my pre-war FN model 98 action.....

regards

lapsub





Peter,

these actions are rather common here in Scandinavia. However, we prefer not use them for customizing as they are not built to handle modern cartridge pressures. My personal advice would be to go with such cartridges as the 6,5x55, 7x57, 8x57, 9,3x57 or perhaps cartridges like the ,300 Savage, and to avoid hot loads. They are not the most modern or the hottest ones, but they all will do a rather good job. The 9,3x57 is a ideal wood cartridge when loaded with 286 grs bullets to 2200 fps - the deer will not ever here the muzzleblast! You have some factory ballistics at www.norma.cc

Regards,

Old Shatterhand

you didn't mention WHY the rifle blew up in the kid's face. maybe the muzzle was plugged with mud? maybe he loaded it to 75,000 PSI? wrong diameter bullet??


Standard military ammunition. It´s hard to imagine mud in the barrell as it happened at at modern shooting range.

O.S.

Why not leave it 6.5x55? There is nothing wrong with the 6.5x55 and it will kill deer and elk quite well.

Standard military ammunition. It´s hard to imagine mud in the barrell as it happened at at modern shooting range.

O.S.

This brings up a good point. The '98s handle escaping gas much better than the earlier models (93-95-96), and escaping gas is what wrecks actions and injures shooters, more so than absolute pressure. The third bolt lug on the 98 will help keep the bolt out of your face, if the receiver ring splits.

I am greatly fond of my Swede and also a REAL old 93/95? Turk (not sure which one it's considered to be, but it's definitely not a 98), but am not going to hod-rod either one. With open sights, there's no point, anyway.

I keep seeing Yugo Mausers in sale flyers around here, i am guessing they aren't worth much since they sell for dirt cheap