6.5x55 Swede m96.....Have I been Scammed?

[Fooey]

I have a m96 that was supposedly all #'s matching. This is an early model made in German factory. All #'s on rifle look fine but bolt has rifle matching #'s stamped over different #'s. Did the armorers ever do this or have I been scammed. Beautiful rifle with pristine bore so I hate to send it back if it is legit but over stamp is obvious and I hate getting scammed. I have ordered a field no go gauge for it to check headspace. Cheap insurance. Thanks

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Yes, its called force-matching. Usually done at an arsenal, and, theoretically, they should have checked the new bolt for headspace before stamping it. Often done because the original was lost or out of spec.

Still a good idea to double-check.

If the seller did not disclose this, I would contact him and give him an opportunity to make it right by full or partial refund.

 

[Fooey]

Thanks for the reply. It was advertised with all numbers matching, which they do but bolt is overstamped. If arsenal did it I am fine with it as it is a beautiful rifle with a pristine bore. I know some arsenals stamped a line thru old numbers and some did other things. I have not fired it yet but have no go gauge on the way for that and a 30-40 Krag and 303 brit enfield.

 

[gpb]

A Swiss 6.5X55 m96. That sounds interesting.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

A Swiss 6.5X55 m96. That sounds interesting.

I DID actually have a Swiss M11 Schmidt-Rubin that had been fitted with with a 6.5 Swede M96 barrel......it would feed and shoot pretty good.

 

[Slamfire]

I handled hundreds if not more, Swedish rifles in the 1990's. I saw lots of over strikes to floor plates, stocks, stock ferrules, buttplates, and bolts, and they must have been made by Swedish Armorers and Depots. These rifles had a past life, they were used, issued, things got lost, etc. I think I have one Swedish M38 where the bolt number was serialized to the receiver, but the stamper accidentally switched a couple numbers. So, instead of 139765 the bolt is stamped (for example) 139756. I consider the bolt original to the rifle.

Authenticity, what is considered authentic, what you accept as authentic, what others believe is authentic, is more an emotional issue than material.

This ship is less than 25% original wood.



so is it the authentic USS Constitution, or some replica?

The rifle does not care if it is 100% authentic or not. I would say, if your Swedish rifle is otherwise fully matching, has a nice, bright barrel and crisp rifling, keep it. When I got an all military vintage bolt gun with a mint barrel, I bought it.

 

[BigBlue 94]

Authenticity, what is considered authentic, what you accept as authentic, what others believe is authentic, is more an emotional issue than material.

This ship is less than 25% original wood.

so is it the authentic USS Constitution, or some replica?

Lol part of one of the masts off the Constitution is installed at a local high school here in Topeka, KS.

As for the overstamp, personally, I would consider it authentic. And a proven military used rifle.

 

[eastbank]

the finns were masters at taking captured russian rifles and turning them in much better rifles than the original russian rifles were. most only had matching bolts to the reciever, the two parts that needed to be matched for proper headspace.

 

[Fooey]

This swedish rifle bolt has four s/n on it. I can see the whole over struck # in one place and two of the same #'s in the other three places. So it appears all bolt #'s matched before being overstruck with new #. Old # not xxx out then new # near it. What I don't know is if the armorers ever did this or did some gunsmith try making an all # matching rifle for more money.

A Swiss 6.5X55 m96. That sounds interesting.

Sorry gpb, I meant Swedish M96. It was late and I got it confused with swiss schmitt rubin 1911 I got the same day.

 

[Fooey]

I handled hundreds if not more, Swedish rifles in the 1990's. I saw lots of over strikes to floor plates, stocks, stock ferrules, buttplates, and bolts, and they must have been made by Swedish Armorers and Depots. These rifles had a past life, they were used, issued, things got lost, etc. I think I have one Swedish M38 where the bolt number was serialized to the receiver, but the stamper accidentally switched a couple numbers. So, instead of 139765 the bolt is stamped (for example) 139756. I consider the bolt original to the rifle.

Authenticity, what is considered authentic, what you accept as authentic, what others believe is authentic, is more an emotional issue than material.

This ship is less than 25% original wood.

View attachment 1047179

so is it the authentic USS Constitution, or some replica?

The rifle does not care if it is 100% authentic or not. I would say, if your Swedish rifle is otherwise fully matching, has a nice, bright barrel and crisp rifling, keep it. When I got an all military vintage bolt gun with a mint barrel, I bought it.

Well, when a rifle is advertised as all matching #'s it is worth more money. So if I pay more for matching parts and don't get them I paid more than rifle is worth no matter what the rifle cares about. As it is, I got a field headspace gauge and it passes that so will probably keep it as it is very nice in every other way. By thetime I pay shipping both ways it will be a push as I didn't pay too much in the first place. Thanks for all the replies guys.

 

[Snidely70431]

The question I always ask is "how does the firearm shoot?". Of course, I'm a shooter, not a collector and could not care less about matching numbers.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Since the Mosin bolt head is a separate part from the bolt body, and safe headspacing is matching a bolt head to the receiver, the bolt body serial number matching the receiver's is purely a collectible thing.

 

[Fooey]

Since the Mosin bolt head is a separate part from the bolt body, and safe headspacing is matching a bolt head to the receiver, the bolt body serial number matching the receiver's is purely a collectible thing.

We're talking about Swede m96 rifles not Mosins. And yes headspace and safety is paramount with all these old rifles.