Spanish Mauser Action Possibilities?

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Olympus

Olympus

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I've got a potential for a good deal on a Spanish Mauser. The gun as a whole is pretty poor shape. The barrel is corroded something aweful. None of the numbers match, the front sight hood removed, and the stock has several chunks missing.

My question is what is the action worth? My Mauser experience is based around the 8mm and I know very little about the 7mm other than it's a 2-lug system and won't handle the pressures that 8mm actions will.

If the action is worth anything, can it be rebarreled to a caliber that is safe for the action? And if so, what calibers would be safe to use in a 7mm action?

Basically, I hate to be tempted with something cheap if I know I can convert it to something else. And after my last Mauser project build, I think I can find a way to do another project a lot cheaper.
 
7mm is a better all-around round, anyway. 7x57mm is the international version of the .30-06: a very common hunting round, used all over the place.

What I don't know is how strong it is.

Also, there's another guy here who tried to mess with his Chilean Mauser, and destroyed the action trying to get the barrel off. Read that thread, first.

(I'm not saying not to do it. There just is a right and a wrong way to get the barrel off, it seems.:))
 
I'm not in to reloading so I'm concerned about the availability of commercial 7mm ammo. That is why I thought about rebarreling to a different caliber. I don't think I would be attempting the barrel removal myself anyway. I have a gunsmith friend who I am confident could do it if possible.
 
I wouldn't put money into any centerfire rifle if I didn't handload for it. I wouldn't bank on cheap ammo forever, either.

Just a few years ago, Federal 5.56 could be had for 3 bucks per box of 20. That's brass-cased American-made 55 grain FMJ NATO ammo.

There's not much sense in building a rifle if you don't want to load for it, unless it's for the den wall.
 
Not saying I won't in the future, but it's not in the cards right now.

Still looking into the viability of the Spanish 7mm action though.
 
spanish mauser action..probably worth $50. Spanish mausers are on the lower end of the mauser scale due to QC and metalurgy.
 
They're better than many will give them credit for. I have a Spanish 93 in 7x57 that is as good a brush rifle as I could hope for.

Have a good - very good - gunsmith check it for lug setback. If it is good to go, then get another 7x57 barrel. Brownell's has short chambered 7x57 small ring barrels for $83 IIRC. Shoot commercial and you'll be fine because the manufacturers only sell fairly light loads for it. While not as popular a basis for a custom as a K98, an excellent rifle is still reasonably easy to build.

I consider the 7x57 to be as good a hunting round as exists. Get it in a Mauser 98 or, even better, a single shot & you can load it for anything in North America. Some critters will require good shot placement too... ;)

If you don't want 7x57, there are barrels easily available in 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser, .250 Savage & .257 Roberts.

William
 
Will the action work for pressures of say a 7mm-08? What about .260?

Nothing is set is stone here and I haven't bought the thing yet. I'm just kicking around ideas right now and I'd like to know what my options are.
 
Unfortunately, 1890's small ring Mausers probably cannot contain the pressures developed by factory 7mm-08 and 260 Rem for too many shots. Some may do it and many will not. I know that you would not want to worry about potential failure of critical parts. Small rings do work well with rounds designed for them.
You should at least start out with a 98 action of some sort if you are considering the higher pressure cartridges. VZ-24 rifles are well made and still reasonably cheap, but even those continue to climb in price.



NCsmitty
 
I posted this in another thread on this same subject

Safety warning for M91-M96 Mauser

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From Jerry Kuhnhausen"The Mauser Bolt Actions,a Shop Manual" copyright 1991. ".......strength limitations of the small ring M91-M96 Mauser actions and the Spanish made small ring M93 and M95 Mauser actions in particular. Mauser M91 -M96 actions,even fully servicable or in as-new condition must not be barrelled and chambered for,or fired with,higher pressure cartridges than the action was originally made for. An example of stretching this rule is found in the arsenal rebarrelling and chambering on M93/95 small sing Spanish Mausers to fire the 7.62 CETME cartridge. The M93/95 actions used were originally made for lower pressure 7x57mm Mauser cartridges"...."these were redesignated as 1916 models. At normal temperatures,the 7.62mm CETME cartridge generates pressures in roughly the 41,500 to 42,000CUP range..." "To compound the above,a 7.62x51mm NATO(or .308 Winchester) cartridge will chamber in a 1916 Model 7.62mmCetme chamber. However a 7.62 NATO or .308 Winchester cartridge can generate pressures of about 55,200CUP." (In bold print) This pressure range is dangerous even in a well heat treated German or Swedish made small ring M91-M96 Mauser action but IN MY OPINION (Kuhnhausen's) can be particularly dangerous in much softer Spanish made actions" Page 85. There is an expert's opinion ,what you do with it is up to you.
 
You should at least start out with a 98 action of some sort if you are considering the higher pressure cartridges. VZ-24 rifles are well made and still reasonably cheap, but even those continue to climb in price.
Click to expand...

I completely agree. However, I have the option to picking up a Spanish 7mm for very cheap, a lot cheaper than I can pick up a VZ-24, Yugo, or Turk. I would rather use a 98 action. I just have the option for a 93 right now at a great price.

So other than the 7x57, are there any other chamberings that will safely fall into the small ring pressure range?
 
As mentioned above,if you don't want the 7x57..your next best choices are 6.5x55 Swede and .257 Roberts or even .250 Savage.
 
are there any other chamberings that will safely fall into the small ring pressure range?
Click to expand...

There's no doubt that the 6.5x55 is my personal favorite, but the 7mm Mauser is also very good.
The 1/4 bore in either 257 Roberts or 250 Savage are easy shooting, but are probably more of a reloading proposition.
I guess it all boils down to what you would be happy with and what you plan to use it for.



NCsmitty
 
I will look into the 6.5 Swede. I don't have any personal experience with it, but I'll do some research and see what I can find. I remember reading a lot of posts from people saying good things about it though.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
Factory 7x57mm Mauser ammo is available almost everywhere hunting ammo is sold. I have found .250 Sav.and.257 Roberts totally absent in my area. Some 6.5x55 can be had if you look hard enough. For factory ammo I recommend sticking with the little 7.
 
I just checked Midway's listing for ammo and there's 1 page of 7mm, 2 1/2 pages of 6.5x55.
Prvi-Partizan has some great ammo at great prices compared to other brands, and it's boxer primed and reloadable. I have used it in my 6.5x55 and 7.62x54R mosin with good results. But I do reload for all of my centerfires.



NCsmitty
 
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I shoot almost all Prvi-Partisan for my 7x57. Good stuff & decently priced. Plus good brass to sock away till I finish getting set up to reload. I imagine their 6.5x55 would be at least as good as that's a really popular hunting round in Europe.

Good luck with what you choose to do.

William
 
small ring mausers should be able to easily hold pressures around 45,000 Psi. It can safely go upto 60,000 psi , but I would not push one that hard, especially with spanish metallurgy.
 
Well after I've slept on it, I'm not sure if I want to go through with it now. I'd much rather have the large ring action. It opens up more caliber options. And it won't be that cheap to do. I'm almost at a point where if I'm going to put that much time and money into another project, I'd rather have a stronger and likely higher quality action. I don't think the guy is going to be selling the Spanish Mauser any time soon. Most people will look at it and see what it is instead of what it could be.
 
And it won't be that cheap to do.
Click to expand...

That is the sobering truth! It's been rehashed 100's of times previously at this and other sites, unless you have skills and equipment, converting a Mauser or any rifle with barrel changes and updating triggers and stocks and associated hardware and finishes, you can purchase a fairly high end rifle for the same money or less.
That doesn't stop some of us from doing the conversions though.



NCsmitty
 
And a guy can drag the process out over a period of time too, which helps a little. It's not like shelling out $500 to $800 all at once. Once you have the action, everything else will always be available. I find that I'm usually kicking myself because I balk at a deal and the deals are usually stuff I don't need at the time, but when the right time comes around I wish I hadn't balked. This is one of those wrong times. I don't need an action and I don't have a lot of time to do the work myself right now. But I have a feeling that in a month or so I'm going to start wishing I had an action. We'll just have to wait and see I guess.

Jimmyray, PM me and let me know what kind of 98 action you've got.
 
Olympus, if you're willing, I'd appreciate a PM with contact info for the gentleman selling the Spanish.

Thanks,

William
 
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