Swedish Mauser Questions

[loosehorse]

Greetings all,
I bought this Swede on Gunbroker and was surprised when it arrived. The barrel has the inscription "KBI INC HBG PA CAL 6.55 SWEDEN M/38" on it. At first, I thought someone had purchased a new barrel and installed it. But then, doing some research on this and other sites it seems like it might have been shipped to KBI and they added the inscription?
Was the rifle refinished prior to being shipped to the US, or added later? It has two crown marks on the stock behind the trigger guard and matching numbers.
Anybody have any idea?
I checked the headspace and it was ok. I shoots great and I think it is really nice looking. I just would love to know more about it. I am trying to figure out how to add photos, I know they are necessary:banghead:

 

[ojibweindian]

The "KBI" inscriptions are the importer's mark. Others, with much greater knowledge than I, will comment shortly.

 

[loosehorse]

Thanks for that reply ojibweindian. And thanks to all on this forum that make it such an interesting and informative site.

 

[natman]

The importer's mark and caliber markings are required by US law. No idea when or if it was refinished.

 

[HorseSoldier]

+1 what was said -- federal law requires importers to put identifying information on a weapon, which is what the KBI related stuff is. It probably wasn't refinished by them, or the Swedes, before importation -- they just made really good stuff and took really good care of it.

 

[Mr_Pale_Horse]

From what I can see, it is original condition.

To tell you more, you need to tell us more.

1. What marks are on the receiver ring.

2. What serial numbers/serial number suffixes match on the - receiver, bolt handle, safety, shroud, buttplate, cleaning rod, barrel band(s).

3. What numbers are marked with little triangles on the torped and överslag brass disk on the stock.

4. What crown marks, sights, . . . .

Go here for lots of goodies:

http://dutchman.rebooty.com/

 

[blacksan]

It looks like a standard M96/38B which is a M96 Converted to M38 by the Carl Gustav factory. I have one that is 109 years young and it shots great!!! If it was an M38 it would have a bent bolt.

 

[loosehorse]

Thanks for the replies.

"1. What marks are on the receiver ring."

I hope you can make out the marks from this photo, it's a CG 1912

2. "What serial numbers/serial number suffixes match on the - receiver, bolt handle, safety, shroud, buttplate, cleaning rod, barrel band(s)."

All are marked with 684, the left side of the receiver has YT 295684


3. What numbers are marked with little triangles on the torped and överslag brass disk on the stock.

Pleas see photo

4. What crown marks, sights, . . . .

Sight has 684 at base on underside of the leaf

 

[blacksan]

Yup, Gustav converted 96. Great piece and you will really have some fun with it if you enjoy reloading.

 

[Mr_Pale_Horse]

1. Carl Gustafs Stads Gevarsfaktori is where the receiver was made, as a 1896 model Swedish mauser. The straight bolt handle on a converted M38 is said to be an "infantry" model, as opposed to a cavalry model, but generally is considered to correspond to the bolt and receiver from which it was converted, regardless of intended use. The company still make weapons as part of the Bofors group- http://www.bofors.se/

2. It appears to be all matching. If you get it apart, the barrel may be marked differently under the handguard, which is common.

3. When last checked at an arsenal, it measure 6.51mm in the bore, with a wear/rust condition rating of 2. There is no mark for överslag, meaning no hold over was needed with the current barrel and sights using 139 gr ball in the Model 41 military cartridge.

4. It has the standard sights for the Model 41 cartridge. I took two whitetails within a 15 minute span with an M38 and standard military sights using Remington 140 grain Core Lokt factory loads. The second walked up to me to watch the field dressing.

You have a beautiful and accurate specimen. These rifle benefited greatly from Sweden stance of neutrality. They are all based of the 1894 mauser, which Paul Mauser developed specifically for Sweden. Both the German and Swedish made rifles display superior fit and finish, metallurgy and function. The 6.5x55mm is superbly accurate, efficient, and lethal.

Great find

 

[Cosmoline]

It doesn't look refinished to me.

 

[blacksan]

It looks just like my 1900 CG in respect to finish quality. I know there has to be a few poor examples out there but I've never seen one that wasn't pretty nice. I guess since the ones that most likely saw any serious action where with the Finns during the Cold War most are in good shape. I used to have a great picture of a Finn Solider with an M96 laying in the snow preparing to dust the Russian advance and need to dig that up.

 

[loosehorse]

Thats great info, I appreciate all the feedback. I know I will have fun with this one!

 

[Float Pilot]

Your rifle was originally a model 96 long rifle (29inch barrel) made in 1912, at the Carl Gustafs State Rifle Factory at Eskilstuna Sweden.

It was inspected and accepted by Lt. Frans Yngve Tellander thus the initials YT by the serial number. He was born in 1880 and died in 1958. He was a Lt with the 2nd Artillery and was an inspector at the CG factory from 10/01/1911 to 09/31/1914.

During late 1937 the Swedes started to cut down m/96 rifles to make a handier handling rifle they called the m/38. (model of 1938) Later during WWII Husqvarna made some m/38s as new rifles. Many retained their straight bolt handles.

Your rifling twist is one turn in 200mm. Or about 1 in 7.5 inch. The original ammo was a 156 grain round nose.
In 1941 they went to a 139 grain boat-tail bullet, but the older ammo was in stock for many years as well.

The two crown marks on the wrist of the stock are arsenal rebuild marks. Your rifle was rebuild or retrofitted at least twice.

 

[pck3]

where would I look to see if my 1919 has been refinished? and if so would they have used parts with different unit #'s

 

[Float Pilot]

The Swedes were very anal about serial numbers and bore conditions. Their bad bores were better than the new barrels from most countries.

Sometimes you will see Swede rifles that were re-built at the armory and they have electro-pencil numbers on some parts to make them a forced match. Sometimes you will also see an old number struck out or even struck over. The thing to look for is a matching font with the stamps.

Lots of Swede imports were separated from their bolts during import and the importers just picked an orphan bolt after they got tired of looking. My most accurate Swede Mauser has a force matched bolt that was probably done by the importer.

The Stock wrist will usually have some sort of stamp from an arsenal rebuild. Plus if you take off the stock and remove the action /barrel from the wood, you might see some sort of stamp marks on the barrel telling you where it was rebarreled.

They used these rifles all the time and they may have had two or three barrel replacements over a 100 years.

For instance my 1900 Oberndorf (Germany) made m/96 Swede Mauser was rebarreled at the Carlsburg (Now Karlsborg) armory with a Swede barrel. The original stock which was probably Walnut was replaced at some time by a European Beechwood stock.

I think this is a photo of the barrel markings.
Many Swedes have the serial number on the barrel, some only part of the number, my m/96 was given a new barrel in the 60s or 70s and it does not have the serial number. It does have some weird vice marks on the barrel that are seen in late retrofits.


As for Unit Numbers:
Some brass tags were issued by unit armorers.
My m/94 carbine has a brass unit disc that was issued to TWO different units. One was an artillery unit and the other side of the disc has an infantry unit marking. They just flipped over the dics and re-stamped it.

Disc with things like F-3 belong to Air force units , Navy unit had their own tags as well..

Some units had rack numbers on their rifles.
The other photo is a school rifle rack number tag on one of mine.

PLUS:::::

The Swedes had the FSR which was a kind of CMP for them. Except the rifle was sort of issued to the civilian shooter who would have to turn it in one day. Many of those had interesting tags and badges on them Some with the owners name. When the Swede politicians became evil, those were all turned in and surplused over here.

 

[pck3]

thanks alot I don't see any marks on the wrist and am too tired to take the barrel off tonight but it does have three different #'s. almost everting is 063 except the rear sight (023) front ring (239) rear ring (239) trap door (750) I just like knowing all I can about these older guns they sure don't make them like they used to

 

[Float Pilot]

Having the stocks bands and the floor plate mismatched is fairly common.
I have seen a bunch with different numbers on the rear sight.

Is the metal under (below) the wood -line in places like the butt-plate?