Mauser Help
I recently purchased a 8x57 Mauser Model 98 per the tag on the gun at the time of purchase, before purchasing it I asked if it had been inspected by thier gun smith and was assured it was safe to shoot. Before purchasing it I also asked a friend about it and he told me that the 98 was a stronger rifle and he thought but wasn't sure if all model 98's had the .323 bore and more powerful loads could be used in it. When I brought it to his house and compared it with his 98 and after some research on the internet we believe it is a model 93 because of the ring demension of 1.3" and trigger guard bolt spacing of 6-5/8" it also has a notch in the front ring we are assuming loading the rifle or ejection clearance. The only stampings on the rifle is a serial number on the rear reciever ring and number 791 on the barrel. My questions are were any small ring model 98 Mauser's made and do all model 98's have the larger.323 bore? Also do you agree with the model 93 theory[?] Any help would be greatly appreciated, Ed
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I am building a 300 win mag on a mauser action and have run into a problem. When I put ammo into the gun it is to long to fit do I have to shave down the ends so it will fit as well as throat the ramp? The ammo just about fits so it looks like it won't take much. Any gunsmiths out there that have built mags. please help
O give me a home where no democrats roam0 -
A Model 98 has a flange on the back of the bolt to prevent hot gases from a ruptured case from hitting you in the eye. It looks like a big washer built into the back of the bolt.
Also, the Model 93 only has 2 locking lugs on the bolt, at the front on either side..
The Model 98 has a third locking lug, at the rear of the bolt on the bottom.
Model 93s are safe to shoot, I have a Model 93 Turk that I shoot all the time. Just wear shooting glasses in case a case blows.0 -
A model 93 or other small ring Mauser is perfectly safe.
My bigger concern is what you paid. If it was represented as a German 98 and turns out to be a turk 93 (for instance) it could be worth a lot less.
Some quality pictures would help us ID what you have. Until we do I wouldn't assume it is 8mm Mauser if it was already misrepresented somehow.
Posting instructions are on the main "ask the experts" page in a sticky near the top.
As for .323" bores (really you mean the grooves, I often overlook that myself), any MAUSER- as opposed to a Gewehr 88- in practial terms is going to have a .323" bore. Yes, some 98s made before 1905 had .318" grooves but that doesn't sound like what you have.
I'd think you probably have a Turk 93, originally chambered in 7.65X53 Mauser and re-barreled by the turks in the 30s, but that's just a wild guess. They are rather common. If so they were re-barreled with .323" groove barrels.
This is theoretical. In practice many were overbored and measure up to .327" across the grooves. Slugging your bore would be a good idea for max accuracy.0 -
I'd say you got snookered. It was a fairly common practice in the post war years for countries to make low budget upgrades to their armament by converting older rifles to use more modern ammo. In this case is appears a 93 or 95 was rebored or rebarrelled from 7x57 to 8x57. The 8x57 is slightly longer hence the cut in the front ring. If you look at the lower edge of the boltface the 93 has a flat bottom and the 95 is round like the rest of the bolt body. I've heard about many of these rifles having the locking recesses in the action hammered by the higher pressures of 8mm ammo. When that happens the bolt is very hard to open after a shot is fired. I, personally would not hold this rifle to fire it. You can test fire it by mounting it to some sort of holder, covering the action with a coat or rug , and pulling the trigger with a string. The current factory Rem. and Win . ammo is very low powered and probably not cause a catastrophy. Some of the surplus ammo is pretty hot. 0 -
EDKON...IMHO you should never take a person's opinion about a weapon (particuarly someone who you do not know well) "...and was assured it was safe to shoot." Since you have some really good questions about the rifle, and it might not be what you thought it to be and/or was represented to you, I would certainly take it to a gunsmith of your choice to carefully go over it before you think about shooting it. Headspace issues abound with a questionable weapon, questions that only a good gunsmith can answer or someone who knows (really knows!) what they are talking about. I would be suspicious if there are not matching #'s on the receiver and the bolt. From your description it seems that the rifle has few #'s or markings which could make it anything from any country...who knows? Pictures of the rifle would really help us decide what you have, but don't risk a accident which could ruin your Christmas! Good (and careful) shooting! 0 -
EDKON...IMHO you should never take a person's opinion about a weapon (particuarly someone who you do not know well) "...and was assured it was safe to shoot." Since you have some really good questions about the rifle, and it might not be what you thought it to be and/or was represented to you, I would certainly take it to a gunsmith of your choice to carefully go over it before you think about shooting it. Headspace issues abound with a questionable weapon, questions that only a good gunsmith can answer or someone who knows (really knows!) what they are talking about. I would be suspicious if there are not matching #'s on the receiver and the bolt. From your description it seems that the rifle has few #'s or markings which could make it anything from any country...who knows? Pictures of the rifle would really help us decide what you have, but don't risk a accident which could ruin your Christmas! Good (and careful) shooting! 0 -
The 98's cock on opening the bolt--pre 98's cock on close. And yes, there are many small ring 98's. 0 -
Thank you for the input! I am going to take your advice and take it to a gunsmith that knows Mauser's. Thank's again[^] 0 -
Edkon,
First, as noted, have a look at the top of the front ring. Those marks will tell you what it is. Most South American countries had their seal stamped there. Turk rifles will have a 'Toughra', a 'Toughra' with arabic writing, and later ones will have a half-moon on it's back with a star over it, Also, some say Ankara (split by the moon). They come in pre and post '98 configurations.
Second, I would look at the bolt and that will tell you if it is pre-post or '98.
Yes, there are many small ring '98's. And yes, there are many '98's with .318 bores out there. Not nearly as many as the .323's but they are out there.
I would take this to a gunsmith and find out exactly what you have. And if it wasn't represented right I would take it back.0
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