Spanish Mauser

[jmg8550]

I picked up a small ring Spanish Mauser at the Loveland Tanner show. It has been sporterized and drilled for a scope. The barrel is in fair condition, I want something different than 7X57. Just wondering what calibers in the realm of .243 and .260 would be safe to convert it to? Any other caliber choices would be considered.

Also, how does one tell when it was made. The only numbers on it are 5414 on the left side of the receiver, floor plate, and barrel. It is currently getting the safety fixed so I'll post pictures when I get it back.

[spqrzilla]

The .243 Win and the .260 Remington run at a bit higher pressures than I'd put in a Spanish Mauser (93 and 94 actions). You can look at the selection of barrels that Midway supports for the small rings to see what they think are appropriate.

If I had a Spanish Mauser action, I'd put a 6.5x55mm barrel on it myself. Or stick to the 7x57mm which is actually a great cartridge with a lot of bullet choices for you.

[jmg8550]

I've heard that the 7X57 is kinda scarce. I do reload though. Also, is it true you can convert 8mm Mauser brass to 7mm?

[zteknik]

Those numbers that you saw were the serial numbers-looks like it 's an all matching piece :)
Usualy the date is stamped on the reciever ring under the crest .

[spqrzilla]

I've found plenty of 7x57 brass around. Buy the Prvi Partisan ammo online (its the same manufacturer that makes Hornady's metric rifle calibers at half the price). Shoot it and reload that.

Its a very easy cartridge to reload.

[jmg8550]

That's the thing... There really are no other markings. I had jreifsch80 look at it, and Stan May look at it. They both said it's Spanish and small ring for sure. I have just read that the early ones are better than ones made after 1940? I really don't know anything about Mausers.

It does look like the other caliber suitable would be 6.5X55. It does sound like an interesting caliber. Just wonder about the availability.

[spqrzilla]

6.5x55 is all over the place too. 6.5mm bullets have some great ballistic coefficients. You can hunt almost anything in North America with it.

[zteknik]

That's the thing... There really are no other markings. I had jreifsch80 look at it, and Stan May look at it. They both said it's Spanish and small ring for sure. I have just read that the early ones are better than ones made after 1940? I really don't know anything about Mausers.

It does look like the other caliber suitable would be 6.5X55. It does sound like an interesting caliber. Just wonder about the availability.



Hmm if Justin and Stan looked at it they would have found a date if it was there.They probably have some manufacturing code that can be deciphered ,I had a book that told the codes and dates.

[spqrzilla]

The main varients of the Spanish Mauser were the Mauser 93 and the Mauser 95. The 95 was also sold to a lot of other countries. The main difference is a shoulder behind the bolt handle on the 95 to form a safety lug and the change from a flat bottomed bolt face of the 93 to a round bolt face on the 95.

The Swedish Mausers model 94 and 96 are the same actions with minor differences like a different shape to the end of the cocking piece.

[zteknik]

The main varients of the Spanish Mauser were the Mauser 93 and the Mauser 95. The 95 was also sold to a lot of other countries. The main difference is a shoulder behind the bolt handle on the 95 to form a safety lug and the change from a flat bottomed bolt face of the 93 to a round bolt face on the 95.

The Swedish Mausers model 94 and 96 are the same actions with minor differences like a different shape to the end of the cocking piece.

I have to remember that,thanks.I'm not all that keen on the other variants as much as I like to be.

[lifeon2]

You can convert 8mm, 270 and 30-06 to 7mm.

[jreifsch80]

a dramatically overlooked cartridge is the 6mm remington. anything a .243 can do a 6mm remington can do better. also there would be literally no tweaking of your magazine or feed lips needed since the 6mm rem is litterally a 6x57mm (necked down 7mm mauser) just be sane with pressures and it would be fine (just like you would need to do with .243) also there's a fun sounding european case, the 6.5x57 but it would probably be easier to go with a 6.5x55 swede just all the x57 cases would literally be only a barrel swap, others might possible need magazine/feed lip tweaking like i said ealier.

edit: Bob, it's a scrubbed rifle like those spanish 95/16's were so it just has a simple serial number and no crest.

double edit: this one's a 93 since it has the square bottom bolt and no safety lug

[jmg8550]

What are the standard pressures for 6mm Rem? What type of velocity could I expect out of this cartridge loaded for this small ring receiver?

[jreifsch80]

Does your hornady book have pressures? I can find load data but not a lot of pressures

[spqrzilla]

6mm Remington works at over 60K PSI. The small ring mauser belongs in the mid 40K CUP. There is no exact conversion between PSI and CUP ( CUP units being roughly lower in number for the same pressure by 15 to 20% ) but that's still putting the 6mm Rem over the small ring mauser pressure limit.

Then throw in that this actions are 100 to 120 years old and I don't think that's an appropriate chambering.

[Madusa]

If you want? I have the reamer and gauges for 6.5x55. Only used 3 times. IMHO don't push the pressure. I rebarreled a Spanish m1916 and the receiver steel and bolt housing steel are so soft I'm afraid to shoot it.

[jreifsch80]

then it looks like 6.5x55 might be the better choice