i know it seems like a vague question, but out of all the countries that have made the mauser, what would be the ranking from best to worst (e.g. turkish, spanish, german, swedish etc.) i have a little extra cash and the gun show is coming up this weekend. thinking about an ak and a mauser, but really could use some input.
who makes the best/worst mauser?
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I would say the Swedes have the best Mauser, followed closely by a M98. The Swedish Mausers are in really good condition, and they are really well built. The M98 is very good, also, although finding an original German M98 in the same condition as the Swedes is pretty hard these days. The Yugo M48 is a good choice, too. Best thing I can tell you is to just look them over really good, and make your own choice. Even the Turkish Mausers are a good deal. I've got 2 of them, and they shoot just fine.....
I had what I think was a Swedish Mauser in 6.5x55 cal. It had the name "Carl Gustaf" stamped on it. The rifle was stolen from me before I could find out anything about it. It shot great and it broke my heart to lose it (along with the other 9 guns stolen at the same time). Could anyone give me any info about this rifle?
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I have the Carl Gufstaf M96 6.5 x 55 and it's, by far, the best shooter I have.
If you take it apart and lay it's parts next to any other Mauser the Swede has the up and up on finish and quality.
It's one of the few guns I have that is pristene and I wouldn't rid of it for nothing....fact!
I have read reports and articles that say that the M96 meets, or surpasses, the bolt actions manufactured today. Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say ALL bolt actions...but mine sure beats the heck out of 98% of those made today.
The 6.5 x 55 is said to be the finest mauser round ever designed. And, I believe it. It averages 2300 plus feet per second and is nearly equivilent size to a .270 with the ballistics of nearly the 7 x 75 mauser round.
Mine shot about 12 inches high a 100 yards. I bought a Mauser front sight blank from Brownells....put it on...filed very carefully and slowly..... and joilla!
I like my Mosins...I like my Steyr 95...I like my Schmidt Rubin K31...I like my Yugo 48A.....I like my K98 but the CG is the gun in my lot!
In my opinion the 96 is going to be one heck of hard gun to find in 10 years or less. My advice....get one (or two...or three...maybe four) now.
I once read a statement by a gunsmith and avid mauser shooter who once said if the Swede wants you dead....you're dead. I concur.
As a side note, I have heard, and believe, the Swede was developed with mountain fighting in mind (not much in the way of flat land over there, lol). That simply means 500 yards-plus kills were not unexpected.
The Swedes never got into a real war where the M96's range was truly tested......but I think 500 yards is not an exageration.
If you take it apart and lay it's parts next to any other Mauser the Swede has the up and up on finish and quality.
It's one of the few guns I have that is pristene and I wouldn't rid of it for nothing....fact!
I have read reports and articles that say that the M96 meets, or surpasses, the bolt actions manufactured today. Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say ALL bolt actions...but mine sure beats the heck out of 98% of those made today.
The 6.5 x 55 is said to be the finest mauser round ever designed. And, I believe it. It averages 2300 plus feet per second and is nearly equivilent size to a .270 with the ballistics of nearly the 7 x 75 mauser round.
Mine shot about 12 inches high a 100 yards. I bought a Mauser front sight blank from Brownells....put it on...filed very carefully and slowly..... and joilla!
I like my Mosins...I like my Steyr 95...I like my Schmidt Rubin K31...I like my Yugo 48A.....I like my K98 but the CG is the gun in my lot!
In my opinion the 96 is going to be one heck of hard gun to find in 10 years or less. My advice....get one (or two...or three...maybe four) now.
I once read a statement by a gunsmith and avid mauser shooter who once said if the Swede wants you dead....you're dead. I concur.
As a side note, I have heard, and believe, the Swede was developed with mountain fighting in mind (not much in the way of flat land over there, lol). That simply means 500 yards-plus kills were not unexpected.
The Swedes never got into a real war where the M96's range was truly tested......but I think 500 yards is not an exageration.
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351 Posts
Mausers are great rifles , good looking , good shooting , dependable .........
The Swedes are great , a work of art , but not as strong as the M98's . If you are going to leave it as a 6.5 or re-barrel to a calaber of the same pressure , you can not go wrong with a Swede .
If you are going to re-barrel to a high pressure caliber , get a M98 .
The pearsian M98 Mausers are a work of art , also , if you want to keep it in 8mm .
It all depends on what you want to do .
Wyr
God Bless
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4,286 Posts
1*,
Wyr is on the money about the Mausers.
Mauser prices, at least here where I'm at, are a lot like Mosins in prices.
You can find some as cheap as $50 all the way to $150-200 depending on the country of origin (rarity, etc.) and the overall condition.
Unless you go with milsurp ammo 6.5 X 55 and 8MM ammo can get a little pricey (as compared to, say, 7.62 X 39, .223, 7.62 X 54R, etc.).
But, like Mosins, they are a blast to shoot and about as addictive.
The K98 (or sometimes called just 98) is considered the work horse of the Mausers.
The 48 and 48A (little brothers of the K98) are a fine, fine weapon with the 48A 'generally' being in better condition than the 48.....difference in the 48 and 48A being the A has a stamped magazine floor plate and trigger guard......which is no real biggey.
The Swedes are becoming increasingly harder to find so if you run across one in good shape at a good price (I paid $219.....pristene) I suggest you grab it.
I don't know the specifics why the Swede has problems on slightly beefed up ammo since Swedish steel was considered, back then, to be some of th world's finest steel.
I don't know if it's chamber and barrel thickness, a difference in bolt design or what.
The Mausers, as with many older mil type bolt actions shoot high at 100-150 yards but an over sized front sight blank can be had from Brownells and then filed down to zero which I've done with great success.
If you didn't catch an earlier thread the Swede round is near that of a .270 with the ballistics of a 30.06.
Wyr is on the money about the Mausers.
Mauser prices, at least here where I'm at, are a lot like Mosins in prices.
You can find some as cheap as $50 all the way to $150-200 depending on the country of origin (rarity, etc.) and the overall condition.
Unless you go with milsurp ammo 6.5 X 55 and 8MM ammo can get a little pricey (as compared to, say, 7.62 X 39, .223, 7.62 X 54R, etc.).
But, like Mosins, they are a blast to shoot and about as addictive.
The K98 (or sometimes called just 98) is considered the work horse of the Mausers.
The 48 and 48A (little brothers of the K98) are a fine, fine weapon with the 48A 'generally' being in better condition than the 48.....difference in the 48 and 48A being the A has a stamped magazine floor plate and trigger guard......which is no real biggey.
The Swedes are becoming increasingly harder to find so if you run across one in good shape at a good price (I paid $219.....pristene) I suggest you grab it.
I don't know the specifics why the Swede has problems on slightly beefed up ammo since Swedish steel was considered, back then, to be some of th world's finest steel.
I don't know if it's chamber and barrel thickness, a difference in bolt design or what.
The Mausers, as with many older mil type bolt actions shoot high at 100-150 yards but an over sized front sight blank can be had from Brownells and then filed down to zero which I've done with great success.
If you didn't catch an earlier thread the Swede round is near that of a .270 with the ballistics of a 30.06.
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44 Posts
Hey Dale, I might be wrong but I think the Swede M96 did see some combat. I believe the Swede's "lent" the Finns a ton of M96's to fight against the Russian's. To anyone interested, check out the book "Collecting Classic Bolt Action Military Rifle's". The book is a C&R dream come true and I'm sure there is a reference on the Finn's using the M96.
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9,225 Posts
swedes did lend some guns to the finnish. the strength issue i belive is several things, being a small ring there is not as much metal to hold the pressure, plus the heat treating was not quite as good back then. the germans actually adopted the swedish recipe for steel untill they got desperate at the end of ww2, then who knows what they put in .
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2,115 Posts
The Commission 88's are wall-hangers. The Siamese Mausers are okay to shoot, as long as the bore is checked to make sure it's a JS bore, not a J bore. Had a friend who had one, and 1 shot with a JS (modern .323) round blew the barrel up just ahead of the receiver ring.
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