Schmidt Rubin 1896/11 Sporter

[Lightborne]

Picked this up at the gun show over the weekend, and started doing some research on it. It was labeled only as a Schmidt Rubin without much information on it. Obviously, it had been sporterized, but I didn't know what exact model it was until I got home and started researching into it.



Based on the serial number, this appears to have been originally manufactured in 1900.

The caliber listed on the tag was 7.5x55 Swiss, but I noticed something when looking over the various proofing marks and stamps, and seeing where the serial numbers on the barrel and receiver are located.



Wait a minute, the serial number on the barrel is mostly missing! Apparently, a bunch of these were sporterized ('Alpine Sporter' is the marketing term I've seen) by a company in the US some time in the 50s-60s, and many of them were re-chambered. Seeing the serial number on the barrel cut down seems to be a pretty dead giveaway that a re-chambering was done. I've read that these were typically either re-chambered to .308 or .30-30.

I placed a re-sized .308 case into the chamber, and it appears as though it fits correctly (A longer 7.5x55 Swiss chamber would cause the .308 to fit completely flush). The bolt closes on the case, and the extractor is able to grab onto it.



I'll be bringing this one to a gunsmith in the near future to confirm what I should actually be feeding this thing (assuming it's safe to fire). The rifling appears to be intact, and the bore doesn't show any obvious signs of pitting, so I'm looking forward to possibly taking this one out to the range.

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[Sealesniper]

Nice.

 

[Mikej]

When guns are re-barreled or reamed out to a different caliber, wouldn't any reputable smith stamp the chambering on the barrel??

 

[Lightborne]

When guns are re-barreled or reamed out to a different caliber, wouldn't any reputable smith stamp the chambering on the barrel??

You'd think so, but I couldn't find anything that indicated what caliber it was. Got it back from the gunsmith this week though, definitely a .308 now.

 

[tac]

Remember - NO oil, just a nice light grease is all that's needed.

tac
www.swissrifles.com

 

[Lightborne]

Remember - NO oil, just a nice light grease is all that's needed.

tac
www.swissrifles.com

Is lubriplate an acceptable alternative to waffenfett?

 

[tac]

I 'spose so. However, I use Shakespeare spinning reel grease on all my Swiss stuff, and have done since I lucked in to a ten-pound can at a local fishing tackle fire sale. $7.50? Can't be bad.

The places to lube are the minutest dob BEHIND the locking lugs, and on the cam track inside the bolt. Also, a thin smear top and bottom of the tubular actuating rod - that's the hollowed-out roundy bit that hangs on the side of the bolt shroud with the red Bakelite knob on it. BUT the main use for a grease, rather than fancy stuff, is to clean the bore after shooting. With Waffenfett [originally] and light grease [nowadays] apply a glep of the stuff to a patch, and while the bore is still warm, pass it up and down at least ten times, coating the bore and also cleaning it at the same time. Wipe the patch off on the bolt shroud and woodwork and you're done.

Before you shoot next time, push a clean patch through the bore to clean out the old grease, and shoot in good health.

Be warned that failment to do this will result in a cloud of grey smoke from the muzzle, which will inform everybody on the range with you that you are some kind of floon. In Switzerland this can cost you the first round of 'post-shooting conversation', if you get my drift.

The grease and not oil is the main reason why so many Swiss bores look like new, a tribute to the original metallurgy and to a cleaning régime that really works.

tac

 

[SIG34]

Definitely get it checked out!

 

[SIG34]

Cabela's in Marysville has full rack of them all different years
( original stock ones)

 

[Lightborne]

Cabela's in Marysville has full rack of them all different years
( original stock ones)

Yeah, the one in Tualatin had a ton of them last time I checked as well. Even one of the older 1889's.

 

[Lightborne]

Looks like the chamber was cut somewhat rough as well. I put a few rounds through it the other day and was having a heck of a time trying to get some of the cases to eject. I noticed some easily visible striations around the body of the spent cases, which are likely the culprit.



I'll have to see if I can carefully polish up the chamber to fix that. Pretty sure I shouldn't be having to struggle to pull the bolt back, and launching brass into orbit when the case finally lets go.

 

[tac]

After the initial camming action, all of mine can be opened up with a pinky. You don't actually NEED to launch that case into orbit - gentle persuasion is all that's needed to make a positive extractement.

tac

 

[Lightborne]

After the initial camming action, all of mine can be opened up with a pinky. You don't actually NEED to launch that case into orbit - gentle persuasion is all that's needed to make a positive extractement.

tac

Well sure, but I currently have to pull really really hard (almost 'mortar your AR' hard) to get the bolt to open after firing some cases. I did a little bit of polish work with some very fine oiled sandpaper, but won't get a chance to go test out the results until next week.

 

[tac]

'kay, this is where any gunsmiths should look away.

1. Take a NEW commercial .308Win case and drill out the primer hole about 3/16th inch - to take a piece of welding rod about 12" long.

2. Poke it into the hole and give it a hefty dose of solder - now you have a 12" or so rod with a case on the end.

3. Chuck it in the chuck of your power drill, and getting ahold of a tin of Mothers, or VERY FINE valve grinding paste, anoint the case with it.

4. VERY gently, and using really slow revs, introduce it into the breech of your rifle and, still rotating it slowly, push it home as far as it will go in the depth of the chamber. Leave it rotating - SLOWLY, remember, for about five seconds.

5. Take it out, remove the cruddy abrasive, and do it again until the striations have been polished out. Give the now-polished chamber a thoroughly good clean out.

Please feel free to ignore this advice - it is NOT compulsory. We did it on one of those 'spiffy' Gibbs 03A1 replicas that cost a fortune over here, and are a piece of real time-wasting junk of epic proportions - I'm not even going to mention the c****y scope that comes with it. Oh, shoot, I just did.

tac

 

[tac]

If anybody here is figuring on buying the Model of 1889, please be advised that GP90, the correct ammunition, has not been made since the middle 1920's. GP11 will either not fit, or present certain evidence of an over-stressed gun, if much GP11 is shot in it.

You'll need to do some serious research work before reloading for this old stager.

tac

 

[Pierre]

That's a Golden State Arms import, typically converted to .308 back in the 70's.
With the right load data, a very accurate conversion.
P

 

[Argonaut]

Time to learn a new skill........chamber casting is a simple process easily done by anyone and slugging the barrel is easier yet. All that you need then is a micrometer or set of calipers to do the measurement. I often do both on my European rifles. Even rifles marked as a common caliber can differ in dimensions between manufacturers.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Time to learn a new skill........chamber casting is a simple process easily done by anyone and slugging the barrel is easier yet. All that you need then is a micrometer or set of calipers to do the measurement. I often do both on my European rifles. Even rifles marked as a common caliber can differ in dimensions between manufacturers.

Always good advice, especially with Odd ball arms that didn't get a lot of numbers made, or funky calibers that used odd measurements!

 

[tac]

Always good advice, especially with Odd ball arms that didn't get a lot of numbers made, or funky calibers that used odd measurements!

Nothing 'funky' about 7.5mm - the Swiss made MILLIONS and the French many MILLIONS.

Funny thing is, that Eduard Rubin served time at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock, and was instrumental in the the design of another 'funky' calibre - the .303 British, of which TENS of millions of small arms, from rifles and carbines to aircraft offensive and defensive armament were made. Right now, nobody knows 'zackly how many arms were made in this calibre, but figuring on around 50 Million won't be too far out.

tac aka Flarp, cousin of Gleep

 

[rlhess]

I have what appears to be a Schmidt-Rubin 1889, chambered in 45-70. I have been unable to find any info on anyone rebarreling to this caliber. Looks like a Williams front sight ranp and blade. Original rear sight. Anyone have any information on this thing? Stock butt plate and bolt have same ser # as receiver