Swedish Mauser ?........

[Mikej]

I'm still looking at Swedish Mauser's, on GunBroker mostly. Reading other forums and trying to learn more about them. I'll go through and put guns on a watch, and check back in to see where they're going. Most time they go for higher than I "thought" I'd like to pay. I've been watching this one and wondering why no one has bid?
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/739172080

Seems pretty darned nice as a shooter? Is the hooded sight not original? It also comes with a flash hider. May not have been an original item, but wouldn't/shouldn't affect value I'd think. Guy mentions it may have been restocked, but not sure that should matter to me. The metal looks real nice and all numbers match accept barrel band and cleaning rod. The guy says you can buy the discs by the bucket? Makes sense, we put a lot of faith in that disc? And the seller doesn't have a lot of sales, but those he has give good reviews. There must be something I'm missing on this one.

I don't really expect a gun I'd buy to go way up in value, but it would be nice if I didn't pay a bunch more than it was worth down the line. Like a couple I have in the safe now.

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[jbett98]

His pics aren't the best, the stories he's telling are kinda vague and it's been altered. Those three things ring alarm bells and most folks run away from deals like this.
It sounds like somebody went and made a match grade shooter out of this rifle. It would be nice if he had some targets showing how good it shoots to back up his stories.

 

[Mikej]

His pics aren't the best, the stories he's telling are kinda vague and it's been altered. Those three things ring alarm bells and most folks run away from deals like this.
It sounds like somebody went and made a match grade shooter out of this rifle. It would be nice if he had some targets showing how good it shoots to back up his stories.

The altered is the possibility of a restock?

I watched a Hickock 45 video with two Swede's, one his 1903 short rifle, and a friends pristine original. He somewhat discounted the brass disc too.

Thank you!

 

[jbett98]

From what I read, the threaded barrel was done post war and was for training purposes when shooting wooden bullets.
They had a wood shredder/shield attached to the muzzle and it prevented sharp splinters from injuring trainee's while firing indoors.
That rifle might just have been used for training and that's why the bore looks so good. You can't mount the bayonet while the flash hider is attached. Also, the front sight hood might have reduced some glare while shooting indoors.

 

[Mikej]

I know about the "shredder". I see a lot of them with threaded barrels too, didn't know that was a post war thing? Which war though? I don't know if all were converted/manufactured to/as short rifles for WWII. Even if the threading isn't "Original Correct", not sure I care considering completely correct goes for close to or well over a grand. I'd said earlier in my other thread, if I'm getting up to, and over a $1000.00 I would rather have a Garand, I think.

 

[Ownerus]

Back around 2001 the was an ad in the Nickel Ads (a dead tree version of the internet for the young uns) for two Swedish Maseurs. Instantly thoughts of beautiful blond Ingrid and Hilda and hot towels came to mind It WAS in the sporting goods section after all. Oh the possibilities!......Then I had to admit to the possibility of poor spelling...
So I called and took my wife along for a drive. It assuaged my disappointment a little to see two pretty nice M38 short rifles. He knocked $10 off the price if I bought both so....and, being a less un-free time, big brother didn't add the $10 back on for a BGC. In spite of that, they have managed to sit quietly without going on a crime spree.
Sorry about the digression, not meaning to brag (well maybe a little). Mostly to lament that such targets of opportunity are far less common than they were when it was a free country. The Swedes are very nice rifles. Good luck on finding a nice one.

 

[Mikej]

Back around 2001 the was an ad in the Nickel Ads (a dead tree version of the internet for the young uns) for two Swedish Maseurs. Instantly thoughts of beautiful blond Ingrid and Hilda and hot towels came to mind It WAS in the sporting goods section after all. Oh the possibilities!......Then I had to admit to the possibility of poor spelling...
So I called and took my wife along for a drive. It assuaged my disappointment a little to see two pretty nice M38 short rifles. He knocked $10 off the price if I bought both so....and, being a less un-free time, big brother didn't add the $10 back on for a BGC. In spite of that, they have managed to sit quietly without going on a crime spree.
Sorry about the digression, not meaning to brag (well maybe a little). Mostly to lament that such targets of opportunity are far less common than they were when it was a free country. The Swedes are very nice rifles. Good luck on finding a nice one.

I was just talking to Wifey about these rifles I'm looking at and, she's natural blonde by the way, started talking about how great these Swedish cats were at keeping the mouse population in check. Got her thinking for a bit....

 

[NODEraser]

If you didn't buy it, someone beat you to it.

 

[MountainBear]

Many, many Swede sporters have been made. Add to that the recent upward trend in the popularity of milsurp over the last decade and the discovery that the 6.5 Swede round is a wonderful cartridge, and these rifles are only going to get more expensive.

I have four at the moment. One is a beautiful, fully built sporter, one is a m96 that I got with a chopped stock and pulled the original barrel from (stupidly, if I knew then what I know now), and am building a sporter on for the wife, one has a warped receiver (still have to try to fix that, it's minor), and a new acquisition is a restoration job. Problem is finding full length m96 barrels. I'm trying to avoid a new production, but may have to resort to it.

If you find one, even if it has the (imho) stupid looking "flash hider" thingy, grab it. They are loads of fun!

 

[Ura-Ki]

I Just saw several very nice Sporter Husqvarnas for under $400 online, stunning deals for what are very nice shooters, some have the very desirable target type sights, and those are getting the bigger bucks, but still under $500! I'll post them up later when I get a chance If your interested!
Agreed with MountainBear, folks have ben starting to discover the greatness of the Swede Cartridges and are seeking out the nice rifles to enjoy what those rounds have to offer. I have been VERY tempted to order up a SAKO 85 in 6.5X55 Swede, not because I need it, but because it's a SAKO, and it's available in that flavor! LOL

 

[dangerranger60]

I have owned a couple of them. in factory condition the price keeps going up but with a miss match stock and front sight Id have passed at that price.
I do own a sporterized swede, It has a Mcmillen stock, Dayton trigger, and is tapped for a scope. it was built from the leftover parts bin after building a rifle for Mil match shooting. It has become my favorite hunting rifle! It has very mild recoil, and without all the mil trim it is only about 7.5 pounds. DR

 

[Mikej]

Thanks guys.

I'm getting some learning with this. The gun I linked sat there for days at $550.00 and then at the end there was a mini bidding war with six bids in less that 12 hours, and went for only $606.00. If the seller was truthful that seems like a fine price for what it was.
My worry is that I'll get something that I put 8+ bills for and couldn't sell it for 6 if I NEEDED money, for some operation or something. I don't really care if it's all matching as long as the receiver/bolt match. More would be better obviously, but just a miss matched floor plate, barrel band, cleaning rod, I'm not worried about. Wood/metal/barrel condition are the important things, I think.

 

[Mikej]

So, I got a Swede Mauser. Pretty darned excited. I looks better in person than it did in the pics on Gun Broker. All matching numbers too. It's a 1902 that's been back to get the short rifle treatment. There's still goo on the sight, and on the breach end of the barrel, some on the bolt face too.



And thanks very much to @tac ,who took the time to look at the ad and share his vast knowledge! Without him I would have probably sat back and let this gem go by! It's not perfect, but for $525.00 I think it was pretty good.

I'm curious to know what wood is on it? There were picture on the sellers ad that showed matching numbers on the inside of the top hand guard.

Now I need to find how to disassemble the bolt, and clean off the yellowish stuff. Remove the rear sight and get the cosmoline off. I'm hoping I don't run into any frozen screws. Any input on cleaning and inspection appreciated. No worries I'm not putting any sand paper to it! Any ideas on what to lightly clean the stock would be helpful....and what NOT to clean with. Lightly rubbed with a soft cloth and some Purple Power? Use a brass brass brush and WD40/carb cleaner on the bolt parts? Disassembly of the magazine/follower?

 

[Ura-Ki]

Wow, now that's a sexy rifle right there!
For cleaning, I would go with a 50/50 mix of hot water and denatured alcohol, but keep a small container of pure alcohol for the heavy greasy parts. Stop at the dollar store and pick up a bunch of tooth brushes and shop type towels and have at it! The bolt can be cleaned seporatly and a good highpressure cleaner would do the trick and probably not require disassembley. There are tube videos of the disassembley prosess, it's pretty strait forward, so unless you have a stuck screw, it shouldn't be that hard!
Congrats, now go out and get a bunch of no and enjoy that Swede goodness!

 

[P7M13]

Beautiful!
Envy!

 

[Mikej]

Beautiful!
Envy!

Gosh...I took it all apart yesterday and just washed the old brown grease off everything metal, using just regular stoddard solvent. I'm not sure it was ever fired after the short barrel was put on? There was a globing of old grease around the chamber mouth. Nasty grease inside the bolt. There was a good splattering of the same grease on the inside of the stock and metal that was against the stock. For the most part it came came out looking almost new. Pretty good I think for 116 year old receiver and bolt/pieces.

I'm amazed at the simplicity of these rifles.

 

[coop44]

As the Swedes never really took these to war much, most are in lovely condition. To correct a previous post most of us have known about the accuracy of the 6.5 for a long time,certainly longer than ten years.

 

[tac]

The original finish on the stock was simply linseed oil. The usually awful finish to the wood, rasp/file marks and so on, was deliberate - remember that these arms were made to be used in zero degree temperatures, and some poor squaddy had to be able to hold on to them. Also, Mike, remember too that your gun went through a total makeover in the arsenal sometime between 1938 and mid-forties, and was likely never fired after that, like my m/96.

The wood looks like beech - very common in Scandinavia, like mine.............






Nice, eh? Especially for 1898..................I sure hope that I look like that when I'm 120 years old.

tac

 

[Mikej]

So beach is reddish then. It shows more of the reddish color underneath. Any recommendations to just clean up the stock? Rub it good with a damp cloth and some Murphy's Oil Soap..."On This Old Stock Of Mine" Won't hurt the wood but finish will be fine?

 

[tac]

Murphys is great if you want to remove ALL the finish that is already there. Linseed oil is what it needed, here, not a detergent. Just wipe it on and work it in by hand, making your hand warm doing so. Then leave it alone for a week or so and do it again. If it doesn't soak in, then wipe it off. That's it. Whatever wood it might be, linseed oil can't hurt it.

tac