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I am in the market in one of these. It was either a K31 or the Swede and I think i'll go with the Swede first.

Is there anything I should be looking for? I have one in my sights on GB, it seems to be in great shape and has the older rear sight.

I have also heard that shooting a modern 6.5 swede round in it can be bad but everything I have read about this says its nonsense and every modern round does not exceed the the max pressure.

What are y'alls opinions ?
 
Good rifles. I would prefer to buy in person or at least prefer to find one from a reputable buyer. Often these are pretty nice rifles, because I don't think many ever saw combat...
 
If the brass disc in the stock is original it can give you a good idea as to the condition of the barrel. There is information online about what the numbers mean. Jeannie has two of the Swedes and she is deadly accurate with them. The lowest setting on the sights was 300 meters so we bought a taller front sight and filed it until so she could shoot 100 yards with it.
 
Mine came from SAMCO a few years back and dates to the first decade of the 20th century. Never saw combat and the metal/rifling are very very clean. Long barreled, and originally my idea was to scope it and use it for longer ranges in desert and mtn hunting in New Mexico. In the event I left it alone and got something else for hunting and Im glad I didnt butch it up... Shoots fine as is and it's still a "collectible" which it would not be had I modified it. A gunsmith did try to buy it off me, wanting to use the action for some project. No sale!
 
The M96 is a excellent rifle.
Its fit and finish often exceeds many modern sporting rifles.
The 6.5 Swede is a nice shooting , low noise and recoil round , great for hunting or target work.
I wouldn't worry about shooting any reputable makers 6.5 Swede ammo in one.
Andy
 
I am in the market in one of these. It was either a K31 or the Swede and I think i'll go with the Swede first.

Is there anything I should be looking for? I have one in my sights on GB, it seems to be in great shape and has the older rear sight.

I have also heard that shooting a modern 6.5 swede round in it can be bad but everything I have read about this says its nonsense and every modern round does not exceed the the max pressure.

What are y'alls opinions ?


Right now the Swedish Mauser of any kind shoots fairly easy-to-find 6.5x55 SE ammunition. An older gun, like an m/96, will prefer 139/140gr stuff, as that it what it was made to shoot. My 1898-date m/96 shoots anything else like a lawn sprinkler - YMMD.

In 1938-ish, most of the older guns, like mine, went to Carlsborg Arsenal for either a full refurb [like mine] or conversion to the m/38 short rifle configuration. By that time, Husqvarna had taken over all production from Carl Gustaf. Mine disappeared into a hoard somewhere and got forgotten until 2009. Guns that were converted had a different foresight- marked with a 'T' for 'torped' [spitzer] and multi-stage backsights replacing the old >300m version.

Here it is -

upload_2016-10-21_15-53-32.png
upload_2016-10-21_15-54-12.png

This is a four-shot group @100m -

upload_2016-10-21_15-55-17.png

They shoot very well and are a delight - low recoil, flat-shooting, ease of getting components, and, if you are a hunter, remember that the 140gr bullet has a 120-year history of taking down the European/Nordic elg/elk. Mine, shot in 1990 with the m/38 short rifle, was starving [hence the cull at the time] but still weighed in at just over 1200 pounds.

It excels as a target rifle - the Euro/Scand 300 match rifle has been 6.5x55 since the late 1920s. The Swedes made the CG63 and CG80 target rifles for this purpose.

The Swedes also made the CG m/96 into an effective sniping rifle, fitted initially with AJACK [German] telescopic sights, [called m/41] and then, when Germany got deeper into the war, with home-grown Swedish optics [m/41a]. Both are now pricey collectors pieces.

Military biathlon competitions in Northern Europe and Scandinavia had always been shot by this calibre in either Carl Gustaf [CG] or Kongsberg Arsenal [Norwegian] sniping rifles. I stopped participating when the decision was made to go over to .22 rimfire.

A large number of m/96 were never military, but were made for civilian target shooting under the auspices of the Frivilliga Skytterorelsen (FSR) Volunteer Shooters' Organization. There are many of these around, often fitted with one of the many after-market precision backsights and hooded foresights. Some have the owner's nameplates, or are competition prizes. A pal of mine in TX collects this type only.

Read this site - http://www.milsurps.com/content.php?r=128-sweden

This guy, however is THE man - House of Karlina,Gevär 1896,Swedish Mauser,m94 carbine,1894,1896,Luxembourg Model 1900 rifle

tac
 
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