Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles Spanish Mauser what do you think?

Ive read Spanish mausers aren’t the best but this gun on gunbroker talks to me

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/882613751

At that price I can do the stock work but the metal work is a big if .....

What say you?

Don't mean to be rude fella, but you could not give that to me.


Life is too short to own stuff like that, particularly when there is so much good gear available.

Brian,

Run away.

This is not the rifle you are looking for.

John

I might pay $80 for one of these in original military condition, just for exhibition/comparison purposes, if I didn't already have one. For that ugly cut stock, no.

I see pits underneath the paint. We have no idea what the bore looks like.
That rifle will probably be safe with factory 7x57 loads, which run slightly hotter than a 30-30. I wouldn't handload it above those levels.
It will definitely be throated for 175-grain RN bullets, which are nearly impossible to find these days.

I'd probably pass on that one.


Okie John

If you are going to go through the effort of "customizing" a Mauser, start with a 98. Then select one that isn't rusted, pitted or altered.

Primary reason to select a 98 is their much superior gas handling ability. Oddly enough, I was at the range yesterday talking to a gent shooting a Yugo 24/47. We discussed the recoil
those 8x57's generated and I mentioned my fondness for the 6.5x55. He stated he had several 1896's but didn't like to shoot them that much due to their inferior gas handling compared to the 98. Not five minutes later, we hear a sizzle, then see a great flash and lotsa smoke. It seems that one of the WWII surplus rounds he was shooting was corroded and the case ruptured and misfired. Despite all that, he was not hit in the face with any debris.

[quote=z1r]If you are going to go through the effort of "customizing" a Mauser, start with a 98. Then select one that isn't rusted, pitted or altered.

Primary reason to select a 98 is their much superior gas handling ability. Oddly enough, I was at the range yesterday talking to a gent shooting a Yugo 24/47. We discussed the recoil
those 8x57's generated and I mentioned my fondness for the 6.5x55. He stated he had several 1896's but didn't like to shoot them that much due to their inferior gas handling compared to the 98. Not five minutes later, we hear a sizzle, then see a great flash and lotsa smoke. It seems that one of the WWII surplus rounds he was shooting was corroded and the case ruptured and misfired. Despite all that, he was not hit in the face with any debris.[/quote

Glad no bad outcome. Lesson learned from that? For me would be " stop shooting dodgy old foreign milsurp ammo".

OP: save your nickels and get something worthy of your attention. Creaky old Spanish Mausers ain't where it's at.

Gets some earplugs.

The Spanish Mausers aren’t bad rifles, per se, but fall short in general compared to say, the Swedes, which are very similar, but much more finely made and were better cared for in a climate more rifle-friendly. Do some research and you’ll get the picture. A pristine 95, especially one of the heavy-duty ones (I forget what they’re called and marked) would be nice to have and shoot, but still a poor candidate for turning into a sporter, plus you’d be destroying a collectable.

Don’t let the low-ball price suck you in. Used and current Zastavas, FNs, and 98s that others poured money into are better buys in the end by far. If you like military rifles, educate yourself a little, and then look for a good shooter Swede 94, 96, or 38, all fine rifles and good shooters. You’ll be money ahead, and have something to be proud of.

Glad no bad outcome. Lesson learned from that? For me would be " stop shooting dodgy old foreign milsurp ammo".


Amen, Brother!

My dad bought me one in 1968. I still have it. It almost closes on a field gauge. I always wanted to spin off the barrel shorten it by one thread and then ream a new chamber . The barrel is a bit rough but the rifling is nicely visible and looks like it has a lot of life left.

kwg

My dad bought me one in 1968. I still have it. It almost closes on a field gauge. I always wanted to spin off the barrel shorten it by one thread and then ream a new chamber . The barrel is a bit rough but the rifling is nicely visible and looks like it has a lot of life left.

kwg

I traded my wore out 22 pump and $11 for Century Arms sporterized M93 in 7x57 in the spring of 1969. Bought a 50 rd box mil surplus ball ammo and 2 boxes of 175 gr RN Remington loads. Still use what's left of the Remington brass for reloads. Had the bolt altered, drilled and tapped, low swing safety , and reblued. Dropped into a Bishop 80% blank that I finished the work and bedding on. Hate to guess what all that would cost to day. Not worth spending the money on whatever your rational is. MB

I don't think that is a rifle worth spending money on, either to purchase or to "improve".

IMO that only pre-1898 style small ring Mausers worth buying to build around are the military and civilian Sweds and the 1895 Chilean Mausers made by Ludwig Lowe.

Jeff your ahead of me I guess the only mausers I'll spend on are FN's or good FN clones. I think putting money in mil mausers is a waste. MB

I agree. If I was going to build on a Mauser action, I'd look for a large ring Husqvarna 640 that hadn't had the left side of the action d&t for a side-mount and would probably look at Simpson's site, www.simpsonltd.com, for a large ring 640 in 8x57 that has a good action matched with a poor barrel and/or stock. When my daughter was going to school in Galesburg, IL, I'd drop in at Simpson's 3 or 4 times each year to look through their gun racks. I got to know one of the guys who works there, Floyd, who had an encyclopedic knowledge of the inventory such that he could walk through the racks, reach out, and pull a rifle that matched what I was looking for.

I'd probably just buy a used Marlin X gun and spin a small shank Savage barrel onto it if I wanted to shoot a cartridge that Marlin didn't make the X guns in.

Yeah, customized Military Mausers are a waste.

Do an advanced search for huntgrouse on gunbroker. recently he had several zastava M98 actions/rifles for sale.

I've always admired the look of that rifle, 338-06 IIRC. Very tastefully done!

From a quick read, I agree with the 'tenor' of the arguments here.

A moment for a distinction concerning the term "Spanish Mauser". There were some truly fine early "Spanish mauser rifles produced FOR Spain by such as Lowe and DWM, German firms, in the early eighteen nineties. I have a cut down "rescue" which 'a bit' resembles the rifle in question. For what remains of it, it IS quality and in 7x57, a 'shooter'. There were also a mishmash of German, Polish, Czech, rifles funneled to Spain by Russia during the latter thirties era Spanish civil war. These are sometimes termed "Spanish Mausers" based on locale of application rather than manufacture. Typically parts mix-masters, but some yet 'pretty durn good rifles' if not collector prizes!

Moving to the rifle in question, the best use for it perhaps, as object for Bubba talents... Practicing on such rather than a quality gun! If you want to try your hand in the finer skills of hacksaw & chisel, perhaps this 'the gun' for you! I do believe it's considerably overpriced!

Best & Stay Safe!
John

Z1r beautifully done but by time you get one looking that good these days , you have pile in it. These days I'd rather start with something that has good resale possibilities at a bargain price than a gun that that looks like a bargain until you figure out what a pile of cash you have to put in it to make it nice. Just the way I see it. Just like your avatar ,looks damn nice without remodeling. Mb