Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Tell me about this Oberndorf Mauser Action

I will bet money the basis was the 8.15xsomething R, which was some kind of weird rimmed target round in gun-controlled Thirties Deutschland. You have a prize there, regardless, a prewar commercial Genyoowyne Paul Mauser Oberndorf 98 action. Dunno about the bottom metal. And dunno on the extractor. You need to find someone with a conventional bolt and see if the bolt face and other metal are compatible with a standard extractor.
If so, you have the guts for a "super-sporter" -- while I wouldn't do a Eurosporter per se, I'd try to make a darn nice 257 Roberts. One warning...getting the glass mounted properly is probably going to hurt your wallet.

I adjusted the color on your pic.

I have ~ 50 Orberndorf actions, and I might trade any of them for that one.

I can bend or weld bolts and I can put on scope mounts, but that one has a double trigger.

Thanks for the photo editing Clark, I do appreciate that. My photo skills are sorely lacking...

I haven't decided what I want to do yet with it build wise, so I may be open for a trade depending on what I settle on for caliber.

I have not ever had a rifle with a double trigger, so I don't know whether to be happy about that or not!

Any idea when serial number 1118XX was made?

The bottom metal is serial numbered to the action, so that is a nice feeling thinking it is all original. I do like the floorplate release inside the trigger guard.

I am stumped by the weird rear scope or sight mount, that appears to be part of the action itself, not soldered on. I can see no lines so it appears to be one with the action. No holes or mount on the forward side of the action, just a knurled look with the Mauser logo.

Thanks!

I like DST's, have them on a couple of rifles and have another set ready to go into the current Mauser build. If you haven't used them they can take some getting used to but they become second nature quickly. Some guys like them, some guys don't.

That rear mount is indeed integral with the action and is 1/2 of a typical vintage German QD scope mount system. The front mount is located on the barrel right in front of the receiver ring. Finding/fitting the rings that fit those mounts can be frustrating, but not impossible. Just, dear God, don't grind that square bridge off!!! (And don't drill into that Mauser banner on the Receiver ring!!!)

Ozarks.....pm sent.

Ozarks,

Talk about finding diamonds in the coal!

From Speed's book I would say 1932-1933.

What are the proof markings? thanks...jim

Thanks to all those helping ID. Several of you ask for proof mark pics. I got my son to take some picures of the proof marks and the odd extractor. The extractor is serial number correct to the action, but may have been modified by the looks of it.

Their is some pitting right where the proof marks are on the action, so hard to see. Also, took a picture of the bottom metal because their was a proof mark under the serial number there also.

The photo showing the last four digits of serial number with proof marks is from the bolt handle where it meets the bolt body.

Thanks for the help.

Still looks like it was chambered for a rimmed cartridge to me.

Yeah, I think 8.15x46R. OTOH, that picture (fuzzy, darn it) looks like the extractor was nibbled by an amateur. If that's the case, then all it will take is a new extractor. The other thing...the collector value really isn't there now that the action is apart.
I wonder if the least-crazy option is to just go ahead and try to get a base/ring for the back end and put a "normal" ring on the front (reasonably cosmetically matched of course).
Getting "correct" optics for that thing would be a royal pain anyway.
So, have fun, Ozarks, and congratulations. Let us know when you do that thing justice.

One more PM about proof marks...

Brownells pretty much has all the Mauser parts you need, an extra length extractor too.