A few months ago, I purchased a Husqvarna Model 46 in 9.3x57 Mauser from Allan's Armory. According to Allan's web site, it was made in 1930. My gunsmith refurbished and customized the rifle and the work is now complete. I thought some here might enjoy seeing some photos of the rifle.

Below are two photos of the rifle as received from Allan's Armory and before any work was begun on the rifle. (The photos are from Allan's web site.)




Below are photos of the finished rifle. The stock was stripped of its finish, dents were raised, oil damaged wood was repaired, and the stock received a new hand-rubbed oil finish. The rifle was converted to cock on opening with a Dayton Traister speed lock kit which includes a Mark II trigger, custom striker spring, and cocking piece. A Precise Metalsmithing (Wisner) two-position safety was installed. The action was glass bedded.







Some info about the 9.3x57 from Norma�s web site:
"Interestingly, no one seems to be able to determine exactly when or by whom the 9.3x57 cartridge was designed but it dates back to around 1900. This is nothing more or less than the 8x57J with the neck opened up to accept the then widely popular .366-inch diameter bullets. This chambering is obviously similar in performance potential and range of applications as the 9x57 Mauser. Performance and design are also similar to the 9.5x57 Mannlicher, which has a differently shaped case. Several similar chamberings were common at the turn of the last century. Of these, only the 9.3x57 survives in common use. This chambering is still used all over Scandinavia for hunting driven Moose and lesser species. The most common gun chambered for this round is the Husqvarna bolt action. This chambering has been nicknamed "The Potato Thrower" due to the fact that it launches a heavy bullet at moderate velocity. With such popularity and such a good track record on game at typical driven ranges, it is likely to be with us for a good many years, despite the fact that no mainstream manufacturer now chambers it."

How the 9.3x57 compares to some other cartridges:
[img]http://www.lone-star-armory.com/photos/husky93x57/93x57compared.gif[/img]
[img]http://www.bunduki.com/bob/cartridges/cd93x57-resized.jpg[/img]

I now need to mount a scope, work up some handloads, and go shoot it!!

Cheers! [img]http://www.bunduki.com/bob/emoticons/beer2.gif[/img]
-Bob F.

Nicely executed; a good 2.5 power scope would do the trick!

What're your loads for it? I have a strong feeling one of these is in my future.

How was the original stock? Were there any cracks in the inletting or webbing around the magazine box and trigger?

Bob,
Why did you feel the need to customise it? Looked pretty good at the start ... I'd have refurbished only and placed my 6x Nickle on top. Personally the mounts and rings look way too high, particularly as it has a stock designed for open sights. Love the recoil pad ... what is it?
Cheers...
Con

Nice rifle! It looks like I am far from the only one here with a strong like for the cool rifles of a generation ago. I think it is some kind of computer virus I caught here!

Bob...

Nice looking rifle, both before and after. I keep scratching my chin on getting one of these. Let us know how she shoots!

Well done! I have a mex mauser getting worked, and the 9,3x57 is in the running. That or a 358 win, either would match up with my mex in 338 Fed.

I haven't even begun to try to load for it yet. Norma has some data for 203-B powder on their web site with 286 gr bullets. I believe Norma 203-B is very similar to RL-15 so I figure I'll start with RL-15 and work up using the Prvi Partizan 286 gr bullets. Due to the small ring action, and the age of the rifle, I'm not going to try to hot rod it. I'd be very happy with around 2100 fps with a 286 bullet.

The original stock did have two minor cracks in the tang. Internally, especially around the trigger area, there was a lot of oil damaged wood but my smith was able to repair it.

Cheers!
-Bob F.

I can like that.

Why did I feel the need to customize it? Well heck, just because I wanted to! If the rifle had been in more pristine condition I probably would have not done much customizing. I tried to choose one that wouldn't have a lot of collector value. Still, I did want the cock on opening conversion and the side swing safety.

Yeah, the mounts and rings may be a little high. It's as low as we could go in order for the bolt handle to clear a scope. With the drop in the stock, set up for iron sights like most bolt action rifles were back in the 20s and 30s, I realize the scope may be a little high. But, this is meant to be a fun gun so I'm not too worried about.

I think the pad is a Pachmayr but I can't remember. The rifle is still at my gunsmith's as I haven't picked it up yet so I can't go look at it right now and see what it is.

Cheers!
-Bob F.

An aperture sight would be the shizzle on that

Yeah, I thought about an aperture sight. My old eyes just aren't too good with iron sights. (I realize an aperture sight helps with that.) Still, if the scope doesn't work out very well, I can always have an aperture sight fitted and use it that way.

Cheers!
-Bob F.

I'm interested in the 9.3 x 57 or similar caliber for a short barreled woods rifle. Any ideas how it would do with an 18" barrel. I'm getting a case of big-boreitis even though my deer don't require it. I just want one.

BFa..,

I love neat old guns. Dern if you ain't found a dandy. What did that start out life as ... an M96?

O

OUTCAST,

It's a Husqvarna Model 46. Husqvarna (in Sweden) manufactured new commercial actions (and sporting rifles) based on the design of the Mauser Model 96 action. It's not an action from a military rifle. (Someone more versed in the history of Husqvarna can probably explain it better than me.)


Husqvarna Model 46 in 9.3x57 Mauser
(not my photo)

-Bob F.

I really have no idea. I haven't even started load work for my rifle yet.

Cheers!
-Bob F.

if one was looking for a Husky in 9.3x62 what would one be looking for? want a strong action that will take full handloads

Very Nice

Please be very conservative, in handloading for that particular Model Husqvarna - as those early Model 96 based actions cannot take the pressure that a Mauser 98 can, and are also lacking all the M-98's safety features.

At the risk of preaching to the choir, that rifle is NOT a "Small Ring Mauser" - and cannot handle the pressures a true Small Ring Mauser can - like the actions later Husqvarna's were made on.

It is a Mauser with a small front receiver ring - and therein lies the rub.

All the earlier Mauser actions, like the 91's, 93's, 94's, 95's, and the 96's like yours - originally identified by their cock-on-closing issue feature - lack the safety features of the later Mauser 98 actions - both Small Ring 98's & Large Ring 98's.

.

I have one of the first 70 Mausers built for the 6.5x55mm Swede, on an 1893 Mauser action used for the 7x57 Spanish Army. Mine is a sporting rifle with a 25-inch barrel, straight stock, schnabel forend. About half of the batch were military rifles. They were for the King of Sweden to give out to friends and military officers for evaluation.

Mine has been refinished by the owner, grandson of the original owner, a second rear aperture sight (Lyman) installed to replace the first (Redfield), and the front sight replaced to match the height of the aperture sight. I will put in on a good background and take a photo to post.

Yeah, I'm very aware of the limitations of the action. I have no intention of trying to "hot rod it" when I handload for it.

Cheers!
-Bob F.

Husqvarna made the same rifle in the 9.3x62, I don't know if it was just they reamed them out or they made more with this chambering! If you look in the top of the barrel, right in front of the rear sight. There is a stamping saying 9.3mm and that is it, it never says x57 or x62. My Dad and I each have one in 9.3x62. This rifle has been shot with modern loading data, and has never been the least bit dangerous! Yes, its not a 98, but read what P.O.Ackley says about these "not a small ring Muaser" actions. They are using the same data for the 9.3x62 they started out with. The 9.3x57, and the 9.3x62 are not considered high pressure cartridges! I own one and speaking from experience, not what someone said! Plus as the sights are fixed, you will need to load to the sights to hit the spot you are aiming at.

An elegant Mauser in 9x57.

Nice rifle. Gotta love the older mausers - of any stripe.

Bob:

Super nice rifle. Congrats.

How long is the barrel? I'm guessing on the order of 25-26"?

- Tom

Actually I haven't ever measured the barrel length. It looks around 23.5" - 25" or so but that's just a guess. I haven't picked up the rifle yet from my gunsmith so I can't go measure right now.

Cheers!
-Bob F.

Dead on.

Original 9.3x62 ballistics were a 286-grain bullet at just over 2,100 fps. That load has roughly the trajectory and reach of a 30/30, which in my experience is plenty if you're anywhere except in very open country.

You can get another 300 fps in a stronger action, but the fact remains that a 286 at just over 2,100 is much gun.


Okie John

A Lyman 48 added to my vintage 6.5x55 Mauser sporting rifle.



Here is the entire buttstock, straight like the later M1896 military rifles.

very nice....I've been looking at those used Huskies for years but haven't bitten yet. Yours is very attractive.

Hello Woodsmaster & All,

There is a lot of information on the 9.3mm cartridges and Husky mod's 46 and 146 on the GunBoards forums. Scroll down to "Swedish Civilian & Military" section. The topic of 9.3x57 loading data is one that has been discussed for several years on the forum and lots of information is available there. Many favor using 4895 powder and others of similar burn rate. There is also much discussion of proper bullets for the 9.3x57 Mauser. Used rifles are available from Allans Armory, Simpson and also a good range of rifles is available in Canada in the 9.3mm, both in the early Mauser, the mod 98, its Husky variants and others.

I agree, there is no need to hotrod this cartridge. It gets its amazing killing ability by use of the proper large diameter bullet at adequate velocity. If you want to go fast and kick hard then shoot the 9.3x62 or something even bigger. Many hunters will attest to the sledge hammer knockdown power of a heavy, slow moving, bullet on moose and elk. The 9.3x57 was intended to take heavy game such as moose (and light African game) at short to medium range.

The internet has a fair amount of information on the 9.3x57mm cartridge and some information about the Husqvarna AND Mauser rifles chambered for this round. Use Google and search for the common variations such as 9.3x57, 9.3x57mm, 9.3 Mauser, 9.3mm cartridges, etc. to find what pops up. Norma also makes two loads for the 9.3x57 with their own bullets.

I bought a Husky 146 from SARCO Inc. when they had them in stock a few years ago. It is well used but in good condition. I am so fond of the caliber that I had a gunsmith make a custom barreled action based on a Rem 700 ADL and a 24" Pac-Nor barrel in 9.3x57. At present it has the factory stock, but I will put a synthetic camo pattern stock on it and glass bed it. It is wearing a Leupold mk3 2.5x7 scope. I just couldn't drill and tap the mod 146 and ruin that beautiful crest.

Cheers,

Metricman

For around $300.00, you can't go wrong.
Some of those from SARCO come already drilled and tapped, some on top, some on the side.

I'm going to have to fix my X57 at the tang so it and the other typical weak spots will get attention. When my 9.3X62 comes I will check it for the hidden weak spots and do preventive measures if needed. Anyone use the Remington style stock crossbolts for the web between trigger inlet and magazine on these guns? This is an older thread but informative. Rusty Z.

For the (one) handful of 9.3x57 shooters on the 24hrcf, this thread is a must read.

My M46 Husqvarna came to me with a split web. The split was repaired with a pair of stainless steel, internal crossbolts that were epoxied in place at the same time the receiver was epoxy bedded. Jack Lott described the procedure in at least several articles he wrote for Guns and Ammo Magazine, on how he reinforced the wood stocks of his .458 Lotts.

If you mean the thin brass pins that Remington used to reinforce their wood stocks as Remington style crossbolts, I have never used them. I believe that there was a brass pin in a 700 ADL stock that came with my 1984 7mmRM. The barreled action was bedded into a Brown Precision stock before the first shot was fired so I have no idea how well the the brass pin works. I do, however, believe I hedged the bet substantially by going the Jack Lott route on my M46.

I bedded mine and relieved the tang before I ever thought about snapping a cap.

Very nice! Love the M46's