Originally Posted by gophergunner
I've always like Mausers. To that end, I really want a Swede to hunt with. I'm not real well versed on the different Mauser rifles. If you were going to build a 6.5 Swede as a hunting rifle, what action would you choose?
Second question-can I do the cock-on-open conversion at a later time, or does it need to be done in conjunction with the trigger and safety job? I don't want to stay with a stepped military barrel. Suggestions for a decent barrel that won't totally break the bank will be appreciated, as will suggestions on a decent stock. Wood or glass? I will definitely be mounting a scope on this, and Weaver bases are fine by me. Scope will most likely be a 3x-9x of yet to be determined pedigree. What would you guys suggest? Anyone have a complete gun or action I could start with? Thanks for your suggestions guys.

gophergunner;
Good evening to you my cyber friend, I trust all is well with you and your fine family tonight.

Somehow I missed this earlier and will try not to repeat too much information already covered, but as it's me, it'll like as not be anything but brief.

Our personal history with 6.5x55's started back in the late '70's when there were lots of 96 Swedes imported in which could be had for less than $75 shipping included.

In about '85 I bought an "extra clean" made in 1903 by Carl Gustav, paying something less than $60CDN for it on sale from Century Arms in Montreal.

The plan was to make it into a sporter for my father and that's what I did. The mods included a new bolt handle welded on, new end cap made up, reshape and checker the stock, epoxy bed the action, shorten barrel to 20", install recoil pad, change safety to a Mk II and lighten the stock trigger.

When Dad aged to the point where he couldn't use it any longer, he returned it to me saying that he hoped one of the grand kids might want it. As it turned out it was our eldest daughter who saw the rifle in the back of the safe and asked about "the one with the wood all the way to the muzzle".

She was 11 when she claimed it and had a bit of an issue with the cock on closing feature, so I picked up a Dayton-Traister cock on open kit which included a replacement trigger.

The resulting rifle really needs to be run to be appreciated, honestly it's as smooth as one of the better small ring Huskys one will find - which in my view is about as nice as a Mauser ever built.

[Linked Image]

As they say in the King Jame's version, in the fullness of time as we hunted together, I began to notice that our daughter's Swede did as much or slightly more tissue damage on local whitetail and mulie bucks - shooting 130gr TSX bullets than my .270 walking around rifle shooting 130gr TTSX and GMX.

Way back when I did a whole thread on it and it makes for some interesting reading. If you'd like I can likely find it and put up a link.

Anyway...... I had a gunsmith up the valley install a very good/nearly new Swede military barrel onto the 98 action that I'd built my "walking around rifle" on.

As it sits on the post - including 5 rounds of 120gr TTSX - it weighs 7lbs 4oz

I can put the entire build spec up if you or anyone is interested - the base is a between the wars, commercial roll marked Mauser action - no Nazi proofs either - so kinda rare up here anyway.

[Linked Image]

On this build I left the steps in the barrel, though I did consider having the 'smith spin them off. The rationale behind using the Swede military barrel is that it's a deep groove, fast twist barrel which seems to dote on solid copper bullets - or they love it - anyway it's what we use and it works really, really well on deer sized game here in BC.

Hopefully that was some use to you or someone out there in ether space tonight.

We are enough true believer to use 125 year old cartridges and for that matter 116 year old rifles and almost as old components for our primary hunting arms.

All the best to you as we head into the fall.

Dwayne

The most important stuff in life isn't "stuff"