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I have a Spanish Mauser (1893 model) that I am going to have re-barreled. As such I decided to have the lugs and action re-heat treated (case hardened). I have found an outfit that will do it, but it has been a while since they did one, and their procedure for doing it was written for using a salt bath, which they say they no longer have due to the amount of newer EPA regulation and associated costs. They can still do the job, but they need me to provide the specific desired surface hardness for the lugs and the action. Would anyone be able to help out with some recommendations on Rockwell numbers?
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Campfire Ranger
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Pretty much. I can think of 138 better ways to spend money than putting it into a Spanish Mauser. But that's me, not you.
"You can lead a man to logic, but you cannot make him think." Joe Harz "Always certain, often right." Keith McCafferty
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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I wouldn't spend $$ on a Spanish-built SR Mauser. The Spanish-built Mauser don't have a very good reputation for quality of manufacture or materials. If you're going to spend $$ on a SR pre-1898 style Mauser, Swedish-built 1894/1896/1938 styles Mausers are the best place to put your $$, at least IMO.
It is your $$ to spend, but having rebarreled a couple dozen SR pre-1898 style Mausers, I wouldn't put my $$ into any action that was a Swed or, maybe, a Ludwig Lowe-built 1895 Chilean.
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Well, I will admit to having particular tastes, and they often result in outcomes that are somewhat unique. I try not to indulge them more often than I can afford. This one was sporterized when I bought it, and the condition of the action & bolt is rather nice, but it still has an original barrel and what is left of what I assume was the original stock. Such things give me itches in the primitive parts of my brain when they sit in my gun safe for any length of time.
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Campfire Greenhorn
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260Remguy: As you say that you have “rebarreled a couple dozen SR pre-1898 style Mausers” would you be able to advise me on whether a 93 will fit into a sporter style 96 stock?
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Any case hardening method by molten salt bath or not will give a hard case only a few thou. thick. It will do nothing for the yield strength of the action. The only benefit will be wear protection.
FWIW, modern alloy steel actions are usually around 38-42 RC all over. There is no direct correlation to case hardened actions as the hardness testing method is different for the thin case versus a through hardened steel surface.
RAN
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I am aware of that. From what I have read on the subject it seems as though given the properties of the steel that the Mauser brother were working with they relied on mass and design to handle the pressures involved. But I have also read that many of these actions were rebarreled to 7.62x51 NATO post by the Spanish, so I assume that, subject to direct experience of those who have gone down this path before me, it can be done if one is armed with the rite information.
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260Remguy: As you say that you have “rebarreled a couple dozen SR pre-1898 style Mausers” would you be able to advise me on whether a 93 will fit into a sporter style 96 stock?
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Back in the '80's a gunsmith friend and I built a number of very nice rifles on the 93/95 actions. We could buy short chambered and pre-threaded Shilen barrels for less than $100 bucks each from Brownnells.
We rust blued and checkered them, D&T'd the actions and put new bolt handles and safeties on them...and they were beautiful little guns in useful calibers. We were always sure they they were accurate and functional. We tried to get $1,000 to $750 for them...then $500.. $400... Etc...etc. my friend got rid of most of them at give away prices. I still have two of them. A guy wanted to buy one...said he'd give me $250 for it. The stock blank cost me that much.
The highest and best use for a 93/95 is to bob the barrel to 20" put a decent set of sights on it and throw it in your truck.
“My horn is full and my pouch is stocked with ball and patch. There is a new, sharp flint in my lock and my rifle and I are ready. It is sighted true and my eyes can still aim.” Kaywoodie
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I suffer from a condition whereby actual resale value fails to ever make it into the list of considerations on one of my automotive or firearms project. One would think that this might cause me distress at some point, but I have failed to get there yet.
I just got back from talking to my gunsmith and after discussing it I left him to ponder for a week or so what I would like to: 20” light to medium weight barrel, receiver mounted adjustable aperture sight, and restocked with an exhibition grade Mannlicher length Turkish Circassian Walnut blank in a slim full length stock with a steel cap. The calibers we discussed were 7x57, .338 Federal, and .338x57mm.
Oh, I forgot optics. The condition extends there as well. Old Bausch & Lomb binoculars are the worst. I can’t seem to resist buying them and then having them torn down and refurbished.
Last edited by Clayton2017; 02/25/17.
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I have a 96 in a 93 stock. The action fit good but the steps in the barrel didn't line up. Also built a 7mm-08 out of a 93. I shoot 120gr out of it and don't push it hard. That keeps the pressure down. But it is my truck gun, doe and yote popper.
Last edited by NEBHUNTER; 02/25/17.
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Pac Met will recase your mauser. They have done many. Do a search and call them.
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FWIW, I've enjoyed reading posts on various gun sites since around 2005. Had a C&R license for around 6 years, used mostly to buy surplus military rifles. Spent a lot of time on websites devoted to military rifles.
Lots of surplus 93 Spanish mausers were sold in the U.S. Remember a post by a gent who wrote he'd been working on a dock of some Eastern U.S. port, back in the day when huge numbers of surplus rifles came from Europe to the U.S. There was a ship was unloaded. It's only cargo was Spanish 93 mausers. Gent wrote, there were over 3 pallets, just of paperwork for the rifles...that somewhere, he thought, there must be a warehouse with lots of them still stored....just no way, all those rifles that came off the ship, could have been sold.
Chuckle, about 7 years ago, a gunshow dealer had a box of Spanish Oviedo 93 actions, prepped for building on, bolts had been turned and etc., for $20 each. Yea, I bought a couple of them and used them. I had them barreled with cartridges suitable for them, such as a 257R or 7x57.
Is yours a German made (DMW/Lowe) or an Ovideo (made in Spain). Some difference between the two when it comes to quality of the metal in the receivers.
Lets just say, the German had a better quality metal in the receiver and etc., than the Spanish made. However, do recall a post by a gent who was a gunsmith, that'd worked on many a Spanish made 93 mauser. Essentially, he commented about them being decent to build on......Yea, the German made had a better metal and the Spanish metal was softer, but he maintained with the proper cartridge for the 93 action, they were just fine to build on. But, one should look for lug set-back in the Spanish receiver.
That's my 2 cents worth
Last edited by huffmanite; 02/25/17.
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It’s a Spanish 93. I can’t make out any of the year stamp except for the last digit, which is 9, and the middle of “Oviedo” and the crown is buffed away as someone got carried away with the buffing wheel, but there is enough there to positively ID it.
There is no evidence of set-back. The action was worked over by whoever did the sporterizing and it cycles smoothly, with no binding, and to all appearance is excellent condition.
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Brownell's used to sell custom barrels in 257R, 250S, 300S, 35R, etc for Mauser 93/95 actions.
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FWIW, I've enjoyed reading posts on various gun sites since around 2005. Had a C&R license for around 6 years, used mostly to buy surplus military rifles. Spent a lot of time on websites devoted to military rifles.
Lots of surplus 93 Spanish mausers were sold in the U.S. Remember a post by a gent who wrote he'd been working on a dock of some Eastern U.S. port, back in the day when huge numbers of surplus rifles came from Europe to the U.S. There was a ship was unloaded. It's only cargo was Spanish 93 mausers. Gent wrote, there were over 3 pallets, just of paperwork for the rifles...that somewhere, he thought, there must be a warehouse with lots of them still stored....just no way, all those rifles that came off the ship, could have been sold.
Chuckle, about 7 years ago, a gunshow dealer had a box of Spanish Oviedo 93 actions, prepped for building on, bolts had been turned and etc., for $20 each. Yea, I bought a couple of them and used them. I had them barreled with cartridges suitable for them, such as a 257R or 7x57.
Is yours a German made (DMW/Lowe) or an Ovideo (made in Spain). Some difference between the two when it comes to quality of the metal in the receivers.
Lets just say, the German had a better quality metal in the receiver and etc., than the Spanish made. However, do recall a post by a gent who was a gunsmith, that'd worked on many a Spanish made 93 mauser. Essentially, he commented about them being decent to build on......Yea, the German made had a better metal and the Spanish metal was softer, but he maintained with the proper cartridge for the 93 action, they were just fine to build on. But, one should look for lug set-back in the Spanish receiver.
That's my 2 cents worth
Are you close to the Tomball Range?
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Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
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From an article written by Mike Hudson and published on Chuck Hawk's website:
"Instead of SAAMI, the Europeans employ C.I.P., the Permanent International Commission for Firearms Testing. A far more independent organization, the C.I.P. was founded in 1914 and does not answer to corporate American or European gunmakers. According to official C.I.P. guidelines, the 7×57mm case can handle up to 390 MPa (56,564 psi) piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries, every rifle/cartridge combination has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers.
By contrast, SAAMI specifies a far lower maximum pressure of 46,000 CUP or 51,000 psi. Although this lower specification is due to concern about the allegedly weaker actions of the older Mauser 93 and 95 rifles, this anxiety is misplaced, as the original ammunition developed for, and issued with, the M-93 Spanish Mauser produced an average pressure of 50,370 CUP in those rifles. Since the Spaniards continued building M-93s themselves into the 1950s, continued C.I.P. proof testing would have uncovered any inherent weakness in the action."
Food for thought.
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