Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 1910 Mexican 9x57 questions

I just acquired a sporterized Mexican 1910 Mauser. It has a full rib barrel marked "W. Forster...Berlin", and is full length bedded in an old Fajen stock. Bolt has been forged down but it hasn't been drilled and tapped for scope bases yet. The action is dated 1932.

I already have a set of RCBS dies and I'm hoping when I check the throat and slug the barrel it is close enough to .358 that I can use the stockpile of .35 cal bullets I have on hand. I even have about 500 remington 150 PCL that should make good plinking rounds or Armadillo/coyote busters.

If anyone has experience with the 9x57 I'd love to hear your thoughts. Also any help translating the proof marks would be appreciated.

Apologies for the crappy cell phone pics. My camera battery died right when I was setting up to take pics.

The barrel is a rebored 8mm barrel; 172/28 is a gauge notion that was used on 8mm's. Not uncommon. I have a 9x57 that also was rebored from 8x57.

I load mine with RL15 and 250 round noses. I also have some 200 gr round nose I use for plinking.

Given the Fajen stock and rear sight it was probably a pieced together rifle from takeoff parts.

Thanks z1r,

Makes sense that this is a pieced together rifle. The barrel has a slot for a key on the bottom that must have been for the previous stock. Also the barrel has a sling swivel built into it, but the butt stock does not have a sling stud.

I was on the hunt for a .358 or .35 whelen but my research indicates that the 9x57 basically splits the difference from a performance standpoint. I love old school guns and calibers, so the fact it is a reloading only proposition isn't a negative to me.

My plans at this point are to do a chamber cast and slug the barrel to make sure what I'm working with. Install a low swing safety and timney trigger. D&T, install a Weaver K3. It should be a great "all around" hunting rifle.

Any interpretation of the other marks?

9mm converts to .354". I wonder how easy it would be to swage your .358" bullets to .354".

There's not a whole lot of info out there on the 9x57 but most folks are running regular .358 bullets. Since this is apparently a rebore, I'm hoping the bore diameter is .356+ The bigger issue with regard to chamber pressure is the throat diameter which needs to be large enough to not pinch the bullets in the casing.

Please don't take my saying its a parts gun the wrong way. Some of my favorite rifles are parts guns. Over the years, I accumulated many nice parts, including barrels, that were just too good to toss. Nothing wrong IMHO with recycling perfectly good parts.

The 9x57 is at least as good as the .358 and feeds better in a Mauser.

The only other marking worth noting was the Nitro Proof mark. Slug your barrel, most of the 9x57's I've come across had .356" bores. Just be sure that there is sufficient clearance at the neck with a .358 projectile seated. They really seem to like the Hornady 250 RN.


One of my favorite Whelens started life as a 9x57.

Thanks z1r.

No worries. I didn't take it that way. I know you are very knowledgeable re mausers and I appreciate your insight on the rifle. I knew I was buying a mutt when I bought this rifle, and that was some of the attraction. The stock is barely finished and the metal is over buffed, but it falls into my "cool old rifle" category.

Just got to get it up and running.

I slugged the bore and it measures .356 , so I think I'll be ok running .358 bullets pending the throat measurement. Ordered some cerrosafe and it should be here in a day or 2.

My plan is to start with mild .358 win load data and work up. Not looking for a hot rod load, just a good killin load.

I've heard of guys who squeezed jacketed bullets through Lee push-through bullet sizing dies to alter diameters. I've also heard that doing so may disrupt the bond between the jacket and lead core- the gilding metal jacket "springing" back a bit and the lead core not following it. I don't know from personal experience, just throwing it out there. I would be tempted to try it though, .002" isn't much and may not effect that phenomenon.

Weagle,Hawk Bullets makes the .356". I use them in my 9x57,just have used them on big game yet.

For awhile I wanted a 9X57MM rifle but never pursued it. I understand that most rifles in this caliber wound up in Africa.

I was pretty excited to find these at the local gun show today. It's 245 gr soft nose. I'll still probably resize some 8mm, but at least now I have some ammo with the proper headstamp. I will definitely try to use these up on game after I get sighted in. They have been waiting a long time to be put to proper use.

I fired a couple of the Kynoch rounds, and .358 bullets of 4 different brands drop right in the fired brass. I don't have to worry about a tight throat when I reload with 35 cal bullets.

I love the way the rifle feels when fired; Sort of a big, authoritative shove.

Funny story, about the chamber necks being big enough. I bought this rifle as a 9,3x57.



Slugged the bore and came up with .356" grooves. The rifle came with a half box of Norma ammo and 10 fired cases. Sure, enough, a 9,3x57 would chamber and had been fired out of the rifle. Imagine, firing a .366" projectile down a .356" bore. Talk about firing forming or is that fire swaging?

Well, that idea didn't appeal to me and neither did firing .358" projectiles in a chamber with such a loose neck. So, I did the sensible thing and rechambered to .35 Whelen.

As we speak, I am deciding on a stock for my Mexican Mauser barreled in 9,3x57.

Great rifle. Not sure I could bring myself to drill that nifty crest. Not scolding you about it, as I'm a great believer in the "my rifle, my business" way of thinking. I'd check for bolt clearance. Might still need a little grinding on the handle, even with the re-forging.

Saw some nifty double-set triggers from NECGW n the Midway site yesterday. Just sayin'🤔.

Wow. I guess that's a testament to the strength of that action.

BTW that is a cool looking crest on that action. I've never seen one like it.

If you are referring to the crest on my Mexican mauser; it's already been buffed pretty hard so it doesn't hurt my feelings too bad to drill it. I definitely need a scope.

I don't think I could bring myself to drill that cool Moose crest on z1r's rifle.

I need to check out those double set triggers. My other primary hunting rifle is a Brno 22F 8x57 with set triggers and I really like them.

Receiver D&T'd, Weaver K3-1 installed. Just need to install a rear sling swivel stud and get it sighted in. Deer season opens in 2 weeks

It should knock a deer on his ass real easy!!!