Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles Question on a 1917 Swede

I guess I ruined my Mausers......

Sadly, I just learned I have a safe full of $75 rifles.

I picked up a M38 Huskavarna Swede back in the '80's that I had sporterized. D & T, barrel recrowned, bolt handle altered, reblued and restocked. One of the most accurate rifles I own with the original barrel.

When Swede M38 barrels were dirt cheap, I had a bunch, but no one wanted a Military profile barrel. Everyone wanted a "sporter" contour barrel. Most of those inexpensive sporter barrels had a 9" twist unlike the Military barrels with their faster twists.

That accounts for why those Kimber sporterized rifles are so popular, their barrels really shoot despite Kimber's shoddy work. I find that after you "clean" them up, they are fine little rifles.

Heck, I just picked up a Sporter put together by Flaigs. Sweet little rifle.

IF it were mine, I’d enjoy it as-is. It’s very expensive to turn one into a nice sporter unless you can do most of the work yourself. All that money would buy a very nice rifle, and you’ll still have your Swede. One of those is on my bucket list, but prices now are crazy, along with everything else.

It ain't original.

I love this backward logic: "Why waste money altering a Mauser?" How many buy a production rifle, then set about to restocking, installing new trigger, etc, etc... That's not inexpensive either.

Yep..... Rem 700 donor $400, McMillan stock $650, New barrel $600, new trigger $125 what a bargain ..... and yet you still have a Rem 700......

I did most of my own work so I saved a bundle there, in doing so the only time I go over $1200 total is if I splurge on wood or fancy iron sights, oh and fancy checkering gets expensive......

I apologize folks but I have tried posting pictures from my iPad and from my phone and I am repeatedly informed that the pics are too large. Send me a message with email and I will be happy to send them over.

Osky

Re-read the original post. He has now determined it is, in fact, original, other than an easily-reversed front sight swap. It is of course his rifle to do with as he pleases, but he asked for advice. I gave mine. The fact that some end up modifying factory guns has nothing to do with his question either, or my answer. Lots of factory guns are perfectly usable as they come, so no added expense is incurred. Never said altering a Mauser was a waste, but it’s absolutely expensive at current prices, and he will have lost money by destroying a nice original that also may be pleasurable for him to use in its current configuration. AGAIN, for the price of making his Swede into a decent sporter, he can have a nice ready-made factory gun, and also enjoy the Swede, or sell it if he wants to. Makes sense to me, might to him too.

Might.

Pappy and all thanks again. I am sorry I let this topic get sideways.
I will repeat I was never intending to sporterize this gun.
The gun is in terrific condition, I’ve learned from here that it is 100% all there from pictures you’ve sent.

My only misgiving was wether or not to drill this virgin for an optic. I cannot shoot it with its open sights “effectively” with my vision.

Thank you all again for your insights.

Osky

Not sideways at all, just honest differences of opinion. Bottom line remains: it’s your rifle and you can do whatever winds your clock. If you want to be able to shoot it, there are mounts available that fit the rear sight and allow red dots or scout scopes to be used. Red dots are good to at least 100 yards for me. Those rifles are usually excellent shooters. Watched a guy shoot several at my range not long ago and he was getting really impressive groups. Fine rifles.

I think the definite 'sweet spot' in any collectible-category milsurp conversion, 'deed reversibly done' without wrecking the rifle. Swooping in, picking up the 'remnant' and moving forward from there! From pure Bubbas needing 'life support', to fairly decent 'plastic surgery required' conversions. The idel seeking someone else's investment, having dumped most required time/money into 'it'! Often bargains abounding. Sometimes just requiring bit of 'vision' & tweaking, Others where main investment, just your own time, talent & vision!
Where basic barreled action & stock "workable", often the happiest 'find'; tweaking & sleeking! For those buying entire rifle for action... Unless very reasonable price, Why a milsurp at all? Find a decent Win pre '64 70 or Rem 30 (17 Enfield based); well 'broken in' working gun, go from there. End up with a commercial quality piece of machinery, almost surely well ahead on investment to return value curve!
Just my take
Best & Happy New Year!
John

With the exception of some U.S. milsurps, I still view such things with an eye toward sporterization. I'm not one to revere the heritage of other countries. I think the values of "original" foreign milsurps is insane. I guess I'm old enough to remember when nobody gave a hoot about keeping Mausers original, and to suggest restoring one to originality would've earned you a trip to the loony bin.

That said, I have a k98, Dot 43 (BRNO 1943), GI bring back, that someone sporterized by dropping the barreled action into a "stutzen" stock and added a Redfield receiver sight. No other holes and the bolt handle wasn't monkeyed with. Decent bore, shoots well. I'm gonna post it for sale but if anyone here is interested I'll give you first dibs. Probably go around $450.

For me it’s about the money, not tradition or reverence. There are plenty of good examples of almost every military rifle ever made for historic purposes and I’m not one to buy something to fondle but not shoot, aka “collect”. Hell, just getting a couple holes drilled and tapped runs $40-$60 per hole. Better to sell that puppy to somebody who’ll rub it all over daily and pay for the opportunity and put the bucks into something else.... unless projects are what you like.

I like to thumb through my copy (my second) of Williams’ book on sporterizing from the 60s. The prices are a hoot.

You night consider removing the rear sight assembly (totally reversible) and mounting a pistol/intermediate eye relief scope in a scout position using a B-Square no gunsmithing scope mount. I have done that with three military Mausers and find a scout position scope much easier than military sights for 60+ year old eyes to use.

A great reversible option for those of us who struggle with open sights.

Going to the range tomorrow with a PH 1858 Enfield to which I attached a small Weaver base using an existing hole for the ladder sight spring and another screw though the slot in the ladder. On that base is the smallest of the SeeAll sights, which I can see perfectly without glasses(!).

That musket is battle-sighted so even at the lowest position of the sights it shoots very high at 50 yards, not to mention the old eyes issue. When the four-day special season is over, five minutes work will bring that musket back to original configuration.

If I shoot a deer with it, I’ll just put my hat over the sight for the photos.

Osky;
Good morning to you sir, I trust this second Sunday in January finds you and those who matter to you well.

While I'm cognizant that you've made your decision on not modifying an original, for you or any who might be interested in looking at a really and truly modified one, I'll offer this one.



It was purchased in the early '80's from Century Arms Montreal for under $60 Cdn which I want to say included shipping and included the extra $5 for "extra clean". That said, it was a lot of money for us then, but it was to be a gift for my father who wanted to get back into hunting since we've moved out to BC where my folks lived and he didn't have a rifle. He's also had a pace maker installed so we needed to have something with light recoil.

Besides being drilled and tapped, the barrel was shortened to 20", the bolt handle replaced, the stock reshaped and checkered and epoxy bedded and a custom fore end cap built.

He was pretty happy with it, hunted with it for years and then before he passed gave it back to me saying that he hoped one of the grand kids might have it someday.

After he was gone, when our girls started hunting, our eldest spotted it in the back of the safe and asked about it. Long story short, after installing a Dayton Traister cock on open kit and trigger, she's accounted for at least 8 local mulie and whitetail bucks with it.

While it might have been a collectors item for sure at one time, for us it's now a 3rd generation family heirloom that she comments about every fall when we're combing the local mountains together. Frankly, I'd wager there's not a number on a cheque anyone would offer her that would pry her away from what was once her Granddads' rifle, you know?

Anyways, it's a grand cartridge, that little rifle is a wonderfully lively hunting arm and it's works well. As always, there's many roads to Mecca and all that - this is the one we took and that's all I mean to say here.

All the best to you this year. Good luck with your Swede whichever way you go.

Dwayne

Dwayne,

Nice to hear about a rifle being passed down and used! I treasure all the firearms I've inherited or that were given to my by family or friends!

Nice rifle, Dwayne, and great story.

FWIW, the SeeAll 1858 project was a success. Now all I need is a volunteer for the freezer. When the four-day season is over it’ll go back to original condition for target work. Somewhat of a surprise was how well it shot with roundballs, considering the 1-48 progressive-depth rifling. Easy to load too. Was thinking about selling it, but not now!