Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles Mauser 95 regrets

No gunsmith here! But years, make that decades, experience with DWM branded rifles. Now owning more than several. No such experience relating to "rough" cycling. I agree with most responses posted here, but particularly z1r referencing more specific information needed for possible diagnosis. Also particularly concurring with Pocono concerning pressures. Doesn't sound like any kind of safe or necessary conversion to me! I buy into the idea of the "tire" test, but perhaps moving status to 'permanent fixture' in firing the rifle! Very long string too!

I'd add the question of "matching bolt? Wondering if you have another mfg bolt (Spanish-?) in the rifle. Some good photos, as noted, would likely help. For most of us, you can even skip the "Contents Disturbing" cautionary warning. We've seen and possibly own, such "closet queens" of our own!

Best & Stay Safe!
John

I had a Spanish Mauser that had been arsenal converted to 308.
It had a very pitted barrel, so I had it converted to 243 - it worked exceptionally well, clear up 'til it was stolen in a truck break-in.

I handled one at the LGS today and it was also a POS with the same rough cycle. I remembered the issue with mine, as this one I handled had it even worse.

The bolt gets hung up on the internal magazine, mine at least does clear it with enough force (the one at the LGS I had to manually depress), and then it requires another burst of force to complete the cock on close.

I appreciate all of the wisdom.

Gunsmiths familiar with military Mauser actions routinely alter the magazine follower by ramping the back edge so the bolt can ride over it without having to be manually pushed down.
The original configuration is not an impediment with a loaded magazine as the cartridges keep the bolt from contacting the follower until the ammunition is expended.
The hang up you describe was a design feature that alerted the operator that the magazine was empty and needed to be charged. Better than closing the bolt on an empty chamber in the heat of battle.

Lol.

I used one with a short cartridge mag.to shoot a wildcat in.

My wife's Cousin knurled the bolt knob and if you shoot many shots at varmints the palm of your hand gets sore.

I have softened it up a little at a time but it still gets to you.

I'm thinking that a 95 is not safe with a 7-08 in the chamber. Early, not as advanced gas system if a primer ruptures and no third locking lug like a 98. If you insist on making that one work - pull the barrel and sell it to someone with a Turk or Mex 98. Get a 7x57 barrel and install it. Turn the stock into kindling and put a Boyd's on it.

I have a Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Grendal, that uses a standard AR mag, even tho it is a bolt action...its a year old..

when the AR mag is empty, the bolt won't close without immediately hitting the mag.. and I have several mags for that rifle, both factory and aftermarket...

I have several Enfields 1917s, that are cock on closing and they do the same with no ammo in the chamber.. so that is standard factory feature with the spring in the mag,
letting a shooter in military service know the mag is empty....these were loaded in combat or in the field, with stripper clips...

action being rough...its a 100 year old rifle... it may have had a lot of rough use and put away wet in its 100 year service life...
something like that can still be cleaned up.. I've done it with a couple of 1917 Enfields over the years...

barrels can always be replaced... and being a handloader, its not much to load something at lower pressure, and not giving up a lot of velocity, to include the 7/08...

people always seem to think they need the last fps out of each round that they shoot...a little prudence at the reloading bench, can make brass and everything else a lot less stressed and increase service life dramatically.... I load a lot of ammo I use into the pressure range that many older Mausers like used...giving up a 100 to 150 fps Max velocity...

Lots of people who don’t know better think Mauser actions are rough. The long extractor and the magazine follower bearing on the bolt body (even when the back is ground down) means that the bolt will seldom just fall open like a modern push feed bolt action. Then there is the matter of the slop inherent in the design at the end of the cycle. That isn’t slack of a worn out rifle or poor tolerances in manufacture, that is part of the design to allow the bolt to function in less than idea body positions with dirt or mud in the action.

Guy GAVE me a Spanish Mauser, an 1893. It was NOT a collector. The stock had been 'customized' and the bolt handle bubba-ed so that it was almost unusable. Was a 7 x 57.

Showed it to a friend who had sporterized several Mausers and he told me:

1. You could make a pretty good deer rifle with that.
2. You will never get all your money back.
3. Leave it as a 7 x 57. It is a fine cartridge for deer hunting.
4. that action is not made for hot loads, even though its had gas ports drilled in the receiver ring and the bolt.
5. Get a new barrel, trigger, and stock. If you do this decently it will be a good rifle for the hunting you do around here [ meaning EC Minnesota in some brush country ]
6. Even someone with your limited mechanical skills can do most this yourself.
-----------------------------------------------------------
End results:
1. Had the rifle tested at a gun smithing school near here. Was fine.
2. Did a lot of reading and viewing stuff on internet.
3. Installed a new barrel, added a Boyd trigger and a Boyd stock.
4. Did all the work myself except barrel change, chamber reaming, and metal finishing.
5. put a Redfield 2 x 7 scope on it.
6. By now have run some 300 shots thru the barrel. The barrel has 'matured' enough.

Because i had some IMR4320 powder sitting there [used it in my 300 Savage] I started using that in my reloads. the Spaniard will put 140 gr Sierra ProHunters into about 2.5 inch groups.

To finish the above......

the Spaniard will put 165 gr Remington RN bullets into 3 inch groups...
will group 150 gr Remington spire pt[?] into 1.5 inch groups.
will group 150 gr Partitions into ~ 1 inch groups regularly.

We chrony-ed the 150 gr loads and they are about duplicates of a medium 150 gr 300 Savage load.
I had a good time doing this..... even with my limited mechanical skills. :-)

I truly appreciate all of the feedback here and will be posting it in the classifieds in the near future.

I finally listed this rifle for sale.

Anybody have anything concrete on whether or not the action is capable of handling factory 7mm-08 ammo?

I handload... I wouldn't personally run factory 7/08 ammo thru it.... but I could produce handloads for it all day long...

Don't know if that is what you want to hear... but if it fell in my lap, that is how I'd use it...

Hang it on the wall then..

I've had a 95 and a 96 pass through my hands over the years. Fired them a bunch and my opinion is that I personally don't trust them. The 96 developed a headspace issue firing factor 6.5x55 ammo. The 95 had a few issues with some 7x57 military surplus.

They make a nice wall hanger unless you want to make up some light handloads to shoot. It's 98 Mausers for me.

Dan

As a Ludwig & Lowe it was made prior to 1898 and is considered and antique. When you sell it, you can ship it to the customers door, no FFL is needed.

There is virtue in simplicity. My "catch" of decades ago. That empty feeling, prospect of walking back to the car emptyhanded! 'Her', looking bit prettier as Sunday evening & Gun Show closing time. As I recall about $ forty something with couple boxes of Rem 7x57 ammo. Matching receiver, barrel and bolt (custom bent); action slick! Shot just fine, considering era short stock! Working for me & my 'give a gun a home' program!

Spanish 1893 Model / 1894 dated Ludwig Lowe Berlin

Best!
John

Nothing wrong with that.