Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles 1891 Argentine Sporter

I took one off the hands of a guy at work. He had not fired it. It was his late father’s rifle. It was well down my project list, but I went ahead and bought a set of 7.65x53 dies, brass and bullets as they became available here on The ‘Fire, GB & eBay...got all set up. Loaded some cast 180gr dropped at .312”, took it to the range and fired off a 12” pattern at 50 yards! Holy crap! Now, months later, my ‘smith has scoped the barrel and pronounced it a smooth-bore. Probably the victim of a lifetime of corrosive ammo. My choice comes down to finding a decent Argy barrel (which may be an oxymoron), have my ‘smith shorten it and be back in business with a 7.65x53, OR rebarrel it with a 7x57 M98 barrel which I already have (and which shoots well and I have dies, brass and bullets for). I’d still have to have the ‘smith turn down the shank to fit the 1891 receiver, and I’d have to dump the Argy dies and supplies. Suggestions, wisdom, cryptic comments? Anybody have a decent 1891 barrel that needs a new home?

Hold that thought, let me look through my extensive inventory of good stuff...I will also need to verify '91 breech thread dimensions. Just hang on, I promise I will respond. And, if I may say, you'll never regret the 7.65 as a real world hunting cartridge.

I'm sorry to report, I was mistaken, I guess I sold it. They do come up on ebay now and then, for cheap...I'm thinking 4 or 5 years ago I bought a dandy for less than 60 bucks to my door.

Thanks for looking. Maybe I’ll just be a patient eBay stalker/lurker....

Here you go:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/893307485

It'll buff out.

Those M1891 Mausers have a panache all their own. I can skip right the hell over all the '93 and '95's and go straight to the M96 an 98's, but the '91's have that certain "something" to my eye. I would suss out a .311 barrel, thread and turn it to mimic the original barrel, and have a go with it. Hell, you might get lucky and turn up a '91 barrel on Ye Olde Innertubes if you look long and hard enough. Don't hit the panic button just yet!

Brownell;s used to sell after market Mauser barrels for 91s, 93s, and 95s. If I remember correctly they offered 7.65MM, 300 SAV, 35 REM, and a couple of other low pressure cartridges.

I have numerous NOS barrels, NOS receivers and barrels, and lots of Argy 91 parts. Don't change the caliber. The 7.65 x 53 is an outstanding cartridge. Read Ken Water's Pet Load on it. PM me.

Brownells haven't had small ring barrels available for a while now. But E. R. Shaw will make you one for a couple hundred dollars or so, depending on what you want.

They still advertise small ring barrels for 250-3000 but they are currently sold out. I dont think a lot of guys rebarrel 91-96s for that cartridge anyway

Yowsa! That’s a hot mess!