In the Campfire Winchester Forum below, BSA sharing his rifle and wisdom. I have a couple of Pre '64 Model 70 rifles and other brand factory lightweights. Mine nice but nothing special.
"Special" for me are rifles "special to me". Something unique making them 'my' very special rifles. Below discussing a very Basic Mauser in essence. Milsurp, a so-called "AZ Kar 98 pattern, reflecting the small receiver ring "carbines" of "Great War" era and prior. An era, as full German "Gewehr" military rifles yet featured long smoke-pole barrels.
My AZ, pix below reflects the "do more with less" minimalist sporterizations. Clever craftsmanship aesthetics & configurations, substituting for quality finished commercial rifles. The stock particularly as military-reformatting original military components to lightweight sporter design. Such not to 'wow' any quality sporter aficionados, nor intended!
First encounter with mine here, only wowed as something of a lightweight 'truck gun mauser' at a quite nice price! About sixty bucks with couple boxes of ammo and bit 8x57 commercial brass. These rifles were all of so-called modern "Spitzer", .323 chambering as built. So no worries of the "J" series bores and ammo problems.
Its barrel as received was unusually dark. Don't know why as decent cleaning had a very serviceable bore shining. Likely not that much wear. As can be noted from the pix, the scrubbing was quite comprehensive as also exuding considerably above average quality of product! Hopefully not 'too good'; excess metal removed. The used brass looked good and no signs of anything untoward. Firing same brass happy results. Accuracy, lack of, more "me" than the gun. Never a hunter and "wounded targets" not a worry. It shot well and handled better. If to have added inch recoil pad and spacer, ergonomically much better for me. But "gun essence" altered. So, no!
This rifle is special to me. Holding it in my hands, impressed with the genuine lightweight and easy pointing. The no-nonsense minimal accoutrements and simple "European style era sights. And special yet more, for conjuring the craftsman making it so! Likely a pro, but one taking pride whether a 'few-off' or many. Typically by even the seventies when I acquired it and especially so even later, most such rifles had shed such military stock "remnants", bolt handle reworked, D&T for at least receiver sights; more often for scopes. All of this "era" sometimes (disputedly) termed "cottage craftmanship". I buy into that title as "accurately descriptive".
Such an artefact as it represents, reflecting something of history! Tough times in Germany where many folks who owned such rifles, affordability justified only as tool working in tune with cooking pots. The depression of principally thirties decade in Germany worst perhaps of Western World. Made so by both recovery from war losses and huge reparations extracted by England and France!
Of my pretty decent rifle collection including some really quite nice pieces, this mauser here and a nineteenth century Austrian rifle my dad bought for my Fourteenth Christmas; those to be the last I'd part with. I do tend to develop attachments to some of my guns as can be deduced!
If you've bothered to read this far, thanks for allowing me to share a simple rifle & story. This humble piece, with my reflections on some guns in this category. Folks speak often of "restoring guns", commonly such as Winchester levers which principle aspects complained are honest wear. Speaking of 'like new' restorations; I wonder without much comprehension. But just "collectors" marching to entirely different drums! Dismantling "history" to my view. with me such 'guns', "history" to be preserved... for duration of my watch.
iskra; Good morning again sir, I still hope the day is looking to be a decent one for you.
Thanks for the post and the photos, that's indeed a cool bit of history and a handy looking rifle as well.
Strange as it might sound, it was just this past spring that I shot the first 8x57 that I can recall. A buddy bought a Husqvarna chambered for it and another chambered in 9.3x62, so I got to play with both of them a wee bit.
The 8x57 chronographed some really decent numbers we felt, so again it's no surprise to anyone who's had them, but we hadn't up until now.
Speaking of shooting his - with a Decelerator which I'd installed - I'll venture to guess when you touch off that light rifle of yours one doesn't wonder if it went bang or not?
In order, Hi Leadminer and hoping your handle is more figurative or you're well Hazmat protected! Believe it takes special understanding to appreciate my relationship with some of my guns! Appreciate your words!
Hey Deane, welcome to the 8x57 club of which you're probably the forty seventh billionth shooter! I have Husqvarnas in both 8mm and 9.3x62. Model 1600, former & Model 640, FN action, latter. Both nice guns! The 9.3 the more exotic and frankly 'valuable', in terms of chambering. The 8mm is widely available all over good portion of the world and more so here Stateside than the 9.3 for sure! That 'speial mauser is 'noticeable' to shoot! But I also cheated. A small bit of foam, likes of which I've never since seen, and two sided tape. (Moment for laughter/scorn) but working. Don't know if I still have it. But double task in providinc the extra couple of Cm of longer length of pull as well as nifty cushioning.
Now, ammo costs & gas costs... My excuse anyway as "lazyboy" recliner conjuring. The USMC Civilian range nearby but the 'lazies' too! Just the truth! Thanks for the B&B 'comms'!
John- I have a couple Husq 146 Mausers set up quite a bit like the one you show-except 9.3X57. And yes-mostly figurative handle except we live in the heart of old lead mining country!
John- I have a couple Husq 146 Mausers set up quite a bit like the one you show-except 9.3X57. And yes-mostly figurative handle except we live in the heart of old lead mining country!
First, condolences for the situation of you're locale I hope through midigation efforts & "clean up' you're adequately protected. No such probelms here in SoCal of course... Unless you count the nuclear waste from our decommissioned San Anofre Nuclear power station. Gone 'but for every bit of radioactive "spent rods" waste In lead containers, them in heavy concrete containers. Buried in the site beach sand! "Just temporarily" now for some years! Really! But govt assurance "Nothing can go wrong!"
I also have a Belgium action 146 Husqvarna from 1940 'or so' in 9.3x57! A great rifle and congrats on yours!
Ha-think I prefer Leadmine! We have my grandparents old homeplace smack dab on top of lead deposits...my Grandmother lived to almost 103 so think we will be fine.
Thanks for the update & God bless! 103 sounds great as prediction. Our proximity to nuclear fuel rods, may guarantee us heat for some 40,000 years plutonium half-lif; some such e and heat for the estimated micro-millisecond as more than our residual life expectancy subsequent to any exposure! Such the "Glowing Report" of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission folk who couldn't stay in our area to talk! Always some sort of 'upside'! Best John
