Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Reason for "stepped" military Mauser barrels?

the sights had to have a flat surface and so did the band and forend at the end. so maybe it was just for ease of fitting?

+1...........

I'll just add that just because a stepped-barrel Mauser shoots very accurately doesn't mean the accuracy is due to the steps. I''ve had the same experience, but have also had old 1903 Springdfields, 1917 Enfields, Swiss M31's that shot extremely well, and all had typical tapered barrels.

In fact I own a nicely "sporterized" M98 done by some unknown customer maker. It has the original military barrel with the steps turned off--and shoots VERY well.

All of which makes me guess the secret to accuracy isn't stepped barrels but good barrels.

And as plenty of folks have pointed out many of the older barrels were very good.
I bought a number of stepped 30-06 Mauser barrels when Numrich was selling them new/surplus. They were built by FN and every one I have used could usually be coaxed into shooting MOA with proper loads.

I did that trick once, and though admittedly a sample of one, had abysmal results. I turned the barrel into a straight taper that just barely cleaned the steps (very lightweight- about like a Ruger featherweight contour). It turned a barrel that was an honest 2MOA producer into one that would put the first shot out of a cold barrel deadnuts on center. The second shot would go about 2" higher. The third 2" above that, and so on until the 5th shot was clean off the paper. Nice group- about �" wide and 10" tall. Repeatedly. If I waited 20-30 minutes between shots it was a dinger. Still, I hunted with it. After all, after a second shot at a deer it's not likely to still be patiently giving you a third chance. I traded it off and as far as I know its still being hunted. (I often threatened to take it antelope hunting, and if I missed with the first shot, and the animal ran directly away from me, I could keep shooting as the gun would be automatically compensating for the rapidly increasing distance! )

Undoubtedly I released some hidden stresses in the barrel when I turned it. (And the action was bedded and barrel free floated in the channel. Pressure point experiments in the barrel channel did nothing to improve it.)

A gunsmith friend did an experiment with a stepped M38 6.5 Swede barrel on which he milled the rear-most diameter into an octagon, then turned the remainder of the barrel into a taper to cleanup the remaining step. It is quite elegant looking. It gives nice accuracy- 1-1�" and made up into a dandy trim custom rifle to boot.

Very interesting thread. I find it especially interesting that there seems to be no discovered documentation as to why the barrels were stepped. It could not have been a casual decision. Maybe no one wrote it down back then.

I can't remember how long ago, but "Precision Shooting" or " The Accurate Rifle" had an article on this subject. IIRC, it was an interview and I believe it had something to do with the bore expanding from heat. Just can't remember like I use to!

gnoahh,

I actually performed a similar conversion to your gunsmith friends on the stepped barrel of an FN-actioned South American military Mauser in .30-06--except I did it by hand, with files. I converted the rear section to octagon, then draw-filed away the step in the front section of the barrel. It shot just the same as it had before.

They used their rifle barrels like a kabob for cooking meat in the field.

The steps were put in so your grub wouldn't slide down the barrel and burn your hand.

It also prevented iron mites from climbing down the barrel and eating the sights off.

Just say "no" to bath salts JM....

Just like you said no to taking a bath?

Well sure, but it was a custom afterwards and likely quite unique to boot. ;O)

Guessing it was probably an FN Columbian Army rifle in 30-06?

Picked one of those up many years ago, for the action. Cost me around $60 at the time. Never had the "don't shoot the donor" problem, as the bore/muzzle crown were both extremely poor and it couldn't keep three within 3", rested @ 100 yards.

Eventually became the basis for my trusty econo-thumper, with a slightly used 24" Douglass SS that was already threaded/chambered in 25-06. Still have it.

That rifle has accounted for a fair pile of dead deer over the past 25 years, couple of 'em taken beyond 400 yards.

I figured Paul Mauser would know why the barrels had steps, so I checked with him.

He says they are for consistent stock fitting when the barrels expanded, for ease of fitting sights, and simpler headspace adjustment.

Read about it in his patent:



More here:

Mauser stepped barrel patent

Bruce

Kinda implies it enhances accuracy for one thing, seems to me, as several of us stated earlier

It enhances accuracy only in relation to how the stock and bands maintain a consistent fit as the barrel expands. It makes the military rifle more accurate, not the barrel alone.

For a free-floating barrel or non-rapid-fire barrel, it wouldn't matter.

Bruce

Yeah, the dampening of vibration nodes is conspicuously absent. The system also specifically includes the full-length stock design.

Must not have worked that well. Does anyone still do the steps?

The Swedes always were noted for quality (materials and machining). When they ordered their first Mausers, they were made in Germany, but the Swedes insisted that Swedish steel be used. It was considered superior to German steel.

That shows how little Mauser knew. He also thought that the
"Thumb Cut" was made to allow gas to escape.