Yesterday afternoon Ol' Pappy (POPBEAR here at the Campfire) liberated a Kimber Model 96 Mauser Sporter in 6.5x55 from a local pawn shop.


It looks like the work was reasonably well done. The barrel has been turned down to sporter contour, recrowned, and shortened to 22 inches.

A Buehler type safety and what looks like a Timney trigger has been added. Its also been drilled and tapped and is currently wearing a Tasco 3-9x40 with the 30/30 square reticle (This scope is surprisingly clear and might actually be one of the usable older Tascos, definitely a step up from the latest Tasco Crapola).

The whole rifle has either been unblued and left in the white or finished with some sort of chrome like process that mimics stainless steel.

The barreled action has been dropped into a Ramline synthetic stock.

The barrel is marked 6.5 x 55 Kimber of Oregon Clackamas, Oregon and Imported by KBI.

Pops has using this for a loaner/knock-around/bad weather/truck gun in mind.


Anybody used one of these or a similar rifle?

I'll try to get some pictures later today or tomorrow.


HBB

I had one of these Kimbers in 22-250. Was not a stellar performer but wasn't awful either. Mine was a rather dull matte blue so I can't help you with the finnish. It was my first varmint rig and went to other pastures a long time ago.
If mine had been a Swede it might still be here. Hope it shoots well!

I remember when the old Kimber company marketed these guns. Seems like they put electroless nickel on some of them so that might be the finish. If so, it should be very durable, if done right. Most of the 96's were good shooters. I have a military config 96 and a 38 and am amazed at how well they can do with open sights at 100 yards. I'd like to hear how the gun you mention shoots when he has a chance to give it a go.

yep, should be a good shooter with 140s and 160s, if it's bedded properly in that ramline.
hey, shoot the thing first ...

Thanks for the input folks. I'm in the process of gathering up dies, brass, etc for some M- 96 testing.

If the rifle shoots as well as I hope it does, I plan on figuring out a way to glom onto the old Swede myself.

HBB

Are they "cock on close", or have they been converted? Nice looking rig.; crying for a matte-black scope IMO!

Its still cock on close. There's some of the Pentax Gameseekers laying around the place. One of them is liable to find its way onto this rifle.

HBB

The caliber is sweet, cock-on close is a bit of a pain IMO. I have a 1906 96 Mauser. I've heard the conversion is costly, so I've passed. It's too bad, because I think it would be a good rig for my boy to use when old enough (low recoil and he could beat on it), but it closes pretty hard for a beginner IMO.

I'm interested in how this rifle shoots. Hopefully well for O'l Pappy. Kimber of Oregon rifles used to have a LOT of QC issues, but I must admit that I've never seen one like that one before. Keep us posted......

I've heard about the QC issues from Kimber of Oregon but, at least superficially, this rifle looks good.

If it shoots anywhere near as good as it looks its a keeper for sure.

HBB

I've heard nothing but great things about the 96 Mauser's converted by Kimber. I let one get away at a gun show a couple of years ago that I regret.

That's good to hear.

HBB

I had one just like it and it was a great shooter.

Weagle

What do you know about the barrels?

I have one in 6.5x55 in matte blue. Mine came with a Tasco pronghorn scope that I quickly replaced with a used Leupold Vari-x II. Mine also came with the military trigger which I replaced with a Timney. I did glass bed the Ramline stock but it didn't make much difference in the accuracy. It is not a tack driver but easily shoots minute of Whitetail with any 140 grain bullet I load in it. It also shoots the 125 and 129 grain bullets well enough. The thing that makes these rifles so sweet is that they are pretty light and they don't kick at all. Mine has less felt recoil than my .243. Great knock about hunting rifle! I love mine. Be careful who you let use it because they will try to buy it from you.

Can't speak for the other calibers but the 6.5X55 barrels are the military barrels that they cut down and recontoured.

Thanks for the info. Have you tried any 156-160 grain bullets in yours?

HBB

What bullet weights did you shoot in yours?

HBB

Interesting. Thanks.....

Brownell's sells a cock on opening conversion kit, I think it may be made by Dayton Traister. Supposedly not an easy intallation though.

I had the Dayton Traister kit put in mine. The gunsmith who did the work was a very accomplished 'smith and he admitted that it was much more difficult than he thought it would be. I wound up with that cock on opening kit, stock glass bedded, and barrel recrowned in search of some of the accuracy this rifle and caliber were supposed to be capable of. The rifle would shoot itty-bitty groups with the plain jane Winchester Super-X 140 grain PSP. I tried to find an accurate handload for the 140 grain Partition without success until I pulled all my hair out and set the lugs back on the bolt. Rifle is now out of state at a gunsmiths for repair.

...I'd like to correct one point in this thread. It was not Kimber of "Oregon" who put these sporterized Mausers on the market. Just after Greg Warne sold the financialy troubled Kimber of Oregon to the Kimber of America people. The new owners desperately needed funding to make a move to what is now thier Yonkers NY facility,and to tool up the plant for production of the 1911 pistols they planned to produce under the Kimber of America name. As a first means to effect an infusion of additional capital,the new Kimber owners bought up a couple thousand surplus Swedish model 96 Mausers,and a couple hundred surplus model 98 Mausers (cz24s, the numbers are scuttlebutt). It was the sale of these Kimber sporterized Mausers that helped the fledgling Kimber of America get on it's 'feet' and start production in the Yonkers location...I bought one of the Kimber 98's in .338 Win. Mag. It will make minute of angle with it's favored Winchester supreme ammo....

Thanks for the info and correction. I just looked at the picture of the barrel again and it says "Kimber of America" instead of Kimber of Oregon.



HBB

I can't find my old reloading data, but I recall it had a very long throat and shot 140 gr ballistic tips around an inch even though I was using the 2 stage military trigger. I also had a 98 version with the stianless fluted barrel in .270.

Weagle