Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Commercial Mauser Info Wanted (Pre WW1?)

Apologies if this is the wrong forum - please feel free to direct me to a better place.

Experienced collector of USGI and US made guns but I came across this nice little mannlicher stocked Mauser carbine.

I know "value" has been ruined due to the D&T, bolt and safety mods. Just looking for info.

Looks to be 8x57 with the smaller bore (slugs around .319 with my imperfect methods and tools).

Is it the smaller bore 8mm? When was it made? Does the "GERMANY" stamp on the stock give any info as to when it came to the US? (Post WW1, WW2, etc.?), this is a "real" Mauser not a "guild gun" right?.

It has a nice old Weaver K3 with the European post type reticle and the trigger is great, two leaf rear sight, cartridge trap butt, ivory bead (broken).

Any info is appreciated! Thanks.













[img]http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd314/erbeckerdite/mauser8_zpsce54976e.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd314/erbeckerdite/mauser9_zps3be87a1e.jpg[/img]

That appears to be a genuine original Mauser sporting carbine, type M. Even with the obvious wear and non-original modifications it's a fine rifle, and I'd love to own it! (I have no idea what the "GERMANY" stamp means, but maybe somebody else does.)

It's pretty easy to get swaging dies to size down .323 bullets if you can find any. There are some .318 bullets on the market, and you can often load .318 bullets in standard 8x57 dies by removing the expander ball.

Thanks - yes I know Buffalo Arms has the 318 bullets and I had already considered swaging 32 Winchester bullets down.

It is a beautiful little gun even if it has been altered.

If anyone has more info - please add!

Lovely rifle.

I really like old rifles that have actually been hunted, rather than just stored.

Honest use with decent care does know real harm and lends so much character.

A great old rifle should have some good old stories, even if we never get to hear them.

"Apologies if this is the wrong forum - please feel free to direct me to a better place."

There is no such thing as a wrong forum for items like that.

Yes,an early "M" style,made for Export,however not English proofed so could be anywhere. There was also a Canadian imported,I forgot their name?
Early American importers were proud to stamp their name on the top of the barrel somewhere.V,L&D G&H A&F
When I get to my office,I'll look it up by serial number.

Nice rifle! I'm curious about the marking on the left side of the barrel shank, "8,0 N". Would that be a caliber/cartridge indication, or maybe a proof pressure? Can't think of a unit of force or mass/weight of which the measure "8,0" would be significant to a firearm, so it almot has to be caliber or cartridge-related.

I'm speculating that the trap in buttplate is for an oiler and cleaning rod, instead of cartridges.

The rear sight base appears integral with the barrel. How many guns made today are made with that feature? Not many!

That stock is obviously designed for open sight use. I would take that scope and mounts off there and replace the missing staff on the aperture sight in a hot second.

Would the word "Germany" appear like that if the gun were not destined for export?

According to German proof laws,any firearm leaving the country had to be marked "Germany" somewhere.Most European countries required a country of origin stamp as well, so the stamp worked for everything.

Going out on limb,

Proofed June 15, 1914?

It could very well be a 100+ year old rifle, I would not mind owning that one myself even If I had to order .318 bullets from Graft's or the Old Western Scrounger.

Congrats Eric, that's a nice old rifle.

The J bore 8mm is .318". Many old drillings chambered for the 8X57JR are .318".

Norma made .318" bullets for handloading.

My box of Norma .318" bullets is about empty and I size down .321" bullets to .318" in a die I made.

Negative...that 156.14 means it's a .310 bore

That makes more sense to me!

Seriously!

The German Gun collectors.com has a pretty good Intel on proof marks and reading the damn hieroglyphics on these guns...

They do indeed. The info in older GUN DIGESTS can help as well.

Thanks Rifle. Had that sight in my old phone. But could t remember the name of site to put in my new one.