Safe to shoot?

[Vin496]

I'm interested in some older Mauser rifles, how do I know if they are ok to shoot? Are there things to look for, any give aways signs?

Do you guys just buy them and clean em and take them out shooting? I'm just curious how you guys with experience deal with this.

The rifles I am looking at 90 years old, they look good, but how can you tell?

[Vacaville]

If you aren't sure it's safe to shoot take it to a good gunsmith. Better safe than dead.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

First, where was it made? Most of the European guns from that era are good quality. What caliber is it? What kind of condition is it in? All of those things come into play. Beware of German 8mm mausers from before 1910, as they made them with a different bore diameter starting around 1905. Most, but not all of them made after 1905 will have the new bore diameter. As for signs to look for, check the receiver for cracks. Look for them on the bolt as well. Make sure the gun cycles, and will cycle with factory ammo. If you have an 8mm that you are unsure of the bore diameter, slug the bore. Clean the gun up and inspect it for obvious problems. When I take a new gun out to shoot for the first time I normally fire the first round well away from my face. I then check the spent case for signs of excessive pressure, strange marks from the chamber, and anything else that doesn't look "right". I then fire a few more rounds away from my face. If everything else goes well, I start shooting regularly. Now, I am not a gunsmith. But I have been collecting seriously for almost 20 years. So I kind of know what I am looking for. If you are at all unsure, take the gun to a gunsmith who knows older guns, and have him check the headspace and everything else. An old mauser potentially has a life measured in centuries. I have no problem letting my 6 year old shoot one from the 1880s, assuming it is in good condition, and has the right ammunition. My first deer was taken with a 90+ year old swedish mauser. They still work just fine if you take care of them and feed them the right ammo. Don't try to hot rod one, or go for "just a bit more" power though. Many of these guns are pushhing 100, and you have no idea what they have been through with previous owners. If you want to play magnum, use a modern gun.

-Mb

[ocabj]

It doesn't matter how good the quality of a firearm is when it was made. What matters is what happened to the rifle from the time it was made to when you took possession of it. A German K98 is a solid action, but for all you know, the gun has 4000 rounds through it and somewhere during it's life, the original bolt was lost and someone just put a random bolt back in it with unknown headspace.

[Seesm]

I have a 8mm German Mauser from WWII that was pulled off a German soldier by my grandfather and then shipped home and it works fine.

I am sure it has had more than a couple rounds run through, it is a super sweet gun and my grandfather had it sporterized in the 70's...

[Xerxes]

I'm interested in some older Mauser rifles, how do I know if they are ok to shoot? Are there things to look for, any give aways signs?

Do you guys just buy them and clean em and take them out shooting? I'm just curious how you guys with experience deal with this.

The rifles I am looking at 90 years old, they look good, but how can you tell?

Shoot,

Sounds like a good time to invite the Father in Law or Boss you don't like to a round of shooting at the range.

Let them try it out and if they don't get killed or injured then it is safe to shoot!

[hybridatsun350]

I have a 8mm German Mauser from WWII that was pulled off a German soldier by my grandfather and then shipped home and it works fine.

I am sure it has had more than a couple rounds run through, it is a super sweet gun and my grandfather had it sporterized in the 70's...

I was enjoying that little story until the last part of the last sentence...

[5hundo]

There are a few key things to look for, like cracks on the bolt face and locking lugs of the bolt. Special attention should be paid to the lugs because they can have other deformities as well.

Also, get a bore light and carefully inspect the condition of the bore and the barrel. Check the recesses that the lugs lock into for cracking and other deformities.

As with any older weapon, if you have concerns, you should contact a knowledgeable gunsmith. Mausers have notoriously strong actions. So much so, in fact, that Mauser actions have been the industry standard for bolt actions for over a century but if you are unsure, contact a reputable gunsmith...

[Fate]

With Mausers, at least buy a Field gauge and check the headspace if the original bolt is missing. They're about $14 if I remember correctly.

[Springfield45]

Take your new old rifle to the range with a rifle vise/stand. Tie a string to the trigger ,load it and touch it off from a safe distance. You can put the rifle in a old tire and do it to.

Then thoroughly check the spent casing for any abnormal pressure signs like hard cycling or ejection of spent round (witch is normal on 99% of Mosin Nagant rifles). Look for bulging or splitting of the case. Look at the primer to see if it has been popped out of its position, or if the rear of the casing has bulged out. Small scratches and powder residue can be normal. If the casing has any damage it will need to be head spaced. If the casing looks normal it should be fine to shoot.

If you need Head spacing on a old bolt action rifle like a Mauser a gunsmith will have to A; add/ remove metal from the bolt, B; replace the bolt, or C; both. It could cost as much as the rifle is worth. Most rifles will not need this.

Enfields and Mosin Nagants you can replace the bolt heads to get a proper head space.

Be very careful with any pre 98 split-bridge receiver rifles. For example 1888 German Commission rifles (they are not Mausers)can not take the pressures from modern 8mm rounds.

[Futurecollector]

heck i just check them out kinda detailed if everything looks ok like no cracks or stuff like that and the bolt/action work fine then i take it out and just shoot it, but from the hip.

Also not to thread jack but im new to Mausers and how do you take out the bolt, on a mosin, enfield, or springfield you just pul the bolt and triger and whap it comes out. but no on the Mausers?

[Pthfndr]

Mausers have a side bolt release on the left rear of the receiver.

[Dr. Peter Venkman]

All military surplus rifles should be treated as a hazard until fully disassembled and inspected.

[Spiggy]

I have a 8mm German Mauser from WWII that was pulled off a German soldier by my grandfather and then shipped home and it works fine.

I am sure it has had more than a couple rounds run through, it is a super sweet gun and my grandfather had it sporterized in the 70's...

in this case however, you know the exact origins of the rifle.

in most cases with random purchases, particularly that of C&R and old war rifles, that information is not always available or trustworthy

[nick]

Take your new old rifle to the range with a rifle vise/stand. Tie a string to the trigger ,load it and touch it off from a safe distance.

Heh, that's how I do it, to the great amusement of the others at the range. On the other hand, I still have my hands.