Swedish Mauser help

[pistolero805]

I have a Carl Gustafs 1913 Swedish Mauser that I could use some help one. The rifle is in good condition and I dont know much about it. All numbers are matching but is missing the bolt.

I have received an offer of $300. Is that fair? Should I buy a bolt and shoot it? What troubles are involved if I buy a bolt for it?

Thanks in advance.

Here are some pics.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

That is a reasonable offer. But I would just get a bolt and shoot it. The barrel us on the more worn side, according to the stock disc, but not horribly so. Also, that muzzle brake is from the 1990s. Mostly matching Swedish short rifles like that are getting harder and harder to find.

-Mb

(edit) Rifle, not short rifle. My bad.

[Emdawg]

That is the M1896 Infantry Rifle in 6.5x55 Swedish.


I say $300 is good for a gun missing the bolt. In all honesty, I wouldn't pay that for one missing the bolt, so I think you are doing well there.

[pistolero805]

Thanks for the help guys. Would I do better if I bought a bolt for it? I'm not familiar with the milsurps.

[Emdawg]

Well if you are lucky you can find an unumbered M96 bolt for it. The Swedes did that for refurbished rifles and carbines.

That way you can cheat and say that it isn't necessarily "mis-matching".


Problems with that could be headspacing, but a gunsmith could help there.

[gunboat]

IF you buy a bolt and the resulting headspace proves excessive you will need to set the barrel back and rechamber ---
Very costly unless you can do it yourself -
Of course if you reload that can be mitigated by fire forming your cases --
my tuppence

[I Swan]

I'd take the money and run I've passed 2-3 of them at $250 this year in complete condition deals are out there. My last 2 Husqvarna carbines were $230 each last year. 2 years ago I bought some 96's $80 each. One was even an Oberndorf. I'd love a SA marked one.

I should start another thread but what do you all feel the original Swede surplus 6.5x55 ammo is worth a box? The cost of acquiring a new bolt and possible issues with a mismatched bolt would not interest me I'd take that $300 buy another gun.

[knucklehead0202]

IF you buy a bolt and the resulting headspace proves excessive you will need to set the barrel back and rechamber ---
Very costly unless you can do it yourself -
Of course if you reload that can be mitigated by fire forming your cases --
my tuppence

^^^ This

[Crunch130]

Guys,

Of course anything CAN happen when you put a mismatched bolt in a rifle. But this is the SWEDES we're talking about, here.

I think they achieved a very high degree of consistency in their manufacturing. I put an NOS barrel on my M38 short rifle. I did the research. They come FULL CHAMBERED. How can you get away with that, and not have gross headspace errors? Consistent manufacturing, that's how.

The fired cases look the same as factory ammo. The gun's FINE. No, I didn't bother buying headspace gages. Why? Because I did the research. SAAMI gages for 6.5X55 are not the same as Swedish armorer's gages. So what would SAAMI gages tell me when I'm using a brand new Swedish military barrel? Maybe something, maybe nothing.

DISCLAIMER: I can't prove anything with just one data point.

In addition, I have the resizing die set a little long so the reformed case "just" chambers. Essentially doing what Gunboat just said.

BTW, 6.5X55 is a SPECTACULAR cartridge to reload for...

Crunch

[fga4]

I love my Swedish Mauser and 6.5 is great to shoot. I was lucky and loaded up on ammo before the famine. I paid $375 for a primo example 3 years ago so $300 is a great price. Sell it, get a C&R FFL for a few buck and be patient and look for nice examples on the online gun sites.

[billmaykafer]

I have a 1943 Swedish mauser in 6.5X55.
when the armorers graded the bores they did not clean them first. so the disc could be wrong on barrel wear. it may surprise you '
that said I would find a bolt and check headspace and shoot it. you can buy wooden bullets for about 5 cents each. pull bullet dump powder and reload keeping primer in place. about 50 cents each ready to rock. they are most accurate mauser and don't have crazy recoil. my rifle was $450
I paid $38 for 20 harnedy bullets and that is why I suggest reloading for this caliber. or you could shoot wood bullets for 100 yards or less for 5 cents each.