Help identify really short Mauser

M

Moloch

New member
I was browsing the milsurp rifle rack in my favorite gun store when I found an odd little Mauser, made some pics right away.
I've never seen a Mauser THAT short before, a full power 8x57 out of that 16 or 17'' barrel must hurt! :eek:

The wood was exceptionally nice looking for a milsurp rifle (Tiger stripe maple??), overall condition of the rifle was unfired and it had a grooved butt plate. Sights marked for 1400 meters.
No crest, no marks, nothing, just a serial number and a ''Mod 98'' on the receiver bridge.

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We had another of those "no markings mausers"recently. If you remove the stock are there markings under it? That was what we found on the last one.
 
Model 1930 FN short rifles were sold to many armies around the world. Looks beautiful, got to be one in a million with that kind of wood on it.
 
I think I may have found it. It looks like an Ethiopian FN carbine.
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I think you are right, though the barrel between the first and the second barrel band is not covered by the handguard.

The owner wants 350 for it, maybe I'll go and pick it up next week if its still there. I don't really need it but it looks like brand new and its kinda neat.
 
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Very wise of you not putting your location under your name, otherwise I'd be out scavenging. $350 for a great shape military Mauser is a steal nowadays.
 
Mauser tanker carbine. I have seen Persian versions around here but not in that good of shape and those had Farsi numbers on the rear sight.
 
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In the 1920's and 30's a lot of 17" barreled Mauser's were made by FN for sales all over the world.
Among others Colombia bought them and later converted many of them to 30-06 after we gave them the ammo after the war.

Muzzle blast on mine was ferocious but controllable.

One of the most interesting 98 carbines I owned was an Indonesian plantation guard carbine.
It was made by FN and had a diamond shaped receiver crest with a stylized IOB monogram.

Note that in the last few years importers have been selling cut-down rifles converted into "tanker carbines". These have been made using M1917 and P-14 rifles, Lee-Enfield rifles, and 98 Mauser's.
Buy carefully to avoid getting one of these cut-downs and not an original Mauser carbine.
 
Likely a cut down.... having collected Mausers for almost 30 years, and have several short rifles in my collection (Persian, Columbian, G33/40, etc). Wood generally would only be that grade in a South Amercan Mauser, as they often specified the best. The "Mod 98" marking is not one associated with other than German military issue though and would never be on a FN manufactured rifle. All of the contract guns have crests of some sort. So what we have is a mystery, which generally in Mauser collecting means a built-up rifle of some sort. In any event it's pretty and for that price is a "buy" recommendation.


Willie

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@Johnwilliamson

Funny. If we assume that the velocity loss in the carbine barrel is ~200 fps its going to kick exactly as hard as the standard Mauser k98k. According to the recoil calculator. Its going to produce a lot more blast though, and just as a rocket this creates thrust which adds to the recoil.

Its the same size as the Mitchell tanker Mauser, but it looks differently. The whole bolt is blued, the bolt handle is bent differently, the wood is darker and looks much better and I don't remember seeing any manufacturer stamps on the rifle.

By the way, why can't I quote? I can't find the button anymore... :confused:
 
By the way, why can't I quote? I can't find the button anymore...
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Never could find a reply with quote button here.
To quote some one I just type in the quote brackets
use
at the begining , copy and paste the desired text, the add /quote (also in brackets) at the end.

I had an iranian carbine and it kicked like Bruce Lee on crack.
It was not a lightweight carbine, the barrel under the handguard was very thick and came to a angled shoulder just before emerging from the guard.
Still over all weight had to be at least one pound less than a 98K.
I was using some rather hot milsurp ammo, but I suspect that a sort of rocket effect of the muzzle blast my have added to the recoil.
Muzzle bast extended about four feet, and it was so loud that on the first shot I thought the gun had blown up.
I started handloading with this carbine, using light charges of IMR 4198, power level was a bit more than .30-30 levels and accuracy was greatly improved. Muzzle blast was not bad. The faster powder was more efficient in the short barrel.

The .30-06 Police carbine versions sold to a South American country were intended for use with a downloaded cartridge about the power level of a .30-30.
I've been told that when the .30-06 police carbine became obsolete that the ammo manufactured for it was given to military schools where they used it in older Mauser rifles for target shooting at a two hundred yard range.

Thats one fine looking stock. I'd jump on it.
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