Looking for advice... 71/84 Mauser...

[Jector]

I was about to clean up a modded and rusty old Mauser but thought I should check with some folks that know more about these old guns before I start wire brushing on it. It's pretty rough and doesn't have the original stock so I think the tube magazine has been cut? The rear sight is missing too.
Should I clean it up as a family keepsake or fully restore it or clean it oil it and leave it alone?

Thanks

Edit: One interesting thing I noticed is the curved bolt handle w/ square knob. I can't find any pics on the web of another one like this, is it likely a modification?

Pic...

 

[Scorch]

Wow, that looks rough. Someone chopped the stock, remved teh rear sight, plugged the magazine, and messed with the bolt handle a bit. Not a whole lot you can do with it except fix it up as a shooter. 11mm Mauser is a hoot to shoot.

 

[Jector]

Thanks for the reply! I removed the receiver from the stock and found a matching ser. number stamped in the stock, that's when I realized it was probably cut down. It does have all matching numbers, every screw, but it is chopped up. This did have a scope on it which explains the bent bolt handle. The front lug(?), about 4 inches back from the muzzle was cut off too, and soldered poorly back where the sling connects at the front. It simply fell off when I disassembled the rifle.

 

[Jector]

Oh bummer

Once I got the bolt apart I found a broken firing pin spring. A local gun shop was going to try to order one, if that falls through does anyone have a source they can recommend? Thanks.

 

[Scorch]

That's a tough one. You will probably have to dig to find one. You could see if a gunsmith can make you one from spring stock or if you can use a firing pin spring from another model rifle.

 

[Jector]

Cleaned up a bit...

Well I spent a few minutes (hours) cleaning it up ...

Much better. However, besides the broken spring it also has a broken fire feed selector lever. If I can't get a replacement or get the one I have fixed I guess it will be a single shot rifle.

Next challenge... Casting the bullets...

 

[Newton24b]

the best bet is to use google patents to search through the mauser patents online. all patents from before ww2 are available. your rifle is included in it and it has wonderful schematics of how your rifle is assembled and operated.

All you would have to do is take some time, download the pdf and print it up so that it is full size. then youd have to do some home grown gusnmithing to make replacement parts.

 

[mp25ds4]

that looks great! how did you get the rust off the barrel without the blue coming with it?

 

[Jector]

Newton24b, great information! Thanks.

Mp25ds4, Oh, the bluing came off. I did all the cleanup with a fine wire brush wheel mounted on one side of a bench grinder and a buffing wheel w/ rouge on the other. As for the barrel I just wire brushed all the rust off the really bad spots and used 00 steel wool w/ shooters choice on the rest of the barrel to remove smaller bits of rust. Then sprayed and wiped w/ gun scrubber heated the barrel to ~100 deg. and then rubbed it down with Formula 4440 instant gun blue (only one the local shop had).

 

[Scorch]

Next challenge... Casting the bullets...

Jector- When I had my Gew 1871, I used 300 gr .430" cast lead bullets (often labeled as 444 Marlin bullets) and paper patched them with two turns of linen paper (the appropriate .439" bullets were hard to find). I loaded them over 60 gr of FFg. They worked very well.

 

[Jector]

Scorch, thank you very much for your comments.

 

[James K]

My older Gun Parts Corp (www.gunpartscorp.com) catalog shows the springs at $5 plus s&h, and shows repro stocks for $109. Some other parts show as available, but the magazine tube is not one of them.

The problem often encountered, as here, is that restoring the gun will almost certainly cost a lot more than buying one, and they are not all that rare or expensive. If you have money in it, you would probably be better off to trade it off and find one in better condition. If it is an heirloom, just cleaning it up as a wall hanger won't deplete the pocketbook, where trying to restore it would.

Jim

 

[gyvel]

Val Forgett III at Gibbs Rifle Company in West VA has parts for these and used to sell them on eBay. I would check on eBay to see if he is still selling; If not, try Gunbroker. One of the specifics I remember him selling on eBay was cutoff levers.

I think the last thing I bought from him was a barrel for a Beretta 948, and that was on GB.

 

[Jector]

Thanks to all for the advice and information. It was my Grandfather's so it's something I'll be keeping, I don't figure I'll restore it but I'd like to make it functional again but no more. I've got a few leads on the parts from the help I got there, thanks again.