mauser 98 30.06 history
- Thread starter Varel
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What you have is commonly referred to as a "Franken-gun" or "parts gun". As the name implies, it was assembled from extra parts. There is likely no way you will find out anything relevant about its history other than who originally made the receiver. Just shoot it and enjoy it.
"Just shoot it and enjoy it " : that's just what i'm going to do! And at least the cartridges for 30.06 are more widely available, so that is convenient.
The assembly of such a parts gun, is that something that was done by a factory like FN after the war was over to get rid of their stockpiles of different parts or is it usually something done by a gun enthousiast that has gathered some crappy rifles to brake them down and assemle one good rifle out of the different parts?
The assembly of such a parts gun, is that something that was done by a factory like FN after the war was over to get rid of their stockpiles of different parts or is it usually something done by a gun enthousiast that has gathered some crappy rifles to brake them down and assemle one good rifle out of the different parts?
Jim Watson
New member
The only factory .30-06 military Mauser was the 1950 FN.
Looks like somebody put one of those barrels on a German action. I don't google anything to say that it was a government or company project, probably a mixmaster.
Looks like somebody put one of those barrels on a German action. I don't google anything to say that it was a government or company project, probably a mixmaster.
There's always the chance the rifle got to spend some of it's life in someplace like Israel, Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Iran, Turkey, etc. Right after WWII, some of the re-building and re-structuring countries/states that didn't swing towards Russian influence adopted NATO trends such as ammo, rifles, and other equipment. Not all governments armed up strictly their armies. There were all sorts of forestry, police, guard, rail roads, and border security entities that were armed up in these countries. I remember reading where there were actually quite a lot of M1 Carbines issued to the German Forestry after the war. And quite a few Nazi marked Mausers ended up being present for the birth of Israel.
That stock looks way too fresh for me to believe it was issued to anybody, but the flaking black paint- I've seen that before on different rifles from different countries. In truth, there's just not much of a way to tell what that rifle has seen in it's prior life or where it's been.
That stock looks way too fresh for me to believe it was issued to anybody, but the flaking black paint- I've seen that before on different rifles from different countries. In truth, there's just not much of a way to tell what that rifle has seen in it's prior life or where it's been.
Can you show a picture of the top of the receiver ring?
There is the small chance it is a Norwegian K98 converted to 30-06. These were Nazi capture and converted, with a new barrel. Variations exist:
https://www.libertytreecollectors.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=728
http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?12281-Norwegian-98K
Pics by Eastbank
https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=390241
The new barrel installed by the Norwegian's is important. A proper conversion to 30-06 requires the removal of the 8mm barrel and the installation of a 30-06 barrel with a longer, thicker chamber shank. The 30-06 case is longer, hence, the reinforced area around the case needs to be longer. It is my opinion that any gunsmithing job where the "gunsmith" reams out the chamber for a longer cartridge, on a barrel chambered for a shorter cartridge, is dangerous. I believe a number of 8mm-06's were made by this method.
There is the small chance it is a Norwegian K98 converted to 30-06. These were Nazi capture and converted, with a new barrel. Variations exist:
https://www.libertytreecollectors.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=728
http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?12281-Norwegian-98K
Pics by Eastbank
https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=390241
The new barrel installed by the Norwegian's is important. A proper conversion to 30-06 requires the removal of the 8mm barrel and the installation of a 30-06 barrel with a longer, thicker chamber shank. The 30-06 case is longer, hence, the reinforced area around the case needs to be longer. It is my opinion that any gunsmithing job where the "gunsmith" reams out the chamber for a longer cartridge, on a barrel chambered for a shorter cartridge, is dangerous. I believe a number of 8mm-06's were made by this method.
slamfire, no need to give credit. their was a south American mauser that were converted to 3006 from 7.65 argentina by rechambering to 3006, but left the .311 barrel on it and I think they also notched the receiver ring like the norwigians. the mausers rechambered from 8mm to 3006 worked quite well, I owned a few of them and they were easy to load for, I just added a .323 expander plug to the 3006 size die and loaded with .323 bullets.
In the late 1940s, since we had just finished a war and had lots of ammo left over, the USA stepped in and stopped the longest-running wars in modern history by getting the South American nations to quit fighting. We formed the OAS so they could all talk about things. And then we gave them arms and ammunition, which had been in short supply since the beginning of WW2 (most South American countries had been supplied arms and munitions by Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, or Belgium). So almost all South American nations rebarreled their rifles and machine guns to 30-06 since it was free. And they had to modify them a bit to get them to feed and operate properly with the new ammo. And when they did, they stamped the receivers with a great big "30" (or 7.62) so grunts would know that this rifle didn't take the old ammo any more.
Jim Watson
New member
I recall somebody getting good shooting out of one of those rechambered 7.65s. He just loaded with .311 bullets and motored on. Called it a .31-06.
There was nothing wrong with the 7.65 except that no Power used it. Belgium, Argentina, Turkey (until they went 8mm like the "modern" Europeans.) Who else? Nobody I know.
I think we should have just bought the whole Mauser package instead of cherrypicking parts and pieces. A .30x 2 1/4" (7.62x57) would have served very well. But NIH is strong.
There was nothing wrong with the 7.65 except that no Power used it. Belgium, Argentina, Turkey (until they went 8mm like the "modern" Europeans.) Who else? Nobody I know.
I think we should have just bought the whole Mauser package instead of cherrypicking parts and pieces. A .30x 2 1/4" (7.62x57) would have served very well. But NIH is strong.