Mauser

W

Willkk

Inactive
Brother in law called me yesterday and told me a widow he knows was selling some of her late husbands guns (He bought a 357 and 44 mag for $200). The only ones left were a Tommy gun and an old Mauser. The Tommy was in horrible shape but he said the Mauser just needed stock repair. Before she dropped them at the police station, I bought it blind for $100 as a project gun.I have no idea what kind of Mauser it is but I know its chambered in 30-06. I do not need another 30-06 but would love a .270 or a 7mm-08. If I buy a new barrel is it incredibly expensive to get it chambered for something else? Any gunsmiths in Houston area to recommend? I want to do the stock and bolt work myself but threading and chambering is way, way out of my wheelhouse.

As a side note I have a friend who works at his fathers machine shop that will do the work for me if I can get a set of Reamers but it appears the reamers themselves are $100+ each, which doesn't seem worth it for 1 gun. Are there any cheaper reamers that will do the job well?
 
Rent the reamers from reamerrentals.com less than $80 with insurance and headspace gauges. Mausers are simple but can get complicated very fast.
 
Reamers and gauges can be rented for about 1/3 the cost of new ones here, but they do require a deposit that is greater than the cost of a new one. This is one of those things which, if he hasn't done it before, though, you want even a machinist or a toolmaker to read up on it first. You need to know to float the reamer or you can get an extra wide chamber breech. Kuhnhausen has a book on Mausers that is good, but if you start paying for books, and floating reamer holders (though I can tell you how to make a simple substitute), you can get into some money you don't want to spend.

Contact board member F. Guffey. He's in Texas somewhere and is a well-tooled gunsmith. If he's not in your area, he may know someone who is.
 
I have a couple rifles on their way to me right now that I might rebarrel.
It plays on the mind.
I don't need any more guns, but I obsessed with the next one.
I am getting a deal from someone who knows someone who is selling his great grandfather's guns.
And there is some gambler neurosis, I am not going to show you a pic, because it might jinx the deal.
Even though it is already in transit with a tracking number.
There could be quantum entanglement.
 
Thanks guys,

Didn't know what I was getting into. As I said I bought it blind and have not received. For @clark, that was a post steeped in sarcasm or you have a serious problem and need therapy. I will, however, be happy to post a pic when I have an evening to drive to his house and pick it up. I know nothing about Mausers and less about re-barreling a rifle, just thought a new rifle and the chance to do some minor work myself would be rewarding. Considering the near religious following mausers have you can see why I might assume that it was worth the effort. I have since learned that some smiths won't touch this job with someone else's 10 ft pole and even if they did its a min of 320 plus cost of barrel. "Cheaper to keep'er" (in the condition it comes). Guess I got a second 30-06.
 
Sounds like your smiths fall into the category of "parts changers" not real gunsmiths.

I did all the work on mine with basic shop tools. It was a PITA but a learning experience. Do lots of research.
 
So here is what I got. Stamped Mauser Argentine 1909. Made in Berlin. Stamped 30-06. Some spots on action, but a little rubbing compound will take them out nicely. Bolt is bent but not enough to clear a scope. Anyone know if it's worth anything or worth a little work and a new stock, barrel, etc? The stock is old but doesn't look like military for the period. Action is really smooth rails and bolt are clean.

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I think the value is probably right around what you paid for it or maybe a little more, depending where you try to sell it. I bought my de-mothballed 6.5×55 Swedish military '96 with super smooth action and no rust for $99 about fifteen years ago. I bought a couple of Columbian contract Mausers in .30-06 in the late '80's for less than that. Today the prices have at least doubled from what I paid, but these were full military configurations. High collector value hinges on the Mauser being in mint military configuration, or if not in great condition, then still in military original configuration and having a serial number that can be shown to have been present at an historically significant battle or other event, or, if sporterized, in very good condition and with provenance showing the work was done by a famous gunsmith, or if sporterized and not in great condition, with provenance showing it once belonged to someone famous. Since yours is sporterized and not in great condition and the handle shows the work was not done by a master gunsmith, I would guess you might get $150 at some gunshows. But I don't do valuations and maybe the someone else who still attends gunshows can tell you otherwise. But that's my guess.

So, your original idea that it's a project gun seems right to me. It looks like if you strip the stock and steam out the dents and refinish it, the wood might not look half bad. If you are interested in learning some gunsmithing, this would be something that's not too valuable to be experimenting on. If you think any of these things might interest you, Kuhnhausen's book is a good place to start and will give you ideas or let you know what's beyond your willingness to attempt. At least you'll see what's involved. Just don't waste your money looking for the book on Amazon. The new book is $35 at Brownells or Midway. Amazon sellers are asking up to $60. No idea why, other than they figure they can get away with it.
 
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