Mod 98 action Mauser mannlicher NEED HELP!!!

B

Bearjew

Inactive
I have a gun that has a 98 mauser action, their are very limited markings on it. Serial #9424 and the Reciever says Mod 98. I just took it to a gunsmith who could only tell me he was pretty sure it was an 8mm. I've looked for days and can't find anything on this gun... Please Help!! Thanks


Photos:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/833/0611121945.jpg/


there are part numbers on the bolt, mag cap, screws, and it has an eagle with 214 under it on the mag pin and bottom plate
 
What's it say on the top of the front reciever ring? That should tell you the caliber.............unless someone rebarreled it to something else.
 
It is a German army surplus Mauser action in a replacement sporter stock.

Barrel was replaced or turned down, that is not the typical stepped military Mauser profile.

Since the nitwit who did the work was too stupid to mark it with the caliber, you are either going to have to go with your gunsmith and try it with 8mm, or set up for a chamber cast and get some real measurements.

Being that it completely lacks sights, is it drilled and tapped for scope mounts and fitted with a scope safety or are you expected to hip shoot it?


Just for curiosity's sake, how did you come by this pig in a poke?
 
Kraigwy: i can see faintly 1937 but i can't find the caliber

Jim: Thanks for the info, it had a scope mount on it which i took off but am about to put back on before I shoot. I recieved it from my grandfather who collected a bunch of military rifles
 
Military rifles are seldom marked with the caliber.
The army issues what you need.

A sporterizing gunsmith really ought to stamp it if he changes the caliber.

I'd see if an 8mm would chamber freely. That's FREELY, don't be like the idiot who crammed an 8mm into a .30-06 and blew it up.
 
Another vote for the chamber cast!!!! Don't cheap out. In the 50s these were rebarreled for anything that would fit in the magazine.
Once you find out consider keeping it; a good '98 is as slick as anything made today.
 
Bearjew- What kind of gunsmith did you take the rifle to that would not do a chamber cast? I would be quite leery of taking anything else to him unless he has a very good reason for not ensuring you won't severly injure yourself by chambering and firing the wrong ammo.

If by chance he was wearing little magical "dontsueme" charms around his neck- find out where he got them, a fortune could be made there.

Get a chamber cast, double check, and be double sure of what ammo to stuff in the rifle before you fire it.
 
Thanks for the help, I took the gun to a place that had the tools, the gunsmith there did a chamber cast and confimed that it was indeed 8mm. I've read somewhere that there are two types of mauser 8mm ammo with slightly different diameters, is that something i should be concerned about?
 
Not really. After 1905, the standardized bullet diameter was set at .323" where the older one was .318". I won't go into the story of the differences between the two, the IS, IR, S, etc and the confusion over the German I's that everybody else thought were J's. If by chance you run across the old .318" diameter, it will be so marked. If you run across any original surplus .318" diameter ammo- that stuff has way more collector value than shooting value.
 
Have the rifle chamber cast and stamped. So many conversions of the 98 are out there. I have a bunch myself, but they are all stamped.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top