Need info on my 30-06

M

mdhoneyc

Inactive
Hi all, this 30-06 was given to me by my dad's business partner a long time ago as a gift. I was wondering if anyone had any info on it? There's no Serial numbers or manufacturing logo's i can only assume it was hand built or some kind of gun kit? Any info would be nice and maybe a guess at how much it could be worth? Here are the pic's.

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/879/photo1rym.jpg

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/2613/photo2wf.jpg

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/8881/photo3up.jpg
 
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looks like a Mauser 98 action. The information you are looking for might be underneath the front scope base, on the reciever ring.
 
wow, that's an odd looking one. I don't recognize it, but I think its a military action of some sort and the stock looks as if it is handmade and birch. The scope looks like it might be from the 70s. Very nice looking, to me.

Is that a flaw in the wood on the bottom of the stock, or a stained spot?
 
that spot is a part of the wood it looks like it has a few of them around the gun, on the bottom of the scope mount it says BUEHLER Orinda CAL (i might not be looking in the right spot?), but i figured that was who made the scope mount. other than that there isnt any serial numbers and no logo's or manufacturing logo's.
 
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any idea's about why
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My guess is, it would be a sporterized WWII military Mauser that someone stripped to the metal and had reblued, it looks in excelent condition and I do like that stock even though it is not collector quality wood. Someone bought a second quality wood blank and did a nice job on finishing it. Based on the staining on the wood, I would say it was done somewhere in the 1950s or 60s. What is strange is that 30-06 is not a standard caliber for a Mauser and it may have been re-bored and re-chambered for the 30-06.

The problem arises from the lack of serial number on the receiver, it will be hard if not impossible to sell it. You may find more information on the rifle under the stock.

It does look like a nice rifle.

Good luck
Jim


PS: it kind of reminds me of the CZ or Swedish Mausers.
 
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My guess is that it was done back before it was a issue to have a serial number in it so its not that big of a deal. Pretty common with a lot of the old neat mausers like that.
 
I think radom has it, alot of times they didnt worry about it as they were just rushing them out the door saving a little time. I doubt they were ground off and reblued like stated but its possible
 
Take the action out of the stock. The wood is covering the markings. There should also be a date under the front scope mount and probably the crest of the country it was made for. I've got an FN made in 1951 that was originally 30-06 so they're out there. That one has been rebarreled so it could have been something else originally.
 
Looks like a rebarreled Mauser to me because of the smooth tapered barrel. There were some South American(Argentina, I think) Mausers originally chambered in 7.65x53 that were rechambered to 30/06 at some point. This conversion would have still have the stepped military barrel. These don't give great accuracy since the bore is .311 and the 30/06 bullet diameter is .308.
I've seen several Mauser actions/rifles that had no visible serial number unless the stock was removed and some older sporterized rifles might not have any SN at all.
 
My Swedish Mauser has a serial no. and it was made in 1905. Yours should have one on it somewhere. Since mine is an old military one it has numbers on it all over like bolt handle, floor plate, etc.
 
Prior to 1968 commercial actions weren't required to have a serial number. That rifle sure looks like a commercial actoin to me, I don't see a thumb cutout on the LH side of the receiver. While I think if it was military someone would have worked off the charging hump but I doubt they would have welded up the thumb cutout.

The bottom metal looks exactly like my FN bottom metal on my JC Higgins rifle . What would really help is if you could get us some close ups of the action. I'd like a picture of the safety, and what side of the action it is on, my FN safety wing is on the left side vs. the right like most sporterized Mausers. I'm guessing the the stock is an old Fajen or it could be like my most current old Mauser purchase a Herters. BTW my most recent purchase was a commercial HVA action without a serial number.

DSC_0070.jpg


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It's a sporterized Mauser. These are fairly common. Folks took the Mauser (probably 98) barreled action and placed them into a sporting or hunting stock. Often they replaced the barrels. Generally, they don't have much collector value, but they can make good shooters.
 
I'm going to agree, that is most likely a replacement barrel, and there will be no markings on it unless the maker of the barrel had the practice of stamping identification on them. A good smith would have arranged that any proof marks and identifying marks would have been positioned on the bottom of the barrel, by carefully machining it, and then chambering it.

your action should have proof marks and serial numbers that are visible. Being a military action, it would have had to have numbers and proofs to go into service. They were maybe ground off, some may be under the wood, some may be under the scope moutns. They may have been on that boss on the left side, I don't know.

That's my take on this.
 
The problem arises from the lack of serial number on the receiver, it will be hard if not impossible to sell it.
Click to expand...

Not at all. No gun in the US was required to have a serial number, prior to 1968. Most quality guns did, but many budget guns did not. The ATF knows this, and so do dealers. It buys and sell just like any other gun, with the difference that in the ser# block on the forms, they write "No Serial No."

I had a Siamese Mauser that didn't have a serial number (unless it was in the asian markings), and one time I had it worked on. The gunsmith/dealer recorded it as "no serial number" and it was fine.

I have a bolt action .410 shotgun, the only markings (at all) are "2 1/2 & 3 in" on the barrel. Its perfrectly legal also.
 
The safety of my Rifle is mounted on the right side, i took it to the local gun shop to see if they had any idea the guy said it's a mauser but thats about all he could tell me any idea why my gun's safety isnt on the left?
 
If your rifle has an aftermarket scope safety, it could be on either side. Numrich safeties had the wing on the left (looking at the action from the rear), and Buehler had theirs on the right, IIRC.

Since your rifle has a Buehler scope mount, it could well have their safety also.
 
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