Swedish mauser

[Micro man]

For some time now I have been interested in buying a Swedish Mauser, I've been checking at my LGS for months now and they finally have one on their rack. Since I am not that familiar with what to look for in used military rifles and do not want to waste my money. I am hoping that the Forum members could clue me into what to look for before spending my money.
This is an all sales are final place so I cannot take it to a gun smith for inspection before purchasing it.
Thanks in advance for your help.

Micro man

 

[98 220 swift]

Most swedish mausers have a metal tag on the butstock. It tells the bore condition. I am sure a google search will show how to read it. The most common are the rifles (29" barrel). There a few other carbine types if I am not mistaken. Other than check the bore condition like all milsurps. The swedes where some of the best made milsurps out there. Everyone I have owned has been extremly accurate. They are a joy to shot due to the lower recoil compared to other rifles of that era.

 

[emcon5]

Generally, Swedish Mausers come in four varieties

M94 carbines (handy little carbine with ~18" barrel)
M96 rifles (traditional old-world rifle, ~29" barrel, straight bolt)
M96/38, Short rifle 24" barrel, converted from M96 rifles, straight bolt
M38 Short rifle, new construction from 1938-1944, turned down bolt.

There are others, like the M41 sniper rifle, but most of of the rifles you will see are the above. The M94 is the least common/most expensive, the short rifles tend to be less common than the long rifles.

The Swedes didn't differentiate between the converted or newly produced M38s, but a lot of collectors call them 96/38 to tell the conversions from the new rifles.

The M96 like a lot of other rifles from the era, the shortest sight setting is 300 Meters and the sights were calibrated for the 160 gr RN projectile. With the later 139 gr Spitzer the zero will be 350- 400 meters. Many rifles had a conversion plate for the zero with the newer bullets.

The purpose built M38 carbines had sights for the Spitzer (Torped) bullet, M96 rifles converted to carbines could either have the old sights for the round nose, or two different variants of sights for the spitzer load. These were set for 100 or 150 M depending on version.

There is a lot of information here, including how to decode the brass disk.

http://www.gotavapen.se/gota/artiklar/rifles_se/faq_se_rifles.htm
And
http://www.gotavapen.se/gota/artiklar/rifles_se/rifles_se.htm

Wikipedia also has a lot of information. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Mauser

 

[Clark]

I have (4) Swedish Mausers:

2002 $100 Carl Gustafs Stads 96 Swedish Mauser
I forged over the bolt handle, drilled and tapped, put a scope on it, and hunted with it. That is the hardest Mauser I have ever tapped, and I have tapped ~100

2004 $135 Husqvarna 38 Swedish Mauser 1942

2008 $80 Carl Gustafs Stads 94 Swedish Mauser 1903

2013 $150 Carl Gustafs Stads 96 Swedish Mauser 1912 $30 extra for bayonet

 

[emcon5]

When they were first imported, (I want to say late 1990s) they were a hell of a deal, the local chain sporting goods stores had them for $99 for the M96 and $125 for the M38.

What I am really kicking myself for is not getting a M41 Sniper, when Samco had them for ~$1200.

 

[Ernest T]

Good information above. Look for one that has matching numbers on the bolt and receiver, and you don't really need to worry about having it checked out by a gun smith. It is actually hard to find these rifles that don't have matching numbers on major parts. The Swedish and Swiss rifles were built to such tight tolerances that you can shoot them without worry.

Some will have stock disks that show the bore condition the last time inspected by a Swedish armory. The most important mark will be in a small triangle with the numbers 1, 2, and 3. I'd avoid rifles marked with a 3, since this indicated a worn bore, and that would have been years ago when last inspected. Getting a rifle marked 1 or 2 doesn't assure a good bore, since you don't know how much it has been shot since inspection, but it does help. I'd still take a good look at the bore before you buy.

If you are going to use the rifle for hunting, look at the shorter 96/38s or the even nicer M38 rifles that are easier to maneuver in the woods. If you can find an M94 definitely jump on that one............they are very scarce, but nice rifles.

 

[Micro man]

This gun is one of the long barrel ones with a straight bolt. Hearing what Clark paid for his makes me envious since the gun shop is asking $400 for this one. Thanks for all the information!
Micro man

 

[emcon5]

That seems to be about normal for a retail price these days, and I don't know about you, but I am willing to pay a little more for a rifle I can hold in my hands and inspect in person, rather than photos on gunbroker.

 

[44 AMP]

I have one of the 96 "long rifles", dated 1917. speer 140gr, middle of the road charge of IMR 4320, sights set all the way down, and if you miss the 400yd gong, its because you misjudged the wind!

oh, and I paid $125 for it. (back before there was an Internet...)

My stock disc says its got a "1" bore...

 

[James K]

"When they were first imported, (I want to say late 1990s) ... "

The first ones were imported 30 years earlier, in the 1960's.

Jim

 

[emcon5]

True, I mean to say large quantities. For a while there, everyone had them and cheap.

Then like most milsurp bargains, poof they were gone.

 

[oldscot3]

First milsurp I ever bought was a M96... everything looked good except the bore, nevertheless, it shot pretty well. About one shot in ten would be a flyer, but who knows maybe it was me.

At one time Sarco had new, in the white, swedish armory replacement barrels. I bought three and put one on another rifle I bought; that rifle shot extremely well.

 

[doceaux]

M96

Got mine for $180 2years ago with hang tag showing it was sold to the guy for $79! thank goodness he never shot it I would not take $600 for it. It had no mark in the triangle for barrel condition and from what I have read that was a mint near new condition from the armor. Excellent shooter with throat meeting body trunk hole 5 for 5 head shots aprox. 2moa with 61 year old eyes.