Swedish mauser

M

Micro man

New member
Been wanting a Swedish Mauser for some time now but in my area they are very scarce and the ones I have found are pretty expensive. I'm talking in the $500-to 600 range. I particularly like the 6.5 x 55 caliber, so I thought that maybe I would look for a new rifle in that caliber.
Checked on line and they also are somewhat scarce and expensive. I have seen that Tikka does make them in the T3 line, but again not cheap. I did come across one web site that had them for about $559 which was way cheaper than anything else I have seen .Site is called eurooptic.com and it says they are located in Penn. I am wondering if any members have done business with this company and feedback .
Thanks Micro man
 
I am a big fan of the Swede, a M38 was the first rifle I bought myself, back in the mid 1990s, when you could score one from chain sporting goods stores for $129 (and a M96 was $99).

The problem with the 6.5X55 Swede today is that is it is a little long for a traditional Short action, and on the short side for a long action. It is also a ~125 year old design, and technology has come a long way since then. You can better the performance in a more compact short action with either the .260 or the 6.5 Creedmoor.
 
I agree with Emcon..

The swede is a sweet rifle, with a few "drawbacks" that you would not find in a modern .260, as mentioned above.

Many people do not like the cock on closing action. Personally, I do. It makes more sense to cock it when pushing forward on the bolt, rather than when you are lifting on the bolt handle.


But the cost of a swede at 500-600 dollars is really way more than they are worth, for shooters, IMHO.

That being said, my go-to do anything rifle is my swede... bought back when they were around $125 or so.
 
Don't fall into the Creedmore trap.

I keep checking www.southernohiogun.com ,or www.cdnnsports.com
Sometimes they have good deal on Mausers.

The beauty of the Mauser is it is an intermeddiate length action, perfeectly suited to those cartridges.

Tikka only builds one length action, then add the mag, and i think a spacer to whatever length.

My commercial Mauser action accepts the 06 family length. Planning on rebarreling to 284 Win.

The 30-06 was actuall deeveloped before 1906, just accepted by the militarry that year.
All of the Mauser cartridges were designed beforee then. Including the 6.5X57mm.
 
If pricing is a big concern for you, I suggest buying a used but not abused rifle in 270 or .308 chambering. They're quite common and affordable. Ammo availability is not a concern either. Ballistically, they offer slightly more power than the 6.5mm Swede.

Jack
 
OP, to answer your question:

I've done a bit of business with Eurooptic. Never had any problems. They did throw a stink when I wanted to ship an expensive scope to my daytime workplace rather than my house, where it would sit on the pooch for the afternoon, but I imagine they were looking for fraud cases.

I know you didn't ask this, but the 6.5 Tikka's on the site are clearance rifles, to make room for the "new and improved" model. Really good deals, I think.
 
Micro man said:
I have seen that Tikka does make them in the T3 line, but again not cheap. I did come across one web site that had them for about $559 which was way cheaper than anything else I have seen .Site is called eurooptic.com and it says they are located in Penn. I am wondering if any members have done business with this company and feedback .
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I haven't purchased a rifle from Euro Optics, just a few scopes and they have been stellar for me. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a rifle from them, but realize you're going to spend closer to $600 maybe more by the time you pay the transfer and possibly shipping charges. Euro lists their shipping costs at $25 and a transfer will usually cost at least $25.

Bud's has the Howa 6.5X55 in several options and prices plus they usually ship for free. I've purchased a few guns from Bud's and it has always been painless and easy. As stated above Howa builds the Weatherby Vanguard rifles as well.

Whittaker's is another gun store I've had great luck with online, they also have everything discounted right now as they are moving their store. You'll need to call in and talk to a live person but you should be able to get most rifles a minimum of 5% off of listed price before the store moves. He always has a few 6.5X55 rifles in stock but when I checked he didn't have any better deals on the Tikka at this time.
 
std7mag said:
Don't fall into the Creedmore trap.
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Sorry, how it it a trap?

I keep checking www.southernohiogun.com ,or www.cdnnsports.com
Sometimes they have good deal on Mausers.
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The only Swedes you are likely to see in the dealer channels would be from Century, which would be the remains of the old Samco stock. Century has several on their web site now, but the prices are nuts, ~$500 for a M96 with a cracked stock nuts. They only have one M38, marked "Good with cracked stock" they want $750 for.

They do show a couple of bare receivers, both drilled for a scope for ~$70

More may turn up with other vendors, like the Spanish Mausers have at JG Sales and Classic Arms.

std7mag said:
The 30-06 was actuall deeveloped before 1906, just accepted by the militarry that year.
All of the Mauser cartridges were designed beforee then. Including the 6.5X57mm.
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What does the .30-06 have to do with anything?

The 6.5X55 Swedish round development started in ~1891, and was introduced in the 1894 Carbine. It is a great round, and does stand up very well today, but it is also a very old cartridge, designed only ~5 years after and as a direct response to, France making every existing military rifle obsolete in 1886.

Both the .260 Remington and the 6.5 Creedmoor shoot the same bullet with ~10KPSI higher pressure in a shorter package.
 
I have a m96 and a m38. I love the soft recoiling 6.5x55 but I do wish the sights were a more realistic point of aim. I know, a belt buckle at 200 yards but I just wish they were closer at 100. Beautiful well built Mausers. Can not go wrong with one IMHO.
 
Sadly, the days of cheap milsurp Mausers, of any type, are long gone. However, there are still some M96's in reasonable condition that are not stupid expensive on the assorted auction sites. Just as many that are stupid expensive too though.
 
Realistically most will shoot to 3 MOA even with the iron sights if you do your part. I have a Husqvarna that I can still keep under 4 MOA even with my old geezing eyes with optical implants.:)

Both the Huskie and the Gustav are fine, low recoiling rifles that are accurate and fun to shoot.

I just wish that I could have seen into the future when they were selling for $99 in the 1990s.
 
A friend with keen eyes could keep his Swedish Mauser under 2", often 1.5".

Surplus ammo is pretty well shot up, you might find a nice rifle coming out of the back of a closet somewhere.

There are untold numbers of sporterized Mausers out there, Kimber even tarted up a bunch to raise money to go into the .45 ACP business.

But rather than take a rough Mauser, I would get a modern sporting rifle from Tikka, Howa, or CZ.
 
my cz 550 american in 6.5x55 with its 24: barrel will spit 120 nosler bt,s at close to 3000 fps. when the creedmore crowd compare the 6.5x55 to th CR they seem to use a 96 swedish rifle that should be held in the 46,000 psi range. stick the 6.5x55 in a modern action and the right twist its a different ball game, oh yea i just about forgot the extra couple of ounces in weight for the longer action, not a biggie for me. eastbank.
 
Emcon5,

You were the one that brought up that the Swede is an intermediate length cartridge, and that the design is over 125 years old.

I have seen Swede Mausers, along with others on both of the sites i listed. Not from Century Arms.

And as i keep beating the dead horse, the Creed was designed so that long match bullets could fit in an AR10 magazine, without seating the bullet so deep as to take up powder space. Has nothing over a 260 Rem other than that.
 
Thanks for the input and spirited discussion. I want to make it clear I am not a bench rest shooter but do like to reload. As I said I've heard many good things about the 6.5 Swede and wanted a decent shooting rifle to work up loads in. Several members mentioned Howa as rifle maker I am not familiar with them and was wondering how they stack up against other moderate priced gun makers.
Micro man
 
Howa rifles are very good, push feed actions same as the Tikka. If you want a controlled feed action you'll have to find a Mauser or M70. I've shot several Howa rifles and they've all been accurate and function well, my only complaint about them is that they are heavy rifles. Howa has been imported and sold under several different names since the 1980's.
 
The Swedish Mausers are probably, as a group, some of the finest rifles ever made, bar none. But one would not be my first choice, partly because ammunition is becoming harder to find in the US and the case is of an odd size. Today, there are other 6.5mm rounds that are as effective and are either more available or can be more easily made.

Jim
 
Emcon5,

You were the one that brought up that the Swede is an intermediate length cartridge, and that the design is over 125 years old.
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Unclear on what that has to do with the .30-06, but OK.

I have seen Swede Mausers, along with others on both of the sites i listed. Not from Century Arms.
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Great. The fact remains, that any you will see from this point on will either be small lots from someone liquidating a collection, or from the Samco bankruptcy auction, which went to Century. They bought 95 M38s, 248 M96s, and 142 M41Bs. Swedes haven't been imported since the late 90s. SOG and CDNN may get some, but if they do, it will in all probability be from Century.

And as i keep beating the dead horse, the Creed was designed so that long match bullets could fit in an AR10 magazine, without seating the bullet so deep as to take up powder space. Has nothing over a 260 Rem other than that.
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Sorry, that is the "Trap" you are speaking of? How is that a trap?

I don't own a .260 so it is second hand, but I have heard people say they have the same problem with long/heavy bullets in Remington 700 SA magazines.

Regardless, the .260 and 6.5 CM are both max out in the 60K PSI neighborhood, and will do everything a Swede can do in a slightly more compact package with a couple hundred FPS more velocity. Sure, you can ignore the max loads and hot-rod the Swede to equal them, probably exceed slightly, as the case has a little more volume.

Like I said, I am a big fan of the Swede Mausers, but I don't think they are worth what a lot of people are asking for them. And if you are wanting to put a scope on one, I would pass, unless you find one someone has already butchered.

Or, call Century and see if they will sell you a M41b. Those were some of the most accurate sniper rifles of the period.
 
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