Thinking of buying a 7.62 Spainish Mauser
- Thread starter TX Hunter
- Start date
MR Keenan
The featured Mauser is an M1916 Spanish Mauser advertized as .308.
The Add says Manufactured at the Famouis Ovedo Factory in Spain for the Spanish Army, Converted to use ever plentiful 7.62 Nato (.308 WIN) round. Short Rifle.
Polished turned down bolt, 5 round magazine, fixed side support and sling swivel.
Good to Very Good Condition.....$169.95
Special Condition.....................$179.95
The featured Mauser is an M1916 Spanish Mauser advertized as .308.
The Add says Manufactured at the Famouis Ovedo Factory in Spain for the Spanish Army, Converted to use ever plentiful 7.62 Nato (.308 WIN) round. Short Rifle.
Polished turned down bolt, 5 round magazine, fixed side support and sling swivel.
Good to Very Good Condition.....$169.95
Special Condition.....................$179.95
Please don't take this as gospel, because I'm working off my (frequently faulty) memory.... but I thought I'd heard somewhere that the Spanish mausers (usually 7mm) were small-ring mausers, and were questionable for use with the 7.62X51 (.308) because of its higher chamber pressures.
If that is true, I'd be more than a little skeptical of buying one in .308...
just a thought...
If that is true, I'd be more than a little skeptical of buying one in .308...
just a thought...
and it might be fine for use with the .308... but I'd check with an expert on Mausers to get an opinion first.
As an aside, most of the spanish mausers that I've seen seem to be very nicely made. I think the biggest issue with them was that most of them were poorly cleaned, and the bores suffered from the corrosive ammo. These, obviously, would not have that problem.
I'd like to have an original one and chamber it for the .257 Roberts, or .35 Remington...something else like that. I bet it would make a nice .220 Swift, too. Heck, if the bore was good, I'd be tempted to leave it in 7X57... one of the best deer cartridges made.
As an aside, most of the spanish mausers that I've seen seem to be very nicely made. I think the biggest issue with them was that most of them were poorly cleaned, and the bores suffered from the corrosive ammo. These, obviously, would not have that problem.
I'd like to have an original one and chamber it for the .257 Roberts, or .35 Remington...something else like that. I bet it would make a nice .220 Swift, too. Heck, if the bore was good, I'd be tempted to leave it in 7X57... one of the best deer cartridges made.
Generally, 7.62X51mm NATO is loaded to slightly lower pressure than 308 Win commercial ammo (56,000 psi vs 62,000 psi SAMMI max). I would avoid using 308 Win ammo in a M1916, use only 7.62X51mm ammo. That said, I fired literally thousands of military FMJ through mine for years, but that was me.
JiminTexas
New member
If you look on the rifle the caliber says 7.62. It does NOT say 7.62 Nato. These rifle were made to shoot the 7.62 CETME round which was a slightly downloaded 7.62 Nato round. It was downloaded for two reasons. Firstly to make it safe to shoot in the 1916 Mauser. The second reason was to make full auto fire possible in the CETME. The CETME had real control problems with the Nato round on full auto during testing. Can you shoot nato and commercial 308 Win in this rifle, yes and no. You can't do it 100% safely and it is going to be hard on the rifle, very hard. I know of people that have run hundreds if not thousands of 308 win through their Spanish Mausers without a problem, but I also know of some that have had very bad experiences with escaping gasses. Wear you shooting glasses for sure.
roberto mervicini
New member
I own one spanish mauser Oviedo guardia civil, arsenal converted to 308 nato, i shoot 308 winchester with it and several hundred of my hand load, I read a lot about this action and never found any record that this action blew up using a .308 winchester load, on the contrary records are available of a USA Import company that tested this actions to destruction, and it blow up just above 90000 lb. do not take my word on it, do your own search on line and you will find it.
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roberto
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roberto
Ignition Override
New member
According to the newspaper article link somewhere, a guy at a range in PA was killed while shooting one of the original 7mm Spanish Mausers which had been converted to '.308'. I read the article.
This Might have been manufactured before 1900.
The article did not state whether his ammo was .comm. .308, NATO 7.62 or reloads. Have you contacted people on Surplusrifle or Gunboards' Mauser forums?
A seller last year at a Southaven MS show either was ignorant of the converted (classic 7mm to NATO 7.62) design limit issues, or did not care.
When I asked this guy about it, he seemed not to know, but a Second seller from Fayette County who was behind him looked at me and slowly shook his head. I went over and thanked the other, more responsible seller.
My Mauser buddies seem to believe that the pre-1900 actions have the weakest steel chambers etc if I understand correctly.
As to whether rifles built years after 1910 (or so) are strong enough for .308 or NATO 7.62, I'm not sure.
On a side note, numerous sources claim that the (later?) Spanish M43 Mauser is not nearly as strong an action as in the M44 (8mm Mauser).
Some of these rifles were converted to the post-WW2 Spanish FR8 (7.62x51) carbine, and with the stronger M44 chambers designed for 8mm Mauser, using either .308 or 7.62x51 NATO should be fine in the FR8, but maybe not in the (M43) FR7.
This Might have been manufactured before 1900.
The article did not state whether his ammo was .comm. .308, NATO 7.62 or reloads. Have you contacted people on Surplusrifle or Gunboards' Mauser forums?
A seller last year at a Southaven MS show either was ignorant of the converted (classic 7mm to NATO 7.62) design limit issues, or did not care.
When I asked this guy about it, he seemed not to know, but a Second seller from Fayette County who was behind him looked at me and slowly shook his head. I went over and thanked the other, more responsible seller.
My Mauser buddies seem to believe that the pre-1900 actions have the weakest steel chambers etc if I understand correctly.
As to whether rifles built years after 1910 (or so) are strong enough for .308 or NATO 7.62, I'm not sure.
On a side note, numerous sources claim that the (later?) Spanish M43 Mauser is not nearly as strong an action as in the M44 (8mm Mauser).
Some of these rifles were converted to the post-WW2 Spanish FR8 (7.62x51) carbine, and with the stronger M44 chambers designed for 8mm Mauser, using either .308 or 7.62x51 NATO should be fine in the FR8, but maybe not in the (M43) FR7.
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M1893 rifles, M1916, M1933 short rifles- Standard service rifle from 1893 to 1942, after which they were used by police units well into the 1950s. Built on M93 Mauser pattern actions made at Oviedo. M1916 and later actions are plenty strong. Originally chambered for 7X57mm.
M1895 carbines- Made at Oviedo, generally exported, but some special police rifles issued to Spanish police horse units.
Spanish M43 short rifle- Standard service rifle from 1943 until 1958-ish. M98 Mauser action made at La Coruna. Just as strong as a K98k, because it is a M98. Originally chambered in 8X57mm, which was adopted as the Spanish army service round in 1943.
There is no M44 rifle AFAIK.
FR7 rifles- Converted from M1933 short rifles/carbines and M1916 short rifles in the 1950s.
FR8 rifles- Converted from M43 short rifles in the 1950s.
http://www.carbinesforcollectors.com/mauser1.html
M1895 carbines- Made at Oviedo, generally exported, but some special police rifles issued to Spanish police horse units.
Spanish M43 short rifle- Standard service rifle from 1943 until 1958-ish. M98 Mauser action made at La Coruna. Just as strong as a K98k, because it is a M98. Originally chambered in 8X57mm, which was adopted as the Spanish army service round in 1943.
There is no M44 rifle AFAIK.
FR7 rifles- Converted from M1933 short rifles/carbines and M1916 short rifles in the 1950s.
FR8 rifles- Converted from M43 short rifles in the 1950s.
http://www.carbinesforcollectors.com/mauser1.html
The 7x57 cartridge is in the 40-45k psi range, while the 7.62 NATO runs about 10k psi higher, and .308 commercial can run even higher.
Those old (1893/1916) Spanish rifles won't "blow up"*, but the steel tends to be soft and eventually they will develop excess headspace with cartrdiges in the .308 pressure ranges.
The Spanish Model 1943 is a Mauser 98 action, and should be OK with pressures in the 50-55k psi range, but they also are on the soft side and might not hold up as well as other Mauser 98 actions.
*Without knowing any more than the story above, I can't say what might have caused the blowup. I honestly doubt it was factory ammunition, but there is not enough information to even make a guess as to the cause.
Jim
Those old (1893/1916) Spanish rifles won't "blow up"*, but the steel tends to be soft and eventually they will develop excess headspace with cartrdiges in the .308 pressure ranges.
The Spanish Model 1943 is a Mauser 98 action, and should be OK with pressures in the 50-55k psi range, but they also are on the soft side and might not hold up as well as other Mauser 98 actions.
*Without knowing any more than the story above, I can't say what might have caused the blowup. I honestly doubt it was factory ammunition, but there is not enough information to even make a guess as to the cause.
Jim
NC Cruffler
New member
1916 Spanish Mauser G&A article
NC Cruffler
New member
Most anything you want to know about these amazing little rifles can be found here:
Fred Masterson's Spanish Mauser research
Fred Masterson's Spanish Mauser research
Snakedriver
New member
My experience with Samco is that they generally have a really nice product, but they will be the slowest supplier you'll ever have the frustration of dealing with. Be patient and you'll be pleased with the rifle you get.
I've had a 1916 Spanish Mauser in the original 7 X 57 cal. since I was a kid and it's been a great rifle. I think I paid about $17 for it out of the Wards catalog and it looked like it had never been used. I never bought the bull about the actions being weak. I've shot countless numbers of rounds through mine and it's tight as the day I got it.
I've had a 1916 Spanish Mauser in the original 7 X 57 cal. since I was a kid and it's been a great rifle. I think I paid about $17 for it out of the Wards catalog and it looked like it had never been used. I never bought the bull about the actions being weak. I've shot countless numbers of rounds through mine and it's tight as the day I got it.