spanish 1916 sporter questions

[mjbgalt]

i have a 1916 sporter (poorly done) that i bought for $100. i want to make it look nice and use it for hunting.

it's got the 7.62 barrel on it, but what other cartridges can i chamber one of these for? is .243 or .308 too much for the lugs or receiver? if so what other short actions can i use? 6.8SPC? Maybe .257?

And if i choose to do so, can i screw on a new 7x57 barrel i originally bought for my mauser 98?

Thanks in advance...

-Matt

[mjbgalt]

also, should it have more play in the bolt than my 98 mauser? the 98 locks up like a brand new rifle, but the 1916 seems to have more slop in it...is this normal, because of the cock-on-closing?

-Matt

[mjbgalt]

.243 is between 46,000 and 51,000 CUP.

Why would that be too much on this receiver when the 7x57 is around 46,000?

[Larry Gibson]

Unless you can do a lot of the work yourself the cost of re-barreling and other modifications will quickly pass the cost of a new commercial rifle. However, project guns are fun to play with as long as one realizes that the only true "worth" of them is the enjoyment YOU get from doing the project and using them. As I stated in an earlier post I have re-barreled mine 3 times now plus; it is stocked in a Richards stock, D&T'd for scope and receiver sight, converted to cock on open, bolt handle forged and scope safety installed and a single stage trigger added. I've done all the work myself so except for the purchased parts the cost has been minimal. I've used that rifle a lot since '69 when I first started on the "project. I've killed many coyotes and other varmints along with a few deer and an elk. I still shoot lots of cast bullets through it.

But on to your question; The pressure limitations of the 7x57 at the time was based on the powders then available and the strength of the cartridge cases. Both were in their infancy at the time.The design of the M93 action was based on continual improvements of earlier actions and ergonomic considerations. Mauser did not design his actions "only" to contain the pressure of the 7x57 cartridge. There were many other cartridge designs and capabilities at the time. He designed the actions to be as strong as they could be.  There are several pre-threaded barrels availabel for the M93 (M1916) action in different caliber/cartridges. Plus these can be re-chambered to other cartridges if desired. The 257 is a good choice as is the 6.5x57. I recently re-barreled a M91 Argentine Mauser to .35 Remington and it is a fine shooter.  The 7.57 barrel for the M98 (if it is for a large ring M98) has larger diameter threads and will not fit the M93 action. However, that can be easily remedied by a gunsmith.

Larry Gibson

[mjbgalt]

awesome. thanks

-Matt

[Slamfire]

Check your bolt, does it have the flat bottom on the face? Is there a gas escape hole in the bolt body? Does it have the shroud on the firing pin, to prevent gas from escaping out the back end? Yes to the first question, and no to the other two means a pierced primer might just put your eye out, kid. A steady diet of full power .308 loads just may cause the lug seats to set back. You'll be able to tell when the lug at the root of the bold contacts the notch in the bridge the bolt turns down into, causing a dangerous head space condition. If you want to use starting loads from any reloading manual, you'll probably not experience this.

[mjbgalt]

yeah, i know not to shoot full-power .308's in it. It IS marked "308W" on the barrel though.

is it normal for the bolt on these to be sloppy? could this indicate a headspace problem?

how about rechambering it to .300 Savage? Would that be do-able?

-Matt

[Slamfire]

The bolt slop was one of the things Mauser improved on in later models. 95s and 96s have a guide lug that fits a slot in the bridge. As for .300 Savage the barrel would need to be set back a bit as the case is shorter. 

[mjbgalt]

that's what i was thinking...set it back as opposed to buying a new barrel.

Thanks,

-Matt

[Mikey]

mjbgalt:  bolt slop is one thing I have encountered in just about all of my Mausers, regardless of how accurate they have turned out to be.  One thing I have noticed that seems to firm up Mauser bolts is a new trigger assembly.  I had a Bold Trigger and bolt block installed on my Swedish 98, which seemed nothing more than a typical Mauser (with slop) and that seemed to tighten the action right up.  HTH.  Mikey.

[jh45gun]

Those model 16s were used hard and they are not the best of the mausers though nothing wrong with them I have a 93 spanish mauser parts gun I made it up from parts. I got lucky put a other barrel on it and it headspaced fine. Since it is a spanish made mauser I would keep the pressure limits on the lower side no matter what you decide to do.

[iiranger]

As said, the Spanish Mauser design was pre-98 and for the current pressures of the day. Circa 45K CUP in todays', well yesterdays' talk. While the .243/.308 family is excessive slightly, many are not. .250 Savage. .257 Roberts (NOT +P). 6.5x55 Swede. --De Haas does not recommend the pre 1925 98 Mauser for the "new pressure" cartridges like .243. I believe Spain went to the 98 during WW II. I would look HARD for a date on the action and be alot more careful the earlier that date.../proof...

Only barrel you might find surplus that has not been mentioned much is the 6.5x 55 Swede Mauser. Those, too, were small ring and should screw in with a minimum of work. Nothing wrong with 7x57. And others for the "odd." 7.65x53 Belgium Mauser... etc. Might even find an 8x57 small ring barrel.

You can convert the 98 barrel thread  to 93 size but the 'smith I went over this with at length convinced me it is not worth the work. It is your $$$/budget... As said, you seldom "save" anything on a project like this. It is all satisfaction and you had better value that much. Enjoy. Happy trails. luck.