Mauser 95 rebarreling

[STUDENTSMITH]

I have a Mauser 95 chil 7mm and I want to re barrel it what caliber choices do I have with out reworking the bolt.I'm wanting  a coyote rifle small bore has possible.

Thanks

[Huffmanite]

A previous owner of my 1895 Chile 7mm had done a bubba job on it.  I had it rebarreled to 257 Roberts.  It can handle the 257R + ammo too, but I seldom shoot them.  Being 25 cal, there is a fair variety of bullets available if you handload like I do.  The 257R is flat shooting, has light recoil and is suitable for white tail deer hunting too.  Being a small ring type mauser, it is not suitable for the higher pressure small caliber rounds.  By the way, the 257R should not need any modification to the bolt or magazine.

[billy_56081]

I rebarreled a 95 mauser last year to 6.5X55 for my son. He uses 85 grainers in it and it swats coyotes nice. I made it in that caliber as it can be used on anything from coyote to elk.

[STUDENTSMITH]

Thanks for the info I notice they didn't offer many calibers for the small ring action.I notice the 250 is offered to and was wondering why the 22-250 wasn't. So small bullet makes for higher pressures.A whats difference in 257 and 257R.

And thank again for the info.

[jcn59]

I put a 6.5 x 55 carbine barrel on my 95 action, then brazed a brake on before I had it reblued.  Made a neat little rifle.

[STUDENTSMITH]

Whats nice looking rifle would like a overall photo it. The one I have has been cut down to a 18 inch barrel painted flat black and the old stock was cut down to. But it shoots good after I recrown the barrel. I bought it for $50 buck for project gun.And I got five standard grade mosin nagant that going fix up for my boys. So I'll need all the help I can get.

And thanks again you all.

[GatCat]

You asked about the .257, it is the same as the .257R ( .257 Roberts,also nicknamed " Bob"  ,named after Ned Roberts ). It is the 7X57mm mauser necked down to .257. It is a relatively low pressure round, often suggested for a rebarrel of the '95. Also normally suggested in their standard loading ( not plus P loadings ) are the .250 savage, 6.5X55, .300 Savage, and of course the 7X57 Mauser. These are all factory loaded to modest pressure.
Do you know who made your '95? Most were Spanish, but quite a few were also German made. Many ( most ) gunsmiths consider the German slightly better, as well as the Swedish versions, the '94,'96 & '38, but even if your '95 is Spanish, if it is in good shape, it should be fine. One nice thing that some of the Spanish mausers have is a hinged floorplate.
I agree with the previous posters who suggested the .257 Roberts, or the 6.5X55.
You asked about the .22/250, the magazine and the bolt face will work, but it is a high-pressure round that is not normally suggested for the '95. Same goes with the .243 and the 6mm Remington ( which, interestingly, is the 7X57 mauser necked down, or the 257 Roberts necked down, but again, it is a high pressure round.
I suggest you try to get the book "Bolt Action Rifles" by Frank DeHass, a gunsmith who died a few years ago. His book had 3 or 4 updated versions, if you can, get an early one, it has the most info about sporterizing military rifles.
Mark

[STUDENTSMITH]

Thanks for the info.My 95 is german made but I'm going to use a safe caliber just can made up my mjnd which one 257 or 6.5 x55. I.m wanting a predator rifle[ coyote] mostly.Thanks again

Vance

[iiranger]

Mr. De Haas had a standard that always made sense to me. He did not recommend using a Mauser made before 1930, 1920 if you want to be risky, for the more modern, high pressure cartridges--.308 family including the .243 WCF. The pre 1920 standard was 45K CUP [45,000 copper units pressure]. In '26 with the .270 Winchester, the new standard was 55K CUP. You should be able to find a proof date on the bottom of the receiver or proof marks that can be dated.

In the 1890s Mr. Mauser came out with a herd of cartridges. 7x57 is probably the best remembered. 8x57 is less well thought of. Too many got shot at with it in 2 world wars. 6.5x55 Swede is another and very good all around. There was a 7.65 Belgian. And more I forget. Point is that your gun, if made before 1920, should be plenty for these. In the US the .250 Savage was developed for the 99 lever action and pressure held down to earlier standard. It ruled the target ranges at one time. The 6mm version is still around, 6mm International.  The .257 was also from this era. Thus the much more recent +P loadings. .22/250 came out in this era, but standardized in the 1960s? so higher pressure. Also the more recent .244/6mm Remington, higher pressure. Basically .24/257 Roberts.

Simplest, find a reloading catalogue, look up shell holders and find .30/'06 and anything listed will fit the bolt. The other question is length. You might be able to work the .270 (.27/'06) but it will be high pressure and unless your gun is fairly recent... poor idea. It is also very long for the action. 63mm case vs. 57mm for the standard. .25/'06 is another "long shot." If your coyotes will not be in the next county, you could be very, very happy with a .250 Savage. The original twist was 1 in 14 to help get the 3,000 feet per second in the name. .250/3000. 1 in 10 and you can use heavier bullets. 110, 120? maybe. Light recoil. It just won't be the latest, hottest... not that a coyote will care. Find that shell holder list. .220 Swift would work, but again, way hot... (so load down and have some case life/ barrel life...) luck

[Gerry N.]

Midway sells short chambered barrels threaded for the small ring cock-on-closing mauser actions.  I suggest you consider .250-3000 Savage or 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser.  The .250-3000 is a very under rated cartridge and is inherently accurate and soft recoiling.

Gerry N.

[Rangr44]

[whats difference in 257 and 257R.]

Well, .257" is a bore diameter, but when most riflemen say ".257", they're referring to the .257 Roberts cartridge, aka the .257R and the .257 Bob, and the "Bob".

Be that as it may, European cartidges/calibers are sometimes made in both a rimless version for boltguns (like say: 7x57), and a rimmed version for break-action guns (like the identical but rimmed 7x57R).
The European designation "R" usually means the cartridge case is rimmed.

.

[mannyrock]

   You just can't go wrong rebarreling to the 6.5 Swede. Factory ammo is much more available, and much cheaper, than the .250 Savage, and it is a much more versatile round.   If you handload, I believe you will find that it has many more possible bullet weights and configurations than the .250 Savage.

[Freezer]

    I have an Arg. Mauser that I'd like to re-barrel.  It's a 1908 98 Muaser design so I don't have presure issuses.  I'm considering 260 Rem and 6.5x55.  This is a dream of mine and I'd like to do all the wok myself.  The trigger and safety are done.  I have a blueing system and it's drilled and tapped for a scope.  Now all I need to do is rebarel it.  The problem is The wrenchs cost over $100.  I've tried to rent them but no luck.  What's a poor man to do? 

[Antietamgw]

I'm a sucker for a nice Mauser sporter and have built a number of them over the years on 93/95/96 actions and 98 variants as well. My favorite small bore on a '95 is .257 Roberts.  I built one for myself way back using a Rem 700 barrel and another for my son using a Douglas. I'm also a fan of the 6.5X55 and shoot it in milsurp and sporters based on '96 actions. For deer and such, I prefer the 6.5X55 but my Roberts is more versatile with cast bullet loads. I've done several 6.5X55 on '93's and Turk '98's using the now unavailable new M38 Swede barrels. They work well but you may have to do some work to get them to feel as smoothly as the Roberts or 7X57, especially with the Turks. If a Swedish follower can be found to use with your '95 it can save some work. Some actions/follower combos seem like they will feed almost anything (even .243 or .308), others are a real PITA - I don't know why. I rebarreled a pair of '93's once to 35 Remington. 1 fed flawlessly without touching it, the other took 1 1/2 days of fiddling.  I think a good rule of thumb, unless you or your 'smith likes to deal with possible feeding issues, is to stay with a cartridge close in length and body taper as the original. Also, I think it's a smart move to have an extra follower and a new follower spring on hand. I think followers and springs have been switched around on some of the rifles by importers, dealers and owners. If you can get some Roberts and 6.5X55 cartridges to make inert dummy rounds, you can check feeding with your existing barrel to give you an idea if you are going to have issues. You don't need or want to close the bolt on these to check feeding. Thinking of an Ackley Improved on a mauser? I did - once. Guess I'd do it again but there would have to be a really good reason    Happy tinkering!

[mannyrock]

Freezer,

  You may want to go to your gunclub, or several gunclubs, and just put a card on their Sale/Wanted board, saying that you would like to rent a wrench to pull and install a barrel.  At most of the larger clubs, where there is an outdoor rifle range, there are generally several old gun-cranks who have every tool under the sun.

  Just a thought.

Mannyrock