Short Barreled mausers

[1911crazy]

After assembling my swede m94 a while back from parts i got the bug to build a few shorter barreled mausers in 6,5mm and in 7mm.  I'm interested in 18" to 22" barreled mausers in these calibers.   I'm going to gather parts for my builds again.   I figure with two grandkids now  these would make good youth guns too. What do you think?  

I been eyeing the 7mm mauser barreled receivers and the 7,62 1916 spanish barreled receivers too for my builds.  I don't use complete collectables for my builds its all built from parts. I found a swede mauser that was butcherd and wasn't finished correctly so thats one of my barreled receivers.  They actually cut the barrel on an all matching swede mauser.  I may buy another missed matched swede rifle to change the barrels to make the all matching one orginal again and use the parts left over for my build.

I really like the shorter south american carbines but the prices on the orginals are out of site.  I think there model 1930's with the shorter carbine barrels that are 17" to 18".  These being in 8mm or 30-06 must be very hard on the shooter like the russian m44 being a blaster and flame thrower too.  I like the thought of the 6,5mm swede and the 7mm mauser shorter barreled builds but i'm hesitant about the 308/7,62nato shorter barrel build because it may bark more too.

[1911crazy]

Please forgive me "i'm not using complete collectable rifles for my builds, there from parts only".    11CZY

[1911crazy]

I found a swede mauser that was cut down and never finished and i ordered a husqvarna '38 barreled action with a turned down bolt from Samco.  One of these will be a build and the other i might restore it to its orginal state since i have the extra wood sitting here.

[Larry Gibson]

About 25 years back i went through the "short barrel" phase.  I cut down a couple barrels to 18 and 20" that I later wished I hadn't (worst was the 20" '06).  I hunt in the Pacific NW rain forests and have "hunted" in the dense central American and SE Asian jungles and find a 22-24" barrel is just as easy to handle.  I've also been through a lot of CQB with subguns, M4s, M16A!/A2/A4s and M14s.  I found the M14 was just as quick to use properly (that means; target engagement not spray and pray).  When I did my tour in Iraq I kept the M16A2 and let someone else have the "oh but it's easier to carry" M4. 

Thus these days I prefer longer barrels with 22" being about as short as I'll go on Mausers (I have 18 of them from sporters to full dress milsurp).  I've a very neat little M95 7x57 that has a 22" barrel on it.  It handles wonderfully and the ballistics are excellent.  On my 6.5x55 Swede M38 Scout rifle I left the barrel at 23.75" and find it balances perfectly and shoots very, very well.  Mostly as I rebarrel the mausers they are getting 24 or 26" barrels.

Larry Gibson 

[1911crazy]

I been pondering that too about the barrel length and i hoped that someone would respond with some knowledge they wanted to share, thanks.

The 1900 obie swede i'm getting is cut down to 22" already and i been thinking of leaving it that way and just finishing the stock so its as close to orginal looking.  The swede m38 husqvarna barreled action i may put in a 38 stock that i have sitting here.  I just ordered another barreled receiver from sportsmansguide its a '95 chilean dated 1898 in 7mm mauser.  I'm not sure about that one yet.  I also have a complete swede m94 stock set with metal on the way too, these are as rare as hens teeth if we can find one, i found a guy and got two from him.  I did turn one sporter m94 back to its orginal condition, last year.  They have an orginal 17" barrel.  I would really like to have a south american m94 in 7mm mauser but i'll make my own stock for it, so i just need some metal parts. On the other hand my russian saiga's with there 16" barrels are really accurate in 223 and in 308win.

In the future i don't want to send my grandson in the woods with an orginal swede m94.  I'd rather give him a build to use thats my point. Plus i can shoot them too at the range and to play with too.


Some of these short south american mausers are priced in the thousands of dollars.  I really don't want to go in the woods with those.

[mauserand9mm]

I've got an original ex-mil 30/06 Columbian carbine in 30/06 but it was not in particularly good condition when I got it, but I only paid $170 (AUD) for it 4 years ago. The handguard doesn't match and the screws that hold the retaining spring to it are corroded out as are the corresponding holes in the timber, so the handguard flops around a little bit.

The bore is dark and rifling looks rounded but it shoots as good as any of my other ex-mil Mausers at about 2 to 2 1/2MOA. Well that's after I trimmed 1/4" off the end of the barrel. When I got it the bore was worn at the muzzle - no rifling and was oval. Apparantly this was due to use of a pull through over many years (wasn't me). Only 2 out of 10 shots would hit a foot square target at 50 yards! I tried to counterbore but didn't do a good enough job so I cut the 1/4" off the end and that fixed it.

I received grief from those that said I shouldn't have modified it since it was otherwise original (matching numbers on the metalwork) but it's not a pristine example (and was only $170, good condition collectable Mausers over here cost $1,000+) and I only collect shooters.

Anyway, it does make alot of noise and flashes when I fire it. I wouldn't want to fire it without hearing protection. Recoil looks worse than it feels and if I do get bruised it's only because of the steel butt plate (any of my other ex-mil Mausers [8mm and 308] with the more conventional barrel lengths and rifle weights will also bruise for the same reason).

I've always wanted to take it out hunting with me as it would be ideal for those occassions when I see something from the vehicle and need to get out of it in a hurry.

[SlimPigguns]

My favorite rifle is a 7x57 on a 98 mauser action. It was originally a $60 with a very rusty 30.06 barrel. I got an unused 19 inch stepped surplus barrel put on, scope & mount, and synthetic stock.  I don't find recoil or muzzle blast excessive. I would imagine that a 6.5 Swede would be fine with a 18-20 inch barrel. Pete