To Sporterize A Swedish Mauser or Not To Sporterize A Swedish Mauser?

[Bart Solo]

I have been looking for a winter project to see me through the long nights.  I have a chance to buy a really nice Swedish Mauser in 6.5 X 55 for not much money, but it is in full military regalia and has all matching numbered parts.  I am looking for a winter project, not an investment for my great grandkids.  If I buy this thing I am going to launch into a full blown sporterizing project complete with having the barrel cut to 24 inches and recrowned, the bolt bent and the receiver drilled and tapped.  I will buy a new stock from someplace (I haven't decided on wood or synthetic.)  I will also try my hand a bedding the action.  In short I will ruin the rifle, but I will have accomplished my goal of puddering around this winter.
How many Swedish Mausers are there anyway?  Is there any reason not to cut the gun up?   

[mannyrock]

 
Bart,
 
    If it truly had all matching numbers, then please don't destroy it. Those are rare.
 
    Sounds to me as if your just bored and want something to do?  Been there.
 
    My advice would be to go to a large gunshow, sell the Swede to a collector who will enjoy it, and then buy a Swede that has already been sporterized (butchered) by someone else.  Then, go to work on it to change it to what you want.  If you do this, then you are improving the situation, not destroying a true legacy and rarity.
 
Best Regards,
 
Mannyrock

[tacklebury]

I tend to agree with Manny in principle anyway.  Good large radius mauser actions are getting harder to come by these days.  You didn't designate if it was a Long or short one, but if it's long, you can load those up to modern levels and they are super strong.  If it's a short, I'd leave it matching and re-sell it, because it's dangerous to load them up.  I had to do the same thing with a mauser I'd had high hopes for.  8(

[woodchukhntr]

I wouold strongly suggest not modifying it.  The good ones are hard to get now.  I know a fellow that, when the guns were more common and inexpensive, used to "bubba" them and sell them for sporters.  He ruined a lot of guns.
 
If you need a Swede sporter, look at the gun shows or look on line for one that has already been modified.  Sell yours to someone who will give it a good home.

[Bart Solo]

I am going to look at it.  if it truly is a good quality rifle, I might buy it and put it in the back of my safe, but I am not sure it isn't a little more beat up than the guy tells me.  My FFL says he saw it at a recent gunshow and thinks it might be perfect for "butchering."  I have always wanted to sporterize a military rifle, but I agree it is a shame to cut up a real collectible. 
By the way my FFL says it is in good mechanical shape. He knows how I feel about cutting up collectibles, so he is looking around.  The Swedes really, really knew how to build Mausers.  That is why they are nearly all great shooters.  The 6.5 has a great reputation as a deer round. 
The conversion doesn't appear to be very difficult.  There are guys out on the web who will bend the bolt for not much money.  A local gunsmith can drill and tap the receiver for a scope and  recrown a shortened barrel.  The rest of the job is hand work.  If the current stock can't be used there are lots of places that sell unfinished replacement stocks.   I can handle some cold bluing if I don't want to spend money on a reblue.   I love to refinish stocks so that isn't an issue.  The last stock I refinished was on a Winchester model 69 that belongs to my step son.  He told me that he thinks it looks new.  In fact I finished the model 69 too quickly.  That is why I am looking for another project.

[mcwoodduck]

my $.02 is go shoot the rifle first.  You may just love it.
I like the 29" barrel on mine.
If you are looking for a project, go to the gun shop and find a beater.
Ask if anyne has an action.  I wanted a project rifle and walked into a shop and just asked if they had this action and they had three.
Ask if someoen has a Mauser 98, Brownells has screw in 6.5 X 55 sweed barrels, the 98 is easier to find stocks for.  There are more attachement made for the 98, like a 3 position wing safety (Think Win 70 or Ruger 77 MkII) so you can mount a scope.  Actions were pretty reasonable and take a winter or two and do a custom rifle.  Fit the barrel, fit the stock, finish a walnut stock, get down to 1,000 grit sand paper and then finish the wood with hand rubbed lindseed oil, 15 or 20 coates.
Another cheap project is one of the Martini actions from Nepal by Atlanta cutlery company ACC and clean up one of the 577/450 rifles that have not been touched.  One of those would be a fun project and some history.
Heck cut it down and make a carbine or scout rifle out of one of the long levers.  Get a book on the rifle and start with taking it all apart, cleaning every part, cleaning and sanding the wood, buff out the metal and reblue or custom paint.  Rent the movie Zulu, those are the rifles.
The 577/450 is about like 45-70 in proformance. But 7 X the price, you may want to reload.
 

[Rock Home Isle]

I tend to agree with the "keep it, shoot it, and buy a beater to destroy" line of logic. 

[Bart Solo]

I have been thinking about the pros and cons of cutting up a 100 year old rifle. On the pro side there is a certain turning swords to plow shares quality about sporterizing a military rifle. Rifles are tools to be used.  They aren't works of art merely to be admired. Any rifle that is just collecting dust in a gun cabinet is a waste.  It would be a fun project. 
 
On the con side, the gun is 100 years old and has a real history.  A mauser might last another 100 years with proper care.  I have to ask the ethical question, do I have the right to destroy something 100 years old. 
 
If it turns out to be as nice a rifle as the guy says it is, I might buy it if only to protect the rifle from somebody else's hacksaw.  I will only bring it out for exercise at the range.  That way I will help preserve real history for my grandkids.   
 
Maybe sporterizing a newer Russian rifle would be an option, or better yet, I could go to Walmart and plunk down $397 for a new Remington 700 SPS, throw the stock away and replace it with something better.  It would probably cost about the same as converting the Swedish Mauser when you add it the gunsmithing costs, and the Remington would be a good shooter.  It would certainly take less time to complete.  I like finishing stocks and I want an opportunity to glass bed an action.  I could do both and the rifle would be brand new. 
 
Anyway I am still pondering.   

[mauser98us]

Kimber destroyed a great many of them sporterizing to sell to the public.Concensus is let it be.

[mcwoodduck]

Why go to Wally world and look around for a new gun?  Why not hit actual gun shops, or pawn shops.
Buy a broken gun, and project it.   You might be suprised at what you can do if you just take your time.
I bought a stock less Model 11 and fitted browning stocks to it, the only problem is the forend needed a spacer.
I grabbed a brass shaft sleeve from work and slowly an hour at a time at night with sand paper fitted the brass piece to the gun to act as a spacer and make the gun work. 
Good luck. post before and after pictures.

[Rock Home Isle]

I had sort of the same dilema a few years ago. There were a bunch of 8mm Mauser M24's coming into the country, in fantastic condition. I got one for ~$70.00 with the intent of using the action as a foundation for a nice shooter for my son....in .270 Winchester (Family Tradtion). Then my great Uncle passed-on and my son inherited his custom awesome beatutiful .270 Winchester, so that project got placed on hold.
 
The other day I got out the old mauser again to look it over and to be quite honest...I just can't bring myself to chop up this fine old firearm. It is in unissued, brand new condition...its simply a fine representation of the Mauser action on a military platform.
 
If your mauser is truely in fine condition, you might  consider the fact that there were only a limited number that were ever made. Of those that remain, most are not in very good to fine condition. Maybe save this rifle and keep it as a representative of a piece of our firearms history.
 
Then go hit a few local pawn shops looking for a well used rifle that has a nice solid feeling mauser action. You want to build your own gun anyway, and its not to hard to take a beater rifle and salvage a beautiful action and refurbish it. Clean up the rails, true up the bolt alignment and the feed. Have a barrel fitted to it in a calibre that you want to shoot, or order a barrel blank and do the work yourself or work with a friend that is a good machinest. True the face of the bolt up with the chamber and polish and true the the locking luggs so that they are fitted properly....then go get that fantastic stock.
 
That sounds like an awesome winter project. Now you got me thinking about it....We're planning a family Deer hunt to South Dakotah next fall, and my daughter needs a gun. Maybe a sweet little 7mm'08 on a Mauser action would be just the ticket for her. Besides my Dad is a 7mm gun nut, it would make him happy to see her shoot a 7mm. 

[Bart Solo]

Why go to Wally world and look around for a new gun?  Why not hit actual gun shops, or pawn shops.

Money.  Wally world new Remington 700s are just cheaper than those in the gun shops.  Volume pricing I guess.  I have been looking online and am going to hit some gun shops for something to work on.   The advantange of a new Remington 700 is I don't have to worry about gunsmithing costs.  Since for me stock work is the most fun, I can buy an unfinished wood stock and end up with a good rifle.

[mcwoodduck]

That makes sense.
Many good stock companies out there.
I bought one fro my Siamese actioned 45-70 and spent a lot of time sanding it.  I would start with 100 grit and get it shaped and smooth, then use the 150 grit to take out the 100 scratches, moving through 220, and to 240.
I was thinking of getting some wet dry 1,000 but was in a hurry to get a coat of oil on it.
Hand rubbed the lindseed oil with clean old T-shirts and boxers.  Scuffed it and repeated.  The finish looks real deep, like a cadilac fender from the 50's
Good luck with your project.
Oh when dealing with a Pawn shop they mark things way up, bring cash, only show them what you are willing to spend on the item, deal only with a manager, and if he says no, head for the door with cash in hand, they hate to see money leave the store and wil try to make a deal.
 

[Rock Home Isle]

mcwoodduck ...that sounds beatiful. 

[dukkillr]

I have a Kimber sporterized 6.5x55 swede.  It had a cheap plastic stock and a stainless barrel when I got it.  I shot a few deer with it that first season and generally thought it was an OK deer hunting gun.  Not much recoil, sounds kinda funny going off...  But I never could get why people love the round so much.  Ammo is obnoxiously hard to find.  I moved back to better choices for deer hunting and the gun sat in the safe.  Now I've got a daughter and I decided it would make a great kid's gun so I gave it to my local custom builder to have it fitted with a nice brown laminate stock with shortish dimensions.  When that's done I'll add a better scope and then wait and see if my daughter ever wants to use it.
 
In short, if you want something to play with, go for it.  If you're expecting the caliber to be some great unexplored gem, it's not.  It's a .243 or .257 with ammo that's harder to find.

[mannyrock]

 
 
  Hmm, . . . .  Well if its just a .243, then its a .243 with 140 grain bullets, routinely useds to kill moose in Sweden.
 
   Ammo hard to  find?  Guys, I must say that I have never understood this point.
 
   If I wanted Swede ammo, I would open my Cabela's catalog, go the page where they sell Remington Core-lokt, pick up the phone,  and order 4 boxes.  It'll be at the house in about 3 days. How hard is that?
 
Manny

[Bart Solo]

Last night I  had a long talk with the owner of the Swedish Mauser.  It seems he is a collector who has sold all his collection except this rifle.  It is pristine and comes will all the original bells and whistles.  He is looking to sell the rifle to someone who will give it a good home.  He needs the money to do what I really want to do, build a rifle.  He is a long range shooter and he wants to build a custom rifle in 6.5 Creedmore from scratch.  We agreed that he should keep the rifle, but if he ever is tempted to sell it to somebody who wants to convert it into a sporter, he will give me a call. 
 
By the way this exercise hasn't been a total loss.  Over the last few days I have worked up a project plan for sporterizing a mauser.  More importantly I made a new friend.
 
All of this leaves me without a project.  I think I will talk to my FFL about the cost of an action.  I guess our action choices these days are Howa and Savage with Savage winning the lions share of the market because it is just so easy to install a barrel on a Savage compared to anything else. My new friend gave me some tips on what is needed to build a rifle from scratch. 
 
He also suggested I might want to try my hand at building a black rifle from Brownell parts. They have some great step by step videos.  I know I watched them.  I am not very excited about a black rifle project because I don't have a clue what I would do with a black rifle. 
 
The search for a winter project continues.

[usherj]

Hi Bart,
Be patient and enjoy the search, that is often the most fun part and definitely keeps you busy. Check the shops and shows. A couple years ago on my birthday I found a 1911 CG sniper (no scope or mounts, but still had the base) that had been fitted with a sporter stock for $185. I glass bedded the action, did a no sand refinish (chemical strip only) with many coats of boiled linseed oil, and had an old redfield peep installed that I got on ebay for $30. The bore wasn't pretty but I developed a load with 160g round noses that put 5 into 1.25" at 100y, and gave it to my brother for his birthday. That one took a few months since I took my time. The 6.5x55 is very efficient, highly accurate, and far deadlier than its caliber would suggest. I believe it has to do with the high sectional density of the bullets and the fast twist rate (1 in 7.8"). The Scandanavians were way ahead of their time. Appreciated and loved by many, many gun cranks the world over. It is really the handloaders dream and doesn't need to be loaded fast to do its job with no drama what so ever. I have never seen deer dispatched so quickly without the explosive damage of the light and fast approach that many seem to prefer.

[Lost Oki]

Bart, sounds like a great find and you have decided not to sporterize it.  Let me help you down that road.  A number of years ago I had a 6.5 x 55 with all matching numbers.  However, I cut the barrel, had a new bolt handle put on, a low swing mauser style safety and a timney trigger put on.  It now sits in a polymer stock.  Best shooting rifle I have in my cabinet.  Out shoots my .223 and my 35 Whelen.  Would I do it again...No.  But, this will be the last rifle to go if I ever sell things off in my later years.
If you get it, keep it in original condition.  You can get a Peep sight for it that fits into the original rear sight or even a scout mount.