Help with ideas for a Husky 6.5x55 sitting in my closet.

[ourabmen]

Hello and thanks in advance for input. ANd please pardon my ignorance, as I have always been a purchase new and shoot kind of fella.

I have a 6.5x55 Husky Swede Mauser sitting in the closet collecting dust. The build year is 1941, and while the bore and receiver are in pretty good shape, the stock is pretty beat up, and the trigger guard and floor plate have some surface rust on them.

My question is what to do with it. I was looking at a Bell and Carlson stock, or Richards Micro fit. What would re-stocking entail? Will I need to re-barrel it?

What to do about the rust? Should I replace these items? If so, where do you get the parts?

Lastly, the trigger. It has been a few years since I have shot this rifle, but I remember the trigger being pretty being pretty rough. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

sincerely,

OUrabmen

[jh45gun]

Fine 0000 steel wool and gun oil will take the rust off. If it is suface rust it will look good if it is deeper rust it will leave some pits nothing you can do about that unless you want to replace the part. Military triggers are just that they are not target triggers but the Swede guns normally have better triggers than other Mausers. If you hate it and decide to sporterise this gun you can put a Timney trigger on it. No you do not need to rebarrel and I would leave it 6.5x55 that is a excellent cartridge and chambering. How bad is the stock? Most of us that have milsurps consider the fact that these guns have been around and have some dings, gouges, and scratches. If you are getting into milsurps I would keep it origional as these guns are going up in value more and more. I made the mistake of chopping mine into a semi sporter and while I know now I should not have done it I like the gun but I should have bought a barreled action and sporterised that instead. If you really feel the need to restock find one that will take the origional barrel and be a drop in stock and then keep the origional so you can put it back to military dress if you want to later. and leave every thing origional. If you want to scope it you could then go with a scout scope set up. Triggers are easy to change so if you got a timney trigger you could put the origional one back later if you decided to go back to the military configuration. Bottom line is its your gun you surely can do what you want. I just found out the hard way that once sporterised they are not worth as much as they would have been if left origional. If you plan to keep it and never sell it and want to sporterise it then I guess thats up to you. Like I said its your gun. I posted this not to discourage you but just to let you know it may be worth more to leave it as is. Jim

[S.S.]

Sand blast the parts that have the deep external rust
spots and use J.B. WELD to fill them in. polish smooth and re-blue.
don't use J.B.Weld on the barrel, it will pop out when you fire the weapon.

[Type99]

Hello...

I have a sporterized Husky in original caliber that is a real fine rifle.  It has a Bishop stock, has a nice reblue job, the original barrel and sights, but I installed a B-square scope mount.  With a cheap Tasco pistol scope, set up scout fashion, it will shoot 1/2" groups with reloads.   However, the trigger on my rifle is quite agreeable.  Anyway, I like the 2 stage Mauser triggers.

I know most die-hard collectors would wince when I say this, but it sound like you have an excellent sporterizing project.  It is not hard to do.

Cheers,
Gary

[jh45gun]

I am not wincing Gary heck I did it my self with my 96 Swede. I like it made into the cut down scout rifle I made. Problem is with the scope off of it I would be lucky to get 150 bucks for it. If left origional it would be worth 350 to 400 now in some places from what I have seen on prices. I have seen sporterised milsurps at the local gun shop and no matter how well they were done they do not get much for prices. If the origional poster  plans to keep it like I did than I suppose it does not matter I am letting him know what happens to the value when you do sporterise. What he  may consider a bad stock may be a average milsurp stock expecially if he  always buy new like you said and are used to factory guns. Jim

[ourabmen]

Well it is settled then.  I will refurbish the gu as best as possible, leave it in its original state, and hit the shops and shows looking for a sporterized gun to mess around with.  Thanks to one and all for the advice.

OUrabmen

[cal sibley]

Don't count that stock out just yet.  I have three old Swedish M96 mausers in 6.5x55 that are much older than yours.  I've restored all 3, figuring they would be worth much more restored than sporterized.  They all refinished beautifully and have attractive wood once you get beyond the years of rough service they may have received.  Usually the barrels are excellent.  Sweden was one of the few countries that regularly recalled their rifles to the arsenal for inspection, and graded them according to their accuracy.  If your rifle has the gold colored disk on the butt stock it indicates the rifles accuracy.  You may well have a very good rifle there, a diamond in the rough so to speak.  Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[Harry Snippe]

Took the top hand gard off as well as the sights. Replaced the trigger and installed a peep and short ramp front site . Bought the model 38 for a hundred bucks  then added another two bills with the changes.
End result! She shoots as well as the rifles we paid three times as much for. and we tend to keep it  No regrets from us . The Deer hate it.
Where lies the value ? Is it something to display, or to hunt with .

Ours was to hunt with and we are proud to say the gun does it's part well.

The calipier is under rated . If you reload , you can choose your game with the right loads from chucks to moose.

So get out and shoot it. work from there . the replacement trigger makes the rifle shoot.

Hello and thanks in advance for input. ANd please pardon my ignorance, as I have always been a purchase new and shoot kind of fella.

I have a 6.5x55 Husky Swede Mauser sitting in the closet collecting dust. The build year is 1941, and while the bore and receiver are in pretty good shape, the stock is pretty beat up, and the trigger guard and floor plate have some surface rust on them.

My question is what to do with it. I was looking at a Bell and Carlson stock, or Richards Micro fit. What would re-stocking entail? Will I need to re-barrel it?

What to do about the rust? Should I replace these items? If so, where do you get the parts?

Lastly, the trigger. It has been a few years since I have shot this rifle, but I remember the trigger being pretty being pretty rough. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

sincerely,

OUrabmen

[jh45gun]

Harry thousands if not millions of folks have hunted with milsurps and killed animals they do not need to be sporterised to kill deer or other animals. Yes I have altered a few too and the ones that may never be worth much who cares I sure do not but I know that the Swede Mausers are fetching good money these days so why alter it?  Even though I really like My Swede scout rifle I wish now I would have never cut it. Not when companies are selling barreled actions for 160 bucks and he could build a sporter out of that and rescue a gun instead of alter this one that probably is worth a few bucks. Hey if ye alters it fine its his gun that is what I have always felt on the subject I was just letting him know that he may be taking a 400 dollar gun and making a 150 dollar one but its his or any one elses choice if they do it. I have done it so I am no better and I am no purist I letting him know the choices. Jim

[Harry Snippe]

I agree with what you are saying . In the last few years a good model 38  is fetching a good dollar here in Canada too. At one time you could buy one at about fifty dollars and the 96  for just over forty.
[We do not get barreled actions up here and should we hear of a reciever it is usually a model 98and in rough or fair shape .
My rifle was as in factory issue shape , and I bought the flash hider to cover the threads at the end of the barrel.

We wanted to hunt with this rifle and made our chioce on the changes , not worried about the value as a collector.
We see many sporterized rifles still selling for three to five hundred.
I had a model 96 that had been partly converted before I got my hands on it. I finished the project with having the bolt althered and installing a scope. the rifle was not able to take the loads of the model 38 Husqu. so I in turn sold it .So restocked , new trigger , scoped , brought this once forty five dollar gun to a new model swede  at the new price of $350.00

Now we can not aford to convert the milsurps any more in this country . Re stock , new trigger, modify bolt , drill and tap and install bases and rings and you just passed the cost of a new rifle.

I would love to make up a 98 in 35 Whelan or even a Yugo 48 in 358 W.

So as with that 62 Chevy two . Do we keep it as is ? Or jurk the three on the tree and straight six , tub the fenders and hot rod it with a 327 V8 ?

Well Grand - Snap-it  we just did it toa great little car now.

Then again what did we want with the the rifle . I just wanted  a great little rifle to hunt with. Never to go back to what it was.
Happy

quote="jh45gun"]Harry thousands if not millions of folks have hunted with milsurps and killed animals they do not need to be sporterised to kill deer or other animals. Yes I have altered a few too and the ones that may never be worth much who cares I sure do not but I know that the Swede Mausers are fetching good money these days so why alter it?  Even though I really like My Swede scout rifle I wish now I would have never cut it. Not when companies are selling barreled actions for 160 bucks and he could build a sporter out of that and rescue a gun instead of alter this one that probably is worth a few bucks. Hey if ye alters it fine its his gun that is what I have always felt on the subject I was just letting him know that he may be taking a 400 dollar gun and making a 150 dollar one but its his or any one elses choice if they do it. I have done it so I am no better and I am no purist I letting him know the choices. Jim[/quote]

[jh45gun]

Harry evidently sporterised milsurps sell for a bit more in your area  than in the US at least where I live. They sell for a cheap price here. I had been given a few years ago a Enfield 17 3006. Just the barreled action so I bought a nice piece of wood and had it scoped. Well the wood cost over a 100 bucks so did the scope job at the gunsmiths.  Later I wanted a different gun so I traded this one off as I really wanted the other gun. Needless to say I got less than a 150 bucks for it. So I lost money even with out considering the barreled action.  Jim

[GGaskill]

It never has been an economic process to pay someone else to sporterize a surplus rifle.  The trick was to do all the work yourself.  Drill and tap for scope mounts, draw file the barrel, polish the metal work, finish a semi-inletted stock.  Then you had pride of craftsmanship.  About the only thing you needed to outsource was the bluing.

[jh45gun]

It never has been an economic process to pay someone else to sporterize a surplus rifle.  The trick was to do all the work yourself.  Drill and tap for scope mounts, draw file the barrel, polish the metal work, finish a semi-inletted stock.  Then you had pride of craftsmanship.  About the only thing you needed to outsource was the bluing.

Very True but then not all of us are set up with a shop to do the work. The only way I would ever tackle a reciever to drill and tap is with a jig and if you are going to only do one rifle it is just as cheap to go and have it done.

[Slamfire]

Pack that puppy up and send it to me, that'll relieve you of worryin' about the finish, and the leave it original nazis will stop shoutin' at you.  :grin:

[jh45gun]

Pack that puppy up and send it to me, that'll relieve you of worryin' about the finish, and the leave it original nazis will stop shoutin' at you.  :grin:

I have altered enough guns to not be considered a leave it origional guy and who you calling a nazi? Some may take offense at that. We were having a polite discussion here do not need some one calling folks nazi's

[Harry Snippe]

Harry evidently sporterised milsurps sell for a bit more in your area  than in the US at least where I live. They sell for a cheap price here. I had been given a few years ago a Enfield 17 3006. Just the barreled action so I bought a nice piece of wood and had it scoped. Well the wood cost over a 100 bucks so did the scope job at the gunsmiths.  Later I wanted a different gun so I traded this one off as I really wanted the other gun. Needless to say I got less than a 150 bucks for it. So I lost money even with out considering the barreled action.  Jim

If that rifle was taken in by a shop on a trade in you must remember that he has to  make 30% mark up to sell that rifle on the used gun rack.
Do your Math.

Jim the difference in the exchance  US / Canada would factor in.
I did not make a dollar on that model 96Swede, even when it had a head start.

Here having spent three hundred dollars on a P17, you would probably broke even, provided that the barrel and action were in good shape .

P17 converstions here usually go for about that amount, so you need to watch out what you do. A bit ugly but good hunting rifles.

Getting back to the model 38 Swede. I good rifle as it was built and RNA rated very good might fetch 400. 00 Canadain in these parts.
Most rifles though are RNA good and might fetch 2 to 3 hundred .

If the wood is a bit course a new stock  would run about 175 if you shopped . The trigger under a hundred , the same maybe for then some more modern sites.
Modify the bolt for scope use change the saftey add the rings and another hundred for the scope  and now your going for a bite "if" you then wanted to sell it

The same applys to Grampa' car . It has a value as is . Modify it as a hot rod and you instantly lost the collector value , and then you will soon put in more money than you ever could expect to get back out if ever you were to want to sell it .

So again the point . Do you want to keep the swede as is ? What is the true value of the rifle as is? Is it now a two hundred dollar gun or would it fetch close to four?. Now there is rust. that takes the orginal finsh to a point right? We just lost some of the collector value

A new trigger first of all would make it shoot better and you can keep the old part as I did.

Now drill  and tap for a peep as I did , and you down a new road .

Modify the bolt to accept a low hung scope , you got your self a fine hunting rifle if the barrel and action is very good to start,
A new stock and your done . You got a great hunting rifle.
Your happy until you want to sell it.

That answers the question I think that started this post.

[jh45gun]

Understand ya Harry and I am very happy with my Swede scout rifle  and would not sell it anyway but jsut letting the guy know all the options.  :grin:

[SUSQUASH]

I picked up a 96 maser several years ago in full military for $100.  It is an accurate rifle but my eyes aren't as good as they once were.  I bought a B-square mount which attached to the rear sight and mounted a 2X pistol scope on it long before scout rifles were the rage.  Handloaded ammo which worked well and I had ballistics figured out to 300 yds.  Needless to say a nice whitetail buck came by at 60 yds and went down to a single round.  This may be an inexpensive alternative to sporterizing which protects its value and still be able to use that nice little rifle.  The trigger on mine was the original two stage but wasn't too bad.  A Timney trigger would cure that problem as others have suggested.