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Can someone help ID this Mauser and what caliber/chambering it should be ?

geardoc

Cast Iron
Joined
Aug 8, 2012
Location
So Far West In NC I might just be in TN or GA
I know the only the only way to 100% determine caliber is to cast the chamber and mic it or go through the arduous process of getting my chambering gauges back from probate(I loaned them to a friend who died).

But I'm hoping you guys could school me.

Here is the gun:
Mauser for Identification - Imgur

Now, here is something else. 1943 is stamped on the receiver and there are two places(receiver and barrel) that have an eagle over a circle. What is this ?

For the price I paid, I don't think this is a real German Mauser. But there is a spot on the receiver top where there was what looks like dual lightning bolts but that has been marred. There is also a jolly roger on the rifle but I could not find it again. I remember seeing it when I was looking for proof marks.

If there are any more pictures I can take to identify what chambering this gun should be, and also what it is... Turkish ? Spanish ? Jap ?

I know what it is worth is really what it is worth to me in value, but what is a reasonable market value for it ?
 
My Guess would be German WWII made by Waffen Werke Brünn A.G. Brünn . The eagle is a Waffenamt. You can google mauser rifle codes and waffenamt for more info. Originally it should have been a model 98k chambered for 8x57 mauser caliber.
 
Yes, sporterized german mauser , would need to look at the whole gun but you may be able to put it back in military configuration for the cost of a stock, handguard, and s few minor parts, which would increase the value . As your gun sits now it's worth about 150-200. If in issued condition, you could easily double that price, with real german parts.
Since the barrel is stamped with german proofs , it's most likely in 8x57, unless some American opened it up to 8mm 06.
 
With good barrel and matching bolt assembly agree 150-200 but you can hardly find a better gun to own.
Highly respected as one of the best designed actions for weight and strength. Value can be knocked down a bit if numbers on various parts are not matching as some guns were assembled from gun parts and so might not have the best fit..Good if the bolt, action and barrel match…*not a bad idea to have a gunsmith check a action not matching gun..Still most un-matching guns are fine and safe. Some say war year’s guns are not as good because of possible sabotage, but I and my family have owned and traded perhaps 20 or more and have never had a problem. *Good to brush the barrel to inspect and take the bolt apart (to just pull the firing pin) clean and oil with a lubricating oil (not car crankcase oil).

Disassembly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T5zr_aDPOg
History https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0lhRWfpRSo

8mm or 8x57 as it is called is not the best cartridge IMHO. I think it is in the 35 Winchester range using the standard shells , but still an OK deer gun. Better bullets are available.
Accuracy can often be improve with fitting the stock..simple job to sand the spots the are pressing the barrel.
 
8mm or 8x57 as it is called is not the best cartridge IMHO. I think it is in the 35 Winchester range using the standard shells , but still an OK deer gun.

In my opinion, 7.92x57 (the true name for the cartridge) is in the .30-06 class if loaded properly. American manufacture 8mm Mauser ammo tends to be underloaded in the hope that if it is fired in a .318 bore rifle, you don't get a kaboom. But European manufacturers load to the standard level since the clientele there knows more about the differences between the early and later cartridges and rifles.
 
Doc- I'm in your neighborhood, so to speak- Weaverville.

I'd suggest you head to the Mauser Central website-http://mausercentral.com more than just a couple of guys over there- Pacrat, Trap55, Z1R, etc. specialize in Mausers.

They also have more files about waffenampt codes, receiver ring crests and other info than you can shake a stick at.

Definitely worth a look.

My understanding of the 7.92 x 57 is that it approximates the 30-06 performance.

Doug
 
Glad I said in my opinion because I don’t want argue the comparison. Currently shooting 30-06 custom 98, 8mm 98 in original military, 8mm sporter 98 (Just barrel turned and still original ramp sight), 243 Winchester 670 and a 10-22.
Wasted the barrel on my SW 38sp long so don’t have a legal hand gun now. Might make my hi-power 9 mm legal... or not.
Just saying I have been shooting the 98 since I was perhaps 12 or 13 and I think it a great gun.
 
German made mauser, probably a 98K, can't really tell too much about it as the stamps are either washed out (photos) or too close. Gauging over-all condition on this is like trying to read a roadmap through a soda-straw.

As far as cartridge performance, the 7.92 tends to perform better with the heavier bullets, original loading was a 220gr RN, and was later switched to 196gr FMJ-BT. In the 200gr+ category it totally outperforms the venerable '06 handily, and while the difference may not be too critical for some, the cartridge is shorter (57 vs 64mm). Given that it's a cartridge with over 100 years under it's belt, it's a bit impressive that it's even still relevant.
 
To be fair apples to apples. The store brands Winchester, Remington, and federal 8MM 170gr MV of 2300
Store ammo 30-06 around the same grain weight MV of 2700-2800
Yes premium bullets can be bought for both. Some 8MM premium bullets can be very high performance as can the 30-06
 
It's not just you.

I suppose that someone thought that the picture of a rifle must be removed from the internet.
Don't worry. They have your best interests at heart.
They are the Liberals.
They come from the Communists.
Their seeds are from the Bolsheviks.
They killed 30 million in the Ukraine in the 1930's.
And they are here to help you think right.
 
Be very careful with Chinese made Mausers. I have milled on several. To put it to the point, one of them spit out a rock that broke my glasses. All of them had voids, dirt and other crap in them. The Chinese used every bit of scrap metal they could find to make these. No insult intended but I would not buy one. If there are those who wish to argue the point read Kunhausen's book and do some metalurgic research on them.
 
Chiang -Kai -Shek short rifle ,made in the state factories 1936-1949......the Chinese writing says Chiang Kai Shek (not actually that ,but his chinese name),and the gear is the symbol of the kuomintang....Swastika is for good luck,nothing to do with adolf.
 








 
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