Mausers converted to 7.62 NATO by Israelis

[Bert]

I'm sure someone who visits this board must own one of these rifles. My question is.... did the Israelis install a spacer in the magazine to compensate for the shorter length of the 7.62 NATO cartridge? I know the Spanish did when they built the FR7 and FR8 rifles, but did the Israelis? Thanks!

[BruceV]

I owned a M-98 converted by the Israelis to 7.62 NATO. In every way it was a standard KAR-98 rifle. My rifle was comprised of a mix of parts and a new barrel. It was not an attractive rifle, but it was exceedingly accurate w/ ball and handloads. It fed, fired and ejected flawlessly. The safety was "stiff." HTH. Sincerely. BruceV.

[Jim K]

I have never seen a spacer in those rifles and BruceV confirms that none was required.

Jim

[tiriaq]

I have seen two different patterns of spacers used in Israeli conversions.

[Sarge13]

Of the many I have had, some did and some didn't have the spacer.
My guess is they determined that it was not necessary and quit putting them in?
Sarge

[jonnyc]

Most I've seen did have a spacer. Just try to load a 7.92x57 into the mag.

[Bill H]

I have one such rifle, made by FN, and it does have a spacer in the front of the magazine.

This is the variety which has the large star of david on the action, and 7.62 stamped on the top of the action.

I am not sure, but I believe this was manufactured in 7.62, rather than being converted from 8mm.

[Sarge13]

The FN contract rifles were all made in 8mm. They were converted in the mid late 50s to 7.62 Nato.
Others have claimed a belief that some(?) of the FNs were originaly made in Nato, however there is NO known example of an original factory built FN in 7.62. They all have the Isreali made 7.62 bbls dated in the mid 50s, no FN made 7.62 bbls have ever been found.
Sarge

[jonnyc]

Sarge is 100% correct. Israel rechambered/rebarreled most of their 7.92 Mausers in the mid-to-late 1950s. The rare ones are the very few that escaped and remained in 7.92.

[Bert]

I have for some time thought a magazine spacer would only have been a method of preventing the rifle from being loaded with 8mm cartridges and that it was not necessary for magazine functiong reliability with 7.62. Apparently, at some point the Israelis concluded a spacer was not necessary. I have not seen one of these conversions with a spacer and I appreciate all the responses.

[TerryS]

How about ammo. Did anybody provide 5 shot clips in 7.62. Any we gave them would have been in 10 round chargers. Or did they clip/recclip ?

[Bert]

I suspect the Israelis either manufactured their own ammo or perhaps obtained it from FN. Whether it was in Mauser strippers I don't know. However, all U.S. GI 7.62 that was packed in stripper clips was in 5 rd strippers. The U.S. military did not have a 10 rd stripper clip for 7.62.

[Calif-Steve]

I have never seen any clips for those Mausers. They also used the standard Mauser front sight blade. Should have used a taller blade, but didn't make one.

[jonnyc]

Mauser clips fit both the rifles and 7.62 Nato ammo. Israel produced strippers that actually say "7.62/7.92M"M" on them. If I can find one in my office/junk room, I'll post a pic.