First Mauser(Swedish)

$420 +cmp bayonet. M1896 made in germany in 1899 for Sweden. It looks to nice to be 112 years old. A guy and his wife at a gun show from his collection. said he has more as shooters no matching numbers if i was interested.all numbers on this one match.https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/01/135-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/01/132-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/01/137-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/01/131-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1/01/138-1.jpg it reads

WAFFENFABRIK
MAUSER
ORBERNDORF A/N
1899

You have purchased one of the finest mauser's ever made, the pride and craftsmanship that went into the swedish mauser's is second to none, i own three > two mod 96's like yours, and one mod 38. congrats on purchasing 'one fine rifle' wait until you shoot it ,with the original open sights it can out-shoot some modern day scoped rifles !

rich v or anyone in the know, do i use linseed oil on the stock like M1 Garands or some other way to preserve the wood. It's a little dry but in no danger for now.

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Originally Posted by DaveN

It's a little dry but in no danger for now.

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Yes, for heaven's sake if it looks dry, oil it well. Inside and out (i.e. remove the system to get oil inside the barrel channel and the cutouts - this is preservation, not cosmetics) - I have a Swedish stock that split behind the tang, although the tang was not right back against the edge of the recess (the usual cause). The danger is real!

:wave:

My early German-made M96 is the only M96 I own with a poor barrel. Almost all of the M96's have nice barrels. Oh, well.

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Originally Posted by DaveN

rich v or anyone in the know, do i use linseed oil on the stock like M1 Garands or some other way to preserve the wood. It's a little dry but in no danger for now.

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my favorite concoction is a mixture of linseed oil,gum turpentine,pure beeswax mixed well and hand rubbed into the wood, leaving to dry about an hour then buff off excess. do two or three times depending on how dry it is : plus it smells good too. if you choose not to mix up this potion use a good quality brand of linseed oil HAND RUBBED into the stock will do fine, let dry wipe off and do it again.

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Originally Posted by Calif-Steve

My early German-made M96 is the only M96 I own with a poor barrel. Almost all of the M96's have nice barrels.

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You had really bad luck there! The Swedes really cared for their rifles, which were meticulously inspected and the condition noted on those well-known brass discs which, unfortunately, have so often been swapped and faked that they are no longer a reliable guide to the (in-service) condition of the rifle.

Up to now, the only bad barrel I have seen on an M96 was in a dealer's reserve rack. It must have been fired with the muzzle plugged with snow or mud. The barrel had not burst, but just behind the foresight block it had bulged to look like a spring onion. Everything else was pico bello, and it would have been an ideal candidate for a "private conversion" into an M96/38.

:wave:

I read that they stamped all parts with the last 3 numbers and if any parts were replaced they had to restamp the part. original barrels have full number but if replaced only last 3. i took it completely apart to oil stock inside out as per Patricks advice and the stock is all matching full serial numbers and barrel has all 5 numbers. the oil really brought out the rich color in the what should be oak. the ser# 20030 indicates it was the 30th built in 1899 as i read they started at 20000 that year. (Swedish Mauser book on amazons look inside the book). also the front sight shroud seems to have been an upgrade as it slides right off(learned by accident)(and I had an accident, may need stitches, boy that frt site is sharp) and then the sight looks like most of the earlier pictures I've seen

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Originally Posted by DaveN

the oil really brought out the rich color in the what should be oak.

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Oak is far to easy to split, and is unlikely to be found used for a gunstock. Please note, I have not written impossible, but highly unlikely. Walnut was universal at first, later beech was used, plus odd instances of ash*, maple*, elm* and - yes, (oak*.

If an 1899 Mauser M96 rifle, built under a contract that was so closely supervised by the Swedes that they even supplied the steel for the barrels, has a stock that is not walnut, I would suspect that it is a replacement.

Quote from Dana Jones, P. 70

"All Oberndorf-made rifles originally had walnut stocks".

:wave:

*as emergency measures caused by WWI interrupting deliveries of suitalbe walnut.

Dan Jones writes about alternative stock woods: "... others thought to be oak were, in reality, slow-growth beech (which can be very dense)."

So if it looks like oak to you, maybe it is actually that kind of beech.

But it would still be non-original for an 1899 Oberndorf M96.

:wave:

First time at bat and you hit a grand slam! :super:

I agree with Patrick (naturally) ;) but you may have meant to say walnut to begin with.
Be generous with the oil regardless of which type you use. (Oil is cheap)

Well done Dave!
~ Harlan

Well made Dave!

Follow Patrick´s advice and have fun!

I'm sorry I meant walnut, I was looking at my oak trees in my yard and then typed the wrong wood but heck i don't know it maybe beech though the inside of the stock has the full ser# (looks to be a light stamp in both the stock and hand guard and since this is one of the earliest ones and beech was used late i just figured it was walnut. What ever it is i like it. I thought maybe a european walnut. I found the reference where I saw the stock info. Surplus firearms G&A, Rifle of Neutrality. early production rifles had straight grip walnut stocks and hand guards while those on late prod. had elm or beech.(page 112) The oil made the wood jump out with beauty. Steve at my gun shop looked it over and thought it looked great. I plan on a few more light coats and then will maintain it on a regular basis.

Swede story: One of my close buddies worked for years in the last downtown gun store in San Francisco. Several years ago they bought 40-50 M96's from an inmporter. All new, mint rifles, still in the grease. My buddy said they started flying out the door and he told the store gunsmith to grab one for him. The gunsmith went through the pile and hand selected 3 that were stunning. Well the day came and all of the M96's were gone. The gunsmith grabbed my buddy and said there was one left, gone and get it. The 2 of them went in the rear of the store and pulled the rifle from its box. The gunsmith found a cleaning rod and ran a pacth down the bore. The patch hung-up. The had a heck of a time getting the patch out and then poured Hoppes No9 down the bore, and then pushed the rod into the chamber and pushed hard. The patch hung-up again. But the bore was wet and out came the patch. The 'smith put on a bronze brush and worked the bore. He then looked down the bore and saw no rifling, only solid rust. They guessed after proofing firing the bore was left uncleaned and was coated with grease. They put the rifle on the rack as sold it "AS IS". End of stroy.

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Originally Posted by DaveN

he oil made the wood jump out with beauty.

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Well how about a photo showing how it looks now?
:wave:

X 2 what Rich said. One of the best Mausers ever made. I can confirm that with open military sights my rifles will at least equal most of the guys at our club with scoped modern rifles! At 100 yds, I have shot on two individual days 5 shot groups that measure just over 1/2" with my CG 80. With my M94 carbine at 100 yds I've shot 1" groups. These rifles are over 100 years old!!
Congratulations on an excellent purchase. Enjoy shooting these pieces of history.

here they are:https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...swede011-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...swede013-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...swede014-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...swede018-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...swede019-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...swede020-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...swede022-1.jpg

VEEEERRRRY NICE !!!

- Now let's see how it shoots!


:wave:

I've got ammo for this one but have not been to a proper range since 2002. May take some sorting out. Did do some plinking with some sears roebuck(circa 1968-1980 22s that I just acquired ) on my brother inlaws ranch/farm(franch) and like new, shot great. High power rifle will be shot some where else.

The 1899 Oberndorf m/96 in question has a beech replacement stock. Replacement stocks had the full serial number not just 3 digits. But this one is beech so even though it is correct and matching the stock is not original to 1899.

Linseed oil generally needs to be applied in very thin coats rubbed in by hand and then wiped off.

Dutch
http://dutchman.rebooty.com
Swedish Mausers & rolling blocks

Thanks(stock mystery solved) and when you say hand applied I use a soft cloth or paper towel and wipe it on wait 5min and then wipe off until it is not too wet. I don't soak it just lighty and 5 min wipe mostly dry. And it should have had a walnut stock but Patrick hinted to it being something other then walnut. It does have that lighter scaley swirly area on it that would be evidence of that.

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Originally Posted by DaveN

And it should have had a walnut stock but Patrick hinted to it being something other then walnut.

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The hint was a quote from Dana Jones. I agree with Dutchman that it looks like a beech stock. But a very nice dense kind of beech - maybe exactly that kind which Dana Jones refers to. Whatever the wood, it looks very good, so get out and shoot it!:thup:

Patrick
:wave:

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Originally Posted by Patrick Chadwick

But a very nice dense kind of beech

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Thats what i say,like its owner real dense. I don't know when I'll get a chance to shoot it and the 12+ other rifles I need to proof fire. I'll consider filming and have my film producer son put something together. or not. it seems I'm decisively indecisive as I get older though i can't deside at this time.

I had a CG 1902 96/38 that I had to sell 5 years ago. had a 5 shot 100 yd group that was 2.5" 4 could be covered up with a quarter one flyer. Only other rifle I had that ever shot like that was a Finnish M39 Nagant. Bought it out of a barrel at a Tulsa gun shop for $69.00. I dont have it anymore either The guy that bought the Swede still has it . I occasionally try to get him to sell it back so far its a no go. Enjoy your rifle it is truly a work of art. Fisn