Mexican model 1936 short rifle
I managed to pick up an exceptional model 1936 mexican mauser this month. For those who don't know, these are bordering on rare these days because they have an intermediate length small-ring 98 action which is/was hugely popular with lightweight sportier custom gun builders.
These guns are interesting to the collector as they combined many of the features of the Kar98a with the Springfield M1903 and ended up as sort of a hybrid. They are also stocked in what looks like oak instead of walnut, presumably because they were made domestically in Mexico where walnut blanks are less available.
This one was manufactured in 1947.
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https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN3526-1.jpg
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Here we see the cocking piece made to look like a Springfield 03:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN3524-1.jpg
Front band of the 1903 type:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN3518-1.jpg
Only the receiver and bolt are serialized on these:
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https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN3519-1.jpg
You will also notice the oblong gas port on the receiver sidewall - it lines up with the rearmost gas port on the underside of the bolt body to vent ruptured case gases out of the receiver well forward of most Mauser 98 designs.
Incidentally, they also added another gas vent to the extract itself to line up with a 1903 Springfield-type hatcher-hole in the front receiver ring:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN3525-1.jpg
The buttstock has a threaded cap in it to contain the cleaning kit:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN3523-1.jpg
MANY of these were surpluses with brass rack number plates screwed to the stocks, supposedly the Mexican Police forces were the last group to be issued these rifles and the plaques are police rack numbers:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN3521-1.jpg
These Mausers also have an inlet on the side of the stock with a blanking plate - the rear sling swivel can be installed on the bottom of the stock a shown, or in this blanked spot, in which case the blanking plate is moved to the bottom of the stock, likely for use on horseback. The side-swivel on the front band would then be used. Note that there is no band spring, the rear barrel band is held in place by a clamping arrangement and a small synching screw, and is assisted by a tab on the cleaning rod retention spring on the underside of the fore stock.
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The trigger guard also has a dish-cut at the rear action screw, much like a Chilean 1895 Mauser:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN3522-1.jpg
Here we see the rear sight which is reminiscent of an eastern-block VZ58 rear sight with a round profile slide. It sets as low as 200m.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN3517-1.jpg
Finally, here is a view of the cleaning rod which is larger-diameter like an 1895 Mauser or a Spanish 1916 Mauser. The annular ring is where the retention spring grips the cleaning rod.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCN3528-1.jpg
