Spanish 1916 Surplus Samco Inventory on the market

Harrisburg gun show today. Guy selling Samco inventory Spanish 1916's for $149 out the door for 7mm and $169 out the door for NATO. Says he bought 8000 of them. I looked through them and there is a mixture of the various models. All the same type but different stocks, floor plates, etc. Condition is not bad. Need a good thorough cleaning. About one in four has the original crest. Would expect him to be at most of the Eastern shows. Considering Century Arms is selling about the same thing for more than double the price, not a bad deal.

I just saw some for sale online as well, at pricing way above that. Looks like Century is starting to delve into the Samco hoard but I'm a bit disappointed they aren't offering some for sale directly that I could find. If I didn't just pick up a Steyr M95 and other parts guns todays I'd probably go get one to have though at the Harrisburg show.

I'd say go get it anyway. Can't beat the price. He had $149 on them, no interest in the NATO conversion, and I figured there would be tax and transfer fees on top of it but nope, out the door. It is hard to find one with a crest period, let alone for that price. Just make sure you get a cleaning rod. Mine didn't have one but they took one out of another. I just wiped the stock down and it is nice. They must have put a coat of varnish on them before putting them in storage. Some weird quarter inch spots on it here and there that looked kind of like some sort of mold but light steel wool and they came right off without marring the finish. Metal is well worn but no real significant rust. Mine might be a rebarreled cavalry carbine as it was made in 1914.

I would like to have a 7mm. The 7.62 conversion seems a bit suspect depending upon who you believe. I was concidering a 7.62 x39 chamber conversion in mine.

I've never seen any conclusive studies on the 7.62 NATO Spanish small ring Mausers; they got new barrels when they made those right? I also can't recall if they are 93 or 95 actions; I was going to build a Mauser sporting rifle and have looked at so many different receiver variants they all ran together before I bought a Yugo M24/47 from Mike (mmppres) at Oaks making all my research moot. I know the Chilean NATO conversions fail due to gas cutting of the solder in the chamber insert whereas people suggest in these the receivers simply come apart due to the pressure. The failed Spanish small ring everyone has probably seen pictures of by now is a weird case in that I don't recall ever actually seeing the original source of those images or the story.

Some guys swear they are safe, others don't. I don't have any interest in them because they aren't original and I have no need to take the risk of a small ring mauser with a 308 round. I can't say one way or the other if they are safe or not. The 7mm is an outstanding round on it's own, isn't hard to find and unless you are using cheap surplus ammo, not that expensive.

Almost no rust under the wood. Barrel matches the receiver.

Photos in the Mauser section.