1893 spanish mauser barrel change

[ezekial]

Hello I have a 1893 spanish mauser short rifle, needs a new barrel, I purchased a 1895 spanish mauser short rifle 2nd pattern barrel. will it work on this action, both are 7x57 cal. only difference I can see is the rear sights. 1893 ladder sight, 1895 has ramp rear sight. thanks in advance.

Information

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[Patrick Chadwick]

Check that the bolt face matches the breech on the barrel - phrases like "2nd pattern" are often collector's terms, not something recognized by the factory. The M93 introduced square-bottom bolt faces, which were later dropped. So what looks like an M95 may have a square-bottom or round-bottom bolt face. Factories use up existing stocks if they can, so there are transitional configurations, regardless of the collector's neat cataloguing world of "all correct model xx".

In such cases, get hold of Jerry Kuhnhausen's "The Mauser Bolt Actions M91 through M98". Check what you actually have, not what a book says it ought to be! The barrels should both be "small ring" types, so the replacement should be feasible - IF the bolt face matches.

[ezekial]

Thank You for You information, First one that I have tackled so any and all information is wecome, so far I've removed the stock and sprayed penetrating oil, waiting on the action wrench to come in, then proceed, I put a bullet in the barrel that I want to use and then removed the bolt from the 1893 action and in doing so I didn't see the bullet move in or out of the barrel chamber, no slack that iI could tell both lugs were tight to the barrel and no slack at the bullet and bold end, this is the flat bottom bolt. not sure if any of thsat mean anything or not, as the barrel isn't installed yet. at which time I have it headspaced. I'll see what happens, Thank you so much again sorry it took so long to respond John

[jmoore]

Thank you so much again sorry it took so long to respond John

No worries about response time on this site! Some of our best threads go quiet for ages, only to start anew.

[Midmichigun]

Eze,
I for one would like to see photos of your project!

I am doing a similar swap on a Brazilian job. I got 2 receivers (no barrels or anything) for $10.00 each. While I have been hunting for good 7mm barrels, I also ran across "conversion" kits in 7.62x39r.

The bolt face also vexed me. Great that you got a response from Mr. Chadwick!

[ezekial]

Not real great on the computer, will try to load some pictures, Just a spanish 1893 has 153 stamped on reciever and barrel, bolt doesn't match , barrel had been cut and recrown at the front sight and evidently wasn't cut far enough, Numrich has some barrels not sure if they have the one you are looking for, but I feel that I got a good one, at least the bullet doesn't go to casing when inserted in the muzzle of barrel. Thanks to everyone, for thier replys, on a different note, what happened to surplus .com or tenneesee gun, Tried to go to the site, and was told you need a username and password, mine didn't work locked out, was a pretty good sight if one needed disassembly insructions on just about every military weapons.

[Calif-Steve]

Doubt a 7.62x39 barrel on a 93 mauser is a very hot idea. Must download that round. I doubt an easy swap will happen. The sights will not end up on the top of the receiver at 0 degree. You will have to cut the new barrel to fit properly. I wpould like to see some photos when you get it completed. Good luck.

[Patrick Chadwick]

The sights will not end up on the top of the receiver at 0 degree.

That is not as great a problem as you might think. The sights are mounted on sleeves which are soft-soldered onto the barrel. Basically, if you can get the barrel properly fitted and headspaced, then you can heat up the backsight sleeve until the solder softens, and then rotate it to get the correct orientation. That is how Mauser sights were fitted in the factory. Not at all rocket science, but you do need to make up a jig with a stop beforehand, so that you can smoothly turn the sleeve to the correct position, as that would be a lot of hot metal to be wiggling about on a trial-and-error basis. A good jig will save time and temper.

As for the foresight, if I remember correctly (and I do think you should check this out for yourself) it is also on a sleeve, but (depending on the model) may have a transverse pin as well. In this case, you will have to drive out the pin before softening the solder and rotating the sleeve. Once again, a solid jig to act as a stop when you rotate the sleeve will save time, burnt fingers and cussing - and produce a more accurate result. Forget the pin. It is superfluous for target shooting, being more of a "belt-and-braces" overkill solution to cope with rugged military use.

I think you should get "the Mauser Bolt Actions" by Jerry Kuhnhausen. It tells you all you need to know, and far more than I can out in any post. Pp. 130-131 have tips on the sight sleeves. Above all, do not forget it is SOFT solder, so do not heat up the sleeve any more than is necessary to melt soft solder, and you should be able to do the job without damaging the bluing. And heat the sleeve, not the barrel!

[vintage hunter]

Have yet to encounter a traverse pin in the front sight band of a Mauser but there is an index screw in the base dovetail under FS blade and in the rear sight base, sometimes it's under the ladder spring. Not all are soldered, some are a pressed on and retained by the screw.
It's not rocket science to heat and turn the sights but it's not a job for the inexperienced either, there a bit more to it than heating and turning. It's a two man job, one to heat the part to just the right temp and keep it there while the second turns. Get it too hot the solder starts bubbling and spattering then runs out like water, not hot enough all the way round and the sight can easily be distorted.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Have yet to encounter a traverse pin in the front sight band of a Mauser but there is an index screw in the base dovetail under FS blade and in the rear sight base, sometimes it's under the ladder spring. Not all are soldered, some are a pressed on and retained by the screw.

Quite correct. Thanks for the clarification.