7mm Mausers, a question

[Patrick Chadwick]

Thanks for the pics. The flat-bottomed bolt face is characteristic of the M1893 Spanish action. With the six-pointed star, stepped barrel (indicating that it was originally a military rifle) etc. this appears to be an 1894 Brazilian that was sporterized. Note that not only has the bolt handle been turned down and shaped to clear a scope, but the safety lever has also been modifed to provide scope clearance, so that the hunter can carry the scoped rifle armed and with the safety "ON".

Any national crest on the receiver ring would have been scrubbed and the area reblued. Are there any traces of such work beneath the front scope mounting? Even if it has been meticulously reworked on top, if you remove the barrelled action from the stock, the underlying original bluing on the bottom of the receiver ring / below the "waterline" is going to have a slightly different sheen.

And if the rifling and crowning are OK, it probably shoots very well!

Patrick