Thank you Larry.

I took my dad's old Mauser to a gunsmith and it checked out OK by him.

Several years ago someone told me these were unsafe to fire and I put it in my safe and never attempted to find ammo for it.

I live in Texas and have hunted whitetails and pigs with a compound bow only for the past fifteen years, but health issues are on me now and I couldn't hunt for the past two years. (Spine disease and an operation)

Since your message I tried to find ammo here in anticipation for maybe hunting next season, but so far I haven't found anything.

It's funny how things 'click' in your brain but I remember that my dad had two old boxes of ammo in the 'Norma' brand for many years in the back of his safe near his old Mauser. When my dad died my mom emptied his safe of most everything.

I hope I can find the correct ammo soon and take it to the range. The old scope still has clear optics but I have no idea if they will print after 40 years.
(It would be very cool if they are still close!)



Quote Originally Posted by Larry Gibson View Post
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Looks like your father did a very nice job sporterising the M91. While it has no "collector" value so what? If that were mine and my Dad had sporterised it and used it that rifle would be far more 'valuable" to me as a family heirloom than any "collector' grade M91 would or could be.

Yes it is entirely safe to fire modern ammo in it. Modern ammo (Norma, PVRI and Hornady) are all loaded to the original pressure levels. I have pressure tested all of them with an Oehler m43. The are actually less pressure than the Argentineicon milsurp that I've tested. I've found the Hornady 7.65 Argentine at Cabella's without problem. It is loaded with hornady's 150 gr SP (.312) and chronographs 2761 fps out of my 24" barreled M91. The pressure is 53,200 psi(M43) which corresponds fairly well to the old 45,000 CUP pressure for SR Mausers. It also is quite accurate in my M91.

Were I you I would get some factory ammo and a reloading outfit and use that rifle on a couple deer/pig hunts or maybe and antelope hunt. Loaded with the .311 gr Sierra gamekings at 2550 fps it would also make for a nice elk rifle. Use it, think of your father, and pas it on in the family so they will remember you and your father.

Larry Gibson