Questions about an unusal Mauser.

[Valkyrie45]

I bought a Mauser a couple years ago and didn't really know what I was getting. A knowledgable friend told me it was an "Armistice" Mauser. It is a military style rifle, longer than the Kar, but the action looks exactly like a K98action. The finish is a really nice deep blue, it has a full length stock with a bayonet lug. The front reciever ring is marked with the Mauser logo and on the side of the action it says "MAUSER A.G. OBERNDORF a.N." The SN is 1206XX with all the main components having the last to digits of the SN. The caliber is really odd, 8,15 X 46. I was told the caliber was very similar to the American 30-30 and cartridges could be fire formed using them.
The floor plate, spring, shell guide and hand guard were missing when I purchased it. I have replaced everything but the wood with parts as correct as possible and am working on the wood. As I said earlier, though, all the bolt, barrel, receiver and misc. parts except what was mentioned above have matching serial numbers. My theory is, this was a WWII bring back and since it has such an odd caliber, it was used for parts on other Mausers.
I am not much of a Mauser collector and was hoping to learn more about this type and if there is collector interest in these Mausers.
Sorry this is so long but I didn't want to leave anything out.
Any help would be appreciated.

Information

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[Calif-Steve]

After WWI the Germans made many military competition rifles. Used in Europe they are very nice shooters. Sounds like you have one. I think the brass can be made and the rifle could be put back into action.

[TerryS]

No, its not an armistice rifle. They would be slightly modified Gew98s, usually marked with an extra "1920" on the receiver above the original manufacture date.

[Valkyrie45]

That's interesting! There are no dates on the receiver. The only other markings on the receiver other than what I described in the first thread is on the left side of the front ring, just above the stock line. There are four letters each with a crown stamed above it. They are in two rows with two per row, the second row is directly aligned under the first one. They are "B" & "G" on top and a "U" & "N" on the bottom. I guess these are proof marks, but do they tell you anything else about this Mauser?

There could be other markings below the stock line, but I haven't taken it off yet.
Would the dates be under the stock line?

Is there a reference guide that would more information concerning this rifle like the date of manufacture, etc.?

[Sarge]

Not certain, but I think what you have is a Wehrmansgewehr.
These were produced and sold to individuals for (military style) competition shooting in the 1930s. The proofs are right for that period.
Sarge

[Jim K]

Sarge13 is correct; if it has no peep sight, it is the Wehrmannsgewehr (serviceman's rifle), introduced by Mauser about 1935. Those rifles were sold in Germany for target shooting competition. Of course, the rifle itself was the same as the military rifle, so a degree of military training was achieved as well.

Many were made as single shots, either with a solid bottom receiver or with a wood block in place of the follower and spring, so yours quite possibly never had the parts you have "replaced."

The caliber is 8.15x46R, an old round that had been used in single shot rifles and combination guns, but was revived when German manufacture of 7.9mm (8x57js) rifles for civilians was curtailed, first by the Versailles treaty, then by the Nazi government. The round is actually less powerful than the .30-30, and cases can be made from .30-30 cases; in spite of the name, the bullet diameter is the same as the 8x57j (.318"). The hottest factory load seems to have been a 139 grain bullet at 1919 fps, adequate for up to 300m target shooting but far less powerful than the 8x57js. In that rifle, with proper brass, it would be capable of being loaded to much greater power.

The proof marks are the normal civilian proofs for the period, the so-called "bug" proofs. The crown over B indicates the gun was proved in the finished state; the crown/U that it passed definitive proof; and the crown/G is the proof for rifled barrels. The crown/N shows that proving was done with smokeless (nitro) powder.

Jim

[Valkyrie45]

Wow! I knew you guys would have a wealth of information! That is what I was looking for, thank you so much!

Can manufactured ammunition be purchased? If so where could it be found?

Would there be any problems firing a 30-30 shell in it since the 30-30 is more powerful?

I guess since the 8mm is the same diameter, the bullets are easy to come by, can a reloading die be purchased or do you have one made for this caliber?

I really want to shoot it. Its probably been 69 years or so since a round was sent down range from it and I would love to be the one to bring it back!!

Thanks again for all the information!

[jon_norstog]

Valkyrie,

I've seen one or two of these rifles, last time was in a gun shop in Scottsdale. They are beautiful rifles. I was told they were made up to comply with the Versailles treaty - military rifles thinly disguised as "sporters" - and they were actually issued to shooting clubs and various paramilitaries before Hitler got the confidence to just tell the Allies to shove it, and started rearming in earnest.

jn

[RCS]

I use to load this cartridge for a German single shot "Schuetzen" rifle that was manufactured in 1912. I used RCBS loading dies and made the cartridges from Remington 30-30 brass. Also had to turn the rim down on a lathe to fit this rifle. Bore diameter is important and only used lead bullets for this rifle.

Also have seen cartridges made in Czechoslovakia with a jacket bullet with a flat tip that was open in packets of ten cartridges

[Patrick Chadwick]

The 8.15x45R cartridge was just about the last of several "Schuetzen" cartridges. It is very close in "look and feel" to the 32-40, but was nitro-loaded right from the start. 32-40 cases would probaby be easier to reform than 30-30 (less stress on the brass).

And, like the 32-40, you will probably get best results with a reasonably hard unjacketed or thin-plated lead bullet, which can then upset properly to fit the rather deep grooves.

The "Visier Special" No. 28, which I have referred to in other postings, give 16 sets of reload data for the 8.15x46R. Loads are as low as about 12/11.5 gn of N110/Blue Dot, which means a pound of powder is going to go a long way.

Quoted 100 meter group sizes are as low as 30 mm, which makes it quite competitive compared with full-power military rifles at that range.

Patrick