7mm Mausers, a question

[Victor Six Bravo]

As i don't have it yet.....still waiting to see. It's part of a FFL-to-FFL trade so shipping, etc.....takes a bit.

[Aragorn243]

WOW, I followed Patrick's recommendation to look into "Mauser Military Rifles of the World" by Ball and my copy is on the way. I can't believe they are selling that book for about $30 new in hardback. High gloss pages and color photos throughout. 400 plus pages, can't wait to get it.

[Victor Six Bravo]

Just got the rifle in, pics tomorrow.

Only markings visible are left side of the receiver:


7X57
T 6018

T 6018 repeated again on left side of receiver ring with a 'planet Saturn" looking proofmark to the left and the Star of David to the right.

Bolt release has on top a diamond mark, and on the left a Templar-type (Germanic?) cross.

No other visible markings due to the scope mount.

Magazine baseplate has the 6018 again and a flower-design proof as well. Grooved trigger, a two-position wing safety (up and down).

Not entirely sure this was a military rifle, but it has a stepped barrel and a visible hole where I'm betting the rear sight once was.

[Victor Six Bravo]

So.......what the heck do I have?

[Victor Six Bravo]

You all wanted pics...... I delivered.

Verdict?

[Aragorn243]

If it were mine, I'd take the scope mount off the front of the receiver and look for a crest. Most South American countries have a specific crest engraved there. From the markings there are, pretty hard to tell. Brazil did use the star of David symbol. The "saturn" is probably a makers mark.

The Israelis would use anything they could get their hands on that would shoot but 7mm, I don't know about that. They had plenty of surplus 8mm and the majority of their sources would have 8mm, not 7mm.

[Victor Six Bravo]

Agreed. I know of a few thousand 8mm Mausers used in Israeli hands, but no 7mm.

Though in 1948, they were using at least 1 original Winchester levergun in .44-40, they weren't exactly picky at that point.......

[Patrick Chadwick]

Aragorn's advice is good. The "saturn" can be found in the center of the Brazilean flag. At least, it is strikingly similar. The Chilean M1895 Mausers made by Ludwig Loewe also had a similar mark (see Ball). But the six-pointed star would be Brazilean. The bolt looks like an M94 (Brazilean) or M95 (Chilean) but appears to have been altered (note the screw head visible at the back) so I am not quite sure which it is. A close up of the bolt, bolt shroud and cocking piece, and bolt face would pin it down.

Patrick

[Victor Six Bravo]

A close up of the bolt, bolt shroud and cocking piece, and bolt face would pin it down.


As requested:









Ideas?

[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