Help identify my new Mauser

[motorcycle_dan]

This one has a Mauser Banner on the front receiver, 1933 Chinese marking on the left side of receiver. I bought this as a group of 3 from a gentleman moving to FL. He said all were 8mm Mauser and sold a bunch of ammo with the deal. Got to the range with 2 of them only to have problems. First shot keyholed at 25yd. Check the muzzle and a round easily drops all way in to the case mouth. OD of bullet is correct at .322~.323 and being very gentle with inside caliper I get approximately .335" diameter. So standard 8x57 bullet went rattling down the bore like a golf ball in a gutter pipe.. The rifling appears clean, shiny and sharp. Any guess as to what oddball rifle I picked up. This is obviously a parts gun as the bolt and other numbers do not match. Thoughts, or comments? I got pictures if you'd like to see.

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[vintage hunter]

We always like to look at pics here, it also takes the guess work out of making a positive ID.

[motorcycle_dan]

---------- Post added at 10:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 AM ----------

New to this forum. I think I have added the pictures to my gallery and then posted a link to them. On the top of the barrel just forward of receiver it says "7,9" Which made me comfortable chambering regular 8mm ammo. I guess a chamber casting is in order.

---------- Post added at 10:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:16 AM ----------

1933 Chinese unknown caliber - Photo 2055

[vintage hunter]

Theres an entry in the milsurps Knowledge Library on the 1934 Banner Mauser you can compare yours to. I took a quick look and compared the banner logo on yours to the one in the MKL entry and yours appears different and lacks the date below it. Does your rifle have the Mauser-Werke A.G. Oberndorf a/N. roll stamp on the left receiver wall? Can't tell from your pics. From what I've seen so far I'm kinda leaning to yours being a Chinese copy but don't quote me on that just yet. Theres others here wat know more that I do about these and can provide more information on what you have.
BTW, the 7.9 marking the chamber is the European designation for the 8x57 cartridge.

[Patrick Chadwick]

The rifle appears to be a "Bitsa", with a Kuomintang-marked barreled system with a non-matching bolt, itself a mixture, all mounted in a stock that was either for a much shorter rifle, or has itself been cut down - look at the position of the bayonet boss!

The rifling appears clean, shiny and sharp.

This would not be the case with a worn bore. So it has probably been bored out to something wierd like .338x57.

Yes, you need a chamber casting.

[Calif-Steve]

I have seen piles of these things 20(?) years back. I really can't tell if it OK. I have one upstairs and I'll go look. Looks Ok, but the Chinese made very nice copies of them. The Germans sold factory seconds to the Chinese who were happy to buy them. A nice bore should run .323 and something is amiss there. What did you pay for this, if you don't mind.

[motorcycle_dan]

Well I paid $900 for the trio. One is a 1930 Greek FN, which has mis-matched bolt. First shot locked the action, Gentle then more aggressive whak'n with a rubber mallet got the bolt open but left the fired case in the chamber. I figured I stripped the rim, NOT, Broke the extractor claw. That one also going to the gunsmith tomorrow for repair, chamber casting and no doubt a lecture on Mil-Surps.
The third is a Mitchel M48A Yugo Mauser.
Please don't laugh too hard. I've gotten really good deals as well as really bad deals. I like to shoot them. Another $300 I ended up with a bunch of Mil-surp ammo as well as some Norma unprimed brass. Plus I knew the guy and happy to help clear out his safe. Lots more shotgun stuff if you are into breaking clay birds with really expensive shotguns.

[Calif-Steve]

I used to see piles of Chinese Mausers selling at around $20-30 each. Some looked very German, some looked very Chinese. I saw a pile of 6.8mm Mausers for cheap. Passsed as I was broke at the time. The Chinese People's Army (PLA) had them for years and never, ever cleaned them. I did grab a nice 7mm Standard Modell and still have it. Huge pile still over there, not lilely coming this way.