Source for mint M96 barrels ?

[smlemon]

Finally got my Danish wannabe "M96" sniper done. As it's a Mauser Werke it is one of the early ones made by the Germans. It has a code 2 bore and does not shoot as well as any of the many 38/84/96-38/96s I have owned over now 5 decades. (Remember the barrels of 94s at Sears for $34.95 ?)

I'm trying lots of loads and bullets and may resort to a gentle fire lapping as that has brought back some "black hole" K98s for me.

If all else fails, I need to find a source for a minty M 96 barrel as they always shoot.

Wondering if anyone can point me to one. Should be some around as so many 96s were converted to "modern" cartridges like the 35 Remington.

Thanks in advance.

Information

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[lee_enfield223]

brownells used to sell brand new lothar walther m96 barrels , they shoot as good as the originals and are machined to fit straight in except for the headspacing, but I just checked out their web site and they don't list them anymore

[smlemon]

Well I fire lapped it with the NECO kit and loaded up some of the double diameter (sadly discontinued) 160 gr Hornady RN. Shooting off a very improvised rest, I got 5 in 1.5" @100 with 3 in 1/2". Lands are bright but grooves are still dark and pushing a tight patch thru shows a couple of rough spots. IME fire lapping works better with cast bullets, so I guess I buy another mold as I have no 6.5 ones.

[Calif-Steve]

I have a mint 96 Carbine barrel. Don't need it.

[smlemon]

I may have found a carbine that has a black bore. What do you want for your barrel?

Thanks.

[Patrick Chadwick]

brownells used to sell brand new lothar walther m96 barrels , they shoot as good as the originals and are machined to fit straight in except for the headspacing, but I just checked out their web site and they don't list them anymore

- So forget Brownells, and get them direct from LOTHAR WALTHER Precision Tool Inc.

3425 Hutchinson Rd.
USA-GA 30040 Cumming

phone: 001 770 8899998

[smlemon]

Called Lothar and a new exact replica, long chambered in the white is $285.00 plus shipping. I know they make great barrels but with headspacing, bluing, sight swapping etc I could quickly find myself with a $800 replica.

Option two might me to buy a Swede made M96 with a code 1 bore (assume threads are the same), swap the barrels and send Gustav it down the road for $250 or so with the caveat that it is a code two bore. Funny thing is witt that none too perfect bore it will shoot the 160 Hornadys into 1.5 " (5) @100, even after 20 shots. After shooting, I give it three Wipe Out runs and the last patch is almost as nasty as the first.

It's never easy !

[vintage hunter]

You can't pay those stock discs much attention. All they really tell you is the condition of the bore at the last inspection, which was most likely long before it hit the surplus market. It is also known that they are sometimes swapped out in the attempt to fool an unknowing potential buyer into believing the bore may be in better condition than it really is. Only way to find out how good or not a rifle will shoot is by taking it to the range.
And also there's nothing written in stone saying barrels with a new/mint bore will shoot any better than a wore/pitted one. Most barrels with anything closely resembling a trace of rifling left can usually be made to shoot acceptably after a meticulous cleaning and a bit of experimenting to find a load/bullet combination it likes. It may not be with the bullet you would like but who cares as long it turns an otherwise wall hanger back into a shooter.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Funny thing is witt that none too perfect bore it will shoot the 160 Hornadys into 1.5 " (5) @100, even after 20 shots. After shooting, I give it three Wipe Out runs and the last patch is almost as nasty as the first.

So do you want to shoot it, or sit there and admire the bore? You seem to have a good-shooting barrel. Why pull up the plant to see if the roots are growing? Shoot...clean...shoot...clean...shoot...get the idea?
But...

...After shooting, I give it three Wipe Out runs and the last patch is almost as nasty as the first.

...I think you're being mean on the "clean". You don't have to clean until the patch is spotless, but it should at least look much lighter than the first one!
Better make that: Shoot...clean...oil...clean again a couple of days later...shoot...etc.etc.

Just make sure to ALWAYS clean from the breech end. It only takes a couple of seconds to remove the bolt, but the muzzle crown will remain crisp.
BTW, if it is NOT crisp, having it freshened up is often the most cost-effective single improvement you can make on an old milsurp.

---------- Post added at 09:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:28 PM ----------

You can't pay those stock discs much attention. All they really tell you is the condition of the bore at the last inspection, which was most likely long before it hit the surplus market. It is also known that they are sometimes swapped out in the attempt to fool an unknowing potential buyer into believing the bore may be in better condition than it really is.

Excellent advice. I would put it even more drastically. All that a stock disc with a "1" stamped on it tells you , is that it has a "1" stamped on it.

---------- Post added at 09:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:36 PM ----------

It has a code 2 bore and does not shoot as well as any of the many 38/84/96-38/96s I have owned over now 5 decades.

So how was your eyesight way back then? And how is it now? Your rifle performs as well as any advanced teenager can expect with open sights.

[smlemon]

The rifle has a crappy bore. Lotsa cleaning, fire lapping etc and it's still rough and has a 5" long loose spot 6" back from the muzzle. It will shoot just okay but every 96 and Husky 38 I own/owned are/were sub MOA rifles with the right loads and optics.

As it is a real Mauser with a very nice Euro walnut stock, it's exceptional among 96s.
The only real question is do I buy the new barrel and go through the sight swapping, headspacing and bluing OR just buy a minty 96 and swap the barrels and resell the other one with the warning it has a so so barrel.

Option 1 will end up at around $400, option 2 net of $200.

Right now the Obama economy has killed my internet sales (Ebay, Amazon, gun sites), so I have no "play around" stash. I'm getting some .268 cast bullets and will burn them up trying more fire lapping and see what I end up with.

If anyone has a minty bore M96 barrel gathering dust, I am a buyer.

Thanks.