Hello all and happy new year! I picked up a Mauser rifle from a friend who does clean outs and can’t seem to figure it out. I sent it to a gunsmith who advised that it is 7mm, fully functional with a perfect bore. He further stated that it appears to be good craftmenship with a butter smooth action. The receiver is marked “Republica Mexicana 1912” and Steyr Fabrique on the side. The rifle also has a Paul Jaeger Mount with an old post type weaver scope. Any information or value would be much appreciated!

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This rifle is chambered in 7mm Mauser or 7X57 MM.,one of the all time great cartridges. It is super effective and quickly dispatches deer without nearly dispatching the guy behind the rifle. Ammo is readily available.

As the rifle is no longer in original military condition, it will not appeal to a collector of military arms. My guess is that the rifle is worth about $375.00 as a used sporter. If you're a hunter, give the rifle a try. You won't be disappointed.

I think you will find the rifle was made in Austria by Steyr, and sold by contract to Mexico. It is based on the Mauser model 98 action. A nice rifle that was sportserized before it became common to drill & tap the receiver rings for modern scope mounts.

I think rifles like these are good buys, as the quality usually exceeds what's available new today at anywhere near comparable prices..

Larry

Value will always be in the eyes of the prospective buyer. Some of us remember and value the days of well done sporting rifles based on military rifles. The Mexican Mauser actions are as good as they get, and Steyr production adds some interest. The Paul Jaeger side mount is a classic by itself. Some of us actually look hard for older "post-type" Weaver scopes.

Adding it all up and applying 2019 marketplace and values, what you have is a nice example of 1960's conversion of an early 20th Century military rifle, in a caliber that will have to be explained to many of today's buyers, with blued steel and walnut furniture in a stainless and synthetic marketplace.

To an enthusiast of this type of sporting rifle I would suggest a value of around $500. To the modern purchaser of a "deer rifle" for use once per year, probably $300 or less.

Nice rifle, but not a large dollar item.

It is a "Mexican Mauser" manufactured by Steyr. It was sporterized, based on the mount, probably in the 1950s or possibly 1960s, and looks to have a Bishop stock. One of the best all-around rifle cartridges for big game ever designed.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

As a milsurp collector I think it's a shame that the gun has been sportered. Still, it looks well done and it should serve you well for paper punching or hunting at distance. The Mauser 1912 is a fantastic action in 7mm Mauser.

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Release the Kraken

That scope mount fitted to the gun bumps the value of the gun up considerably, especially if it is a return to zero type.
Or at least it does to a lot of us that are older.
Members of the younger crowd would probably remove it and toss it in the trash because it is not a mil-spec Picatinny/whatever model.

The 7x57mm is an excellent caliber choice for most any game found in the lower 48, and will be nearly as effective as a .30-'06, .308, or .270 Win at the same distance. I haven't seen any rifles equipped with the Jaeger scope mount for many years.

I'm a succer for 98 Mausers! I remember back in the 60's when my dad and his partner used to drive to Interarms warehouse in Alexandria, VA to buy 03' Springfields and 98 Mausers for sporterizing. My dad talked about the huge warehouse's filled with barrels full of mil-surp rifles!

For better or worse, we are now living in the days of the cheap hunting rifle. It's no real trick, especially around Christmas, to find scoped, bolt action hunting rifles from Ruger, Remington, Winchester, Mossberg, etc. for less than $300.00 (+ tax). I think it's going to take an older guy that appreciates walnut and blued steel firearms to make a good sale. I think Federali's estimate of $375.00 is a bit ambitious.

As an example, I recently saw a sporterized Lee Enfield Mk IV for sale locally at $150.00. From the photos, whoever did the sporterizing did a good job, and the rifle sold pretty quickly. As an aside, several of us were sitting around our deer camp talking about the rifles we used to hunt with. Most of the younger guys were talking about their rifles chambered in .300 Blackout or 6.5 mm Creedmoor. When they got to me and I said: Savage 99c in .308 Winchester it got quiet. The younger guys were asking "what in the world is a Savage 99?", and a couple of the older guys, including the landowner, said "Wow, a Savage 99 huh? You really know your guns."

If it were me, I'd keep the piece and hunt with it. If you decide to sell it, you will probably have to begin your pricing below $300.00 to get any interest. If you're lucky enough to find the right buyer, I think $400.00 - $500.00.

Good luck,

Dave

To echo others, $500ish but realistically if you want to sell it quickly, $300-350. It’s a great old rifle, but in today’s market, flooded with serviceable hunting rifles, it’s just an old Mauser, optics or not.

I bet it balances like a dream.

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Some Might Say.

A large ring standard Mauser 98 action,,,not the highly prized small ring "1910 Mexican Mauser" often used for sporters.

The OP rifle action is more often seen as the Chilean Model 1912 but contracts were also made for Ecuadore , and Columbia. This is just one of the Mexico contract actions. Maybe the orig bbl turned down to elliminate the stepped contour of the original military profile,,maybe a rebbl.

Steyr mfg,,they are great actions.
7mm Mauser a great cartridge

Looks like one of the many sporterized military rifles with altered bolt handle to allow a 'scope mount and then a Fajen or Bishop (or other)stock added.

Still a nice combination,,I wouldn't pay too awful much for it, Depends on what the scope and mts are too as far as value.
$300 or even a bit less would be my bid if I really wanted the set-up, But I would be looking at drasstic alteration of the wood to a more classic look or possibly restocking to that.
Then you are just into it for too much if you can't do the work yourself.

The tide has turned - some factory rifles are cheaper than mil surplus.
I give up - Exactly what is a Small Ring Mauser?
Have heard that term, don’t actually recall what it means.
Looked, can’t find a clear pic of Francisco carrying a Mauser.
Plenty of him carrying enough ammo to shoot all day.
Here he is carrying a nice Colt.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Thank you all so much! I love sharing these finds with the forum. I have accidentally become the guy who gets the call on a whole lot of unusual finds. It’s the funnest side job ever for a history buff!! If any of you are interested in this let me know. I debated taking off the mount because the seem highly collectible but would rather see this one go to someone who will appreciate it.

Very basically a small ring Mauser is a pre 98, a 96, 93, 91, etc.

The receiver ring, where the barrel is installed is smaller in diameter than on the 1898 version. The larger ring was an improvement in strength. Large ring Mausers are considered some of the strongest receivers made and have been used to make rifles chambering some of the most powerful cartridges

90% of all Mausers made after 1898 are the large ring variety.

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

Back in the 1950's the local Army Navy surplus stores had wooden crates and barrels full of military rifles. The one here in my town supplied me and my high school buddies with 1903 and 03A3 Springfield's , Mauser's of all countries , British Lee Enfield's , Swiss Schmidt Rubin's , Japenese and Italian rifles.
Herter's , Bishop's and a few other's had sporter stocks...
"sporterizing " military rifles was our hobbies ... it seemed as if the supply would be endless .
Now an unmolested military rifle is desirable and our garage sporter's , not so much. Oh well !
Gary

The "small ring" refers to the diameter of the front receiver ring of the action. Small rings are about 1.30 in. diameter, Large rings (just about all 98 Mausers) are about 1.410 diameter. The difference is visually apparent as the small ring actions are the same diameter from the front ring to the rear receiver ring. The large rings have a front receiver ring that is bigger around than the body of the receiver. The K98a and some Mexican Mausers use the small ring design and were considered more desirable for sporterizing back when that was popular. They small rings looked trimmer, were slightly lighter and possibly easier to inlet into a new stock.

Probably won't bring a lot of money, but if it shoots well, a finer deer rifle you'll not likely encounter.

I cannot tell from the photos, but if the barrel is stepped, it is likely an original military barrel. If it has a smooth contour, it is more than likely an aftermarket, commercially manufactured piece.

The scope looks like it would be in the way of the safety. hard to tell from the picture.

The Mexican Mauser in 7mm is a large ring 98 bolt in a small ring receiver. Not many originals around most were turned into sporting rifles. I don’t convert orginal military collectibles. But I do finish the bubba guns.

If I were still able to hunt I would not let go of that sporter. I never owned a rifle in 7 X 57, and always wanted one. It's a wonderfully versatile caliber.

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Oh well, what the hell.