Kimber Swedish Mauser Conversion

[Gary]

I traded into a Swedish Mauser that states on the barrel that it was sporterized by Kimber of America in Clakamas, Oregon. It is in 6.5x55 caliber and has a Ram-Line synthetic stock. It also has a low scope safety and the bolt is modified to clear a scope. The barrel is 22" and it has a satin blued finish. I had no idea that Kimber did any military conversions. It is a very well done rifle in like new condition. It had a Tasco 3x9 World Class scope on it when I got it but I have since replaced it with a 3x9 Redfield Widefield. The only thing that I want to do before shooting it is to swap the 2 stage military trigger for a single stage Bold or Timmany trigger. I have wanted a 6.5x55 rifle for a long time. It will be interesting to see how it shoots. I have high hopes. The surplus Swedes are usually pretty accurate. Has anyone shot one of these?

 

[Trooperdan]

You have a gem there! I had one of these once, I believe they were sold by Century. I gifted mine to one of my sons.. who failed to appreciate it unfortunately! They are very accurate and pleasant to shoot.

 

[FrankD45]

Welcome to the club! I have lusted after a "Swede" since the early '60's but circumstances prevented me from getting one until this year. I stumbled across a CZ 550 American and grabbed it. In my first outing, with commercial ammo, it shot sub-MOA groups with no effort. In partial answer to your question, I think the 6.5 is one of those amazing cartridges that performs better than most. I think you have a keeper and you will love it.

Frank

 

[sceva]

Buy it for the great Swedish 96 action and as a nicely sporterized rifle, not as a Kimber.
These were produced after Kimber of Oregon closed their doors and when Kimber of America was still in Oregon before their move to Yonkers, New York. Nationwide Sprorts and a gentleman named Edelmen (who also owned Nationwide) had controlling interest in Kimber and were marketing anything they could come up with to cash in on Kimbers name and reputation. They are mostly considered a curiousity and / or an abomination by Kimber collectors
What they are, is a great action with a decent re-barrel and a good Ram-Line stock. I can not remember if the Trigger or bottom metal was changed or not. They are a wonderful rifle in 6x55 and I seem to remember that they were also offered in other calibers, possibly 22-250 although I am not so sure about higher pressure cartridges in a 96 action.

As I said, buy it as a decent sporterized mod 96 and not as a Kimber as I do not think that the Kimber name adds any value to these.

As an aside, Kimber of America was also marketing 10-22 barrels, and Daewoo rifles in the same time period.

 

[Gary]

Buy it for the great Swedish 96 action and as a nicely sporterized rifle, not as a Kimber.
These were produced after Kimber of Oregon closed their doors and when Kimber of America was still in Oregon before their move to Yonkers, New York. Nationwide Sprorts and a gentleman named Edelmen (who also owned Nationwide) had controlling interest in Kimber and were marketing anything they could come up with to cash in on Kimbers name and reputation. They are mostly considered a curiousity and / or an abomination by Kimber collectors
What they are, is a great action with a decent re-barrel and a good Ram-Line stock. I can not remember if the Trigger or bottom metal was changed or not. They are a wonderful rifle in 6x55 and I seem to remember that they were also offered in other calibers, possibly 22-250 although I am not so sure about higher pressure cartridges in a 96 action.

As I said, buy it as a decent sporterized mod 96 and not as a Kimber as I do not think that the Kimber name adds any value to these.

As an aside, Kimber of America was also marketing 10-22 barrels, and Daewoo rifles in the same time period.

I agree. If the Kimber name adds anything it is not much. I have wanted a 6.5x55 for a while and was able to pick this one up pretty cheap. It still has the military trigger so I will change that. Pretty much everything else is ready to go.
I look for rifles like this. They interest me. I bought a 6mm built on a Springfield action awhile back that I have really enjoyed. I also have a 30-06 with a Mauser 98 action. All are excellent rifles that shoot great.

 

[ASA335]

I was a Plant Manager for Kimber of America at the time those sporterized Swedish Mausers were being put together. We had hundreds of those rifles to convert, both the carbines and full rifles. I still have one of the full size unconverted rifles from that shipment (I bought it at the employee price).

I've shot a fair number of them after the conversion. Many of the ones I test fired could throw some pretty good groups. I've also shot a fair number of the .22's we were making, plus the Daewoo guns we were distributing. Oh, and I did some of the developmental test firing for the Kimber .45.

Peace,

P.S. The actual "plant" that I managed was in Colton, OR. The main "plant", where the .22's were made, and the main Kimber office was in Clackamas. The Swedish Mauser conversions were actually done in Colton.

 

[Gary]

I was a Plant Manager for Kimber of America at the time those sporterized Swedish Mausers were being put together. We had hundreds of those rifles to convert, both the carbines and full rifles. I still have one of the full size unconverted rifles from that shipment (I bought it at the employee price).

I've shot a fair number of them after the conversion. Many of the ones I test fired could throw some pretty good groups. I've also shot a fair number of the .22's we were making, plus the Daewoo guns we were distributing. Oh, and I did some of the developmental test firing for the Kimber .45.

Peace,

P.S. The actual "plant" that I managed was in Colton, OR. The main "plant", where the .22's were made, and the main Kimber office was in Clackamas. The Swedish Mauser conversions were actually done in Colton.

Thanks, this is good information. If my rifle is an example of the quality you guys did a good job.

 

[palmetto99]

I purchased an M96 on a whim about 16 years ago. I think I paid about $150 for it. It sat in my closet for about six years before I ever ran a round through it. Wow. It's a pretty amazing rifle. I've heard that many were converted over the years and I would think it would make a great deer rifle. I am amazed the 6.5x55 has never been that big here in the states. I wish I could find a good deal on a swede carbine.

 

[ohiobuckeye]

The Swedish Mauser was already one of the finest long before Kimber ever came on the scene. Even Khuenhausen(not sure of the spelling), refers to the Swedes as one of the finest Mausers ever built, in his gunsmithing books. I have owned several, still own two, and I agree with him. Fine workmanship, super accurate, and a pleasant round to shoot. Don't be surprised if it shoots moa without doing any modifications. The 6.5 will do a fine job on deer.

 

[Centenniel]

When those Kimber conversions came out, I bought one in 6.5x55 for my oldest son. It is a well done sporting rifle and is quite accurate. It is still his favorite hunting rifle and he has taken quite a few whitetail deer with his.

 

[ASA335]

Amusing story (at least it is to me).

Every now and then someone would call us or would return one of these Swedish Mauser conversions back to us saying that it wasn’t very accurate - but when the rifles were returned they often shot at least reasonably well, within two inches at 50 yds. One guy that stands out in my memory called and I was the one who took his call. He said that he and his gun range buddies (all great shots, according to him) had tried his recently purchased Kimber Sporterized Swedish Mauser and none of them could group “within a washtub” with it at one hundred yards! He was pretty PO’d since he had bought a top quality rifle scope for this Kimber (a $150 rifle) because Kimber had a reputation for very accurate rifles.

Being very polite and showing true concern for his dilemma, I did point out though that our military conversions did not come with the same guarantee of accuracy that our .22’s did, but even I expected these conversions to shoot better than he described. I told him to go ahead and return it to us and I (the plant manager) would personally check it out.

Sometime later his rifle came in. He had mounted an over $600 Pentax rifle scope unto to it (for a $150 dollar rifle?). The first thing I noticed was that the parallax adjustment was set to 25 yds. Taking it to our 50 yd indoor range, I set the parallax adjustment to 50, and then proceeded to shoot a couple of dime sized five round groups with the rifle. This gun was proving to be a moa rifle or better! All other fit, finish and quality were within our company standards.

Now I had to call this customer back and explain to him that he and his gun range buddies (all great shots, according to him ) really needed to learn something new about shooting. What I did was to call him back, compliment him on the great rifle scope he had put on that rifle and ask if he had had the parallax adjustment on this rifle scope set to be parallax free at 25 yds when he and his friends did their shooting. He asked “what’s parallax”? I tried to explain parallax and informed him that the forward bell of his scope had an adjustment to set the scope to be free of parallax at given ranges and added that if he had it set to 25 when he did his 100 yd shooting he and his buddies would have had trouble with cross hair “drift” when they viewed the 100 yd target. I told him how I had made the adjustment for the test groups I fired and told him the results. He was a bit flummoxed, but thanked me for the information and assistance.

I thanked him for his concern for the quality of his recently purchased rifle and then said I would personally sign the test targets, as would our normal test shooter who had witnessed me shooting these test groups, I would include them and some information on parallax when I returned his rifle to him that day. I never heard from him again.

In Pursuit,

 

[Waldo]

ASA335, I was at the gun club range once when someone came out with one of those. He said Kimber was selling them with the scope included, already mounted and bore sighted. Any truth to that? I toyed with buying one, but got diverted somehow.

 

[Smithhound]

I own a Swede rifle, bought back in the mid '80's, I think for $129. It came with good blueing, tho' dirty and a stock that was so filthy it was almost black. Thought about refinishing it and used some old Whiting and 1,1,1 Triclor that I'd had stuck back (can't get it anymore) to soak off the old oil.
When that cleaned up I found some of the most fantastically figured wood underneath that I've ever seen on a rifle, fiddleback and birdeye all the way up and down it. I left it as is.
There is some minor spotting in the barrel but even with that it is super accurate, provided you can deal with the military trigger. Long and heavy, it speaks back to the days when craftsmen built guns, even massed produced ones.
Where did those days go? It is really a fun gun to take to the range.
RD

 

[ASA335]

ASA335, I was at the gun club range once when someone came out with one of those. He said Kimber was selling them with the scope included, already mounted and bore sighted. Any truth to that? I toyed with buying one, but got diverted somehow.

I left that position almost fifteen years ago, so my memory may not be that clear on sales options (which I wasn't really a part of anyway - I managed putting them together, not selling them), but I seem to recall that that opton was available - but I could be wrong.

Weaselly answer, but the best I can do.

Peace,

 

[LVSteve]

I was a Plant Manager for Kimber of America at the time those sporterized Swedish Mausers were being put together. We had hundreds of those rifles to convert, both the carbines and full rifles. I still have one of the full size unconverted rifles from that shipment (I bought it at the employee price).

You were sporterising actual complete rifles?!?! I thought the story on these was that the Swedes sold off their spare actions and odd target rifles for conversion, not the collectible full stocked military variants. You had best go into hiding before the Swede Mauser Collecting Mafia track you down.

I have tried to snag one of these conversions at auction but they always fetch too much money for my wallet.

 

[Qball]

You were sporterising actual complete rifles?!?! I thought the story on these was that the Swedes sold off their spare actions and odd target rifles for conversion, not the collectible full stocked military variants. You had best go into hiding before the Swede Mauser Collecting Mafia track you down.

I have tried to snag one of these conversions at auction but they always fetch too much money for my wallet.

Don't wory, they are still plentyfull over here.
And no one want's them, word is that you can get killed shoting them.
Some handloaders tryed to "hotrod" the 6.5x55 with devastating results.
They are not ment for modern highpower rounds,
but not everyone understands that.
I have three myself, two original CGm96 and one HVAm96 "hunter special"
All of them were gifts, only cost me the licens fee
Gunlaws here states that "one can only have 6 hunting rifles"
No "fun guns"
so hunter kind'a sort out all but the absolutly best for their need.

I don't

 

[Qball]

We even have a "club" for us m96 shooters here in Sweden.
"CGm96 SIP-ODIH"
that translate to "Bolt in forhead and stupid in the head"

We all look like the "bomb squad" when at the range

 

[ASA335]

You were sporterising actual complete rifles?!?! I thought the story on these was that the Swedes sold off their spare actions and odd target rifles for conversion, not the collectible full stocked military variants. You had best go into hiding before the Swede Mauser Collecting Mafia track you down.

I have tried to snag one of these conversions at auction but they always fetch too much money for my wallet.

LOL - Yep, we had "collectable" full stock military variants that we "butchered" to turn into inexpensive hunting rifles. Some of these surplus rifles were in near arsenal fresh condition with all numbers matching.

Qball:

I kept the one full length rifle (stamped 1918) as representative of what my Great Grandfather (a member of the Swedish Royal Guard) would have been issued. I still (15 years later) haven't fired it, and it's in pretty good condition.

I understand that the 6.5x55 Swede is used to hunt Elg (is that the correct word?) out your way - i.e. the European Moose. Is that correct?

 

[Qball]

You are absolutly correct "ASA335" the 6.5x55 has taken many Älg here in Sweden.

1907 and 1911 are the year on my CGm96
unfortunatly no pictures.
And i have not shot them yet i hate frezing my b.. of at the range.
Hopfully i'll get the HVA ready some time next year.
I'm looking for a folding stock like the Ruger mini30
for this project, but i have only found new ones yet.
I want a secondhand beater (dirt cheep) not common here in Sweden.

 

[Gary]

I ordered a Bold trigger for mine today. The 2 stage military trigger on mine has a 7-8 lb pull. That is much to heavy for my liking. I have used Bold triggers before and they produce a nice clean 3 lb or so pull. The price is not bad either.