Mauser arrived...

[Art Doc]

Turns out I ordered it in 7x57 rather than 308 as I was thinking. Makes sense. A favorite caliber and original to the action so no mods required.

I think it looks great. Bolt handle is maybe a tad large. May send the bolt back to change it for a smaller one. Although working the bolt is very easy with the large handle. May grow on me. We'll see.

The action is very smooth. Bolt works like butter. Trigger is good but not fantastic. Has just a hair of creep before let off. But the pull is light so not too disturbing.

The total was $1,125 and the smith did not, in fact, remember the $700 deposit I had on this project. I sent him an email to remind him and hopefully he'll recall that and not argue over it.

Not a great photo but will give you an idea of how it turned out.

 

[samandglove1]

Wow, your gunsmith did a fantastic job. The rifle looks great.

 

[shouldazagged]

Beautiful. I wouldn't change a thing, but it's your rifle. Maybe a little trigger work if it were mine.

When I could still hunt I always wanted a rifle in 7X57. That one looks wonderful.

 

[Frizzman]

Classy classic!

 

[Lee Barner]

don't change a thing. that is one beautimus rifle. thanks for sharing. this is where we need a "drool" button. lee

 

[beagleye]

Great caliber! What twist? I like the usual fast twist barrels and the heavy for caliber option that normally comes with this caliber.

Both mine are 9.25.

What is the origin of the action? Looks like you stuck with a peep. Very cool. I prefer hunting with a scope, but I like peep sights better on principle. Other than forgetting the money, were you satisfied with the smith, who'd you use if you don't mind me asking.

Here's my favorite 7x57- a 1935 banner short rifle that went to brazil-





I also have a BRNO zkk 600 in 7x57 which isn't particularly photogenic, but's a very tough gun. It has one of those Carl Zeiss Jena BRNO scopes/mount combos that's made like a tank.

 

[PA Guns & Ammo]

I just recently acquired a Chilean Mauser in 7x57. How is it compared to the 8?

James

 

[M29since14]

Good looking rifle. I find it amusing you didn't remember the instructions to the smith but you did remember the deposit.

Have fun and use in good health.

 

[beagleye]

I just recently acquired a Chilean Mauser in 7x57. How is it compared to the 8?

James

The 7x57 is a more modest cartridge, compared to the 8x57, it's mild to shoot, but it has a proven record on big game. Shoot heavy for caliber bullets at medium velocity, it will kill big strong animals over and over. With a modern action, not your chilean, you can load it up like a 7-08 and shoot 140 grain bullets pretty darn flat.

 

[Art Doc]

The 8 is a bigger bullet (.323 v .284) but in my humble opinion the 7x57 is far superior to the 8x57. The ballistic coefficient of the 7x57 is greater and enhances long range shooting. Recoil is milder, and I think there is a wider selection of bullets for reloading. This makes 4 rifles in 7x57 I currently own.

This started as a small ring 1924 Mexican Mauser action I bought about 30 years ago. Some 25 years ago I sold it to a friend after 5 years in a box. Then 20 years later he sold it back to me, still untouched. After all that time I was determined to see it built and had my friend drop it off with the smith.

BTW- After a few dry firings the trigger seems to have lost the creep. Now feels very nice.

As for my ability to recall money, I never forget money. My wife noted that I will forget anything but I can tell you what I paid for every one of my guns no matter how long it's been since I bought them.

 

[Continental Op]

I love the look of full stock rifles, so graceful.

 

[Buford57]

Outstanding rifle in a classic caliber. I'm a big fan of receiver sights and that rifle is an example of proper application of same.

 

[beagleye]

The 8 is a bigger bullet (.323 v .284) but in my humble opinion the 7x57 is far superior to the 8x57. The ballistic coefficient of the 7x57 is greater and enhances long range shooting. Recoil is milder, and I think there is a wider selection of bullets for reloading. This makes 4 rifles in 7x57 I currently own.

This started as a small ring 1924 Mexican Mauser action I bought about 30 years ago. Some 25 years ago I sold it to a friend after 5 years in a box. Then 20 years later he sold it back to me, still untouched. After all that time I was determined to see it built and had my friend drop it off with the smith.

BTW- After a few dry firings the trigger seems to have lost the creep. Now feels very nice.

As for my ability to recall money, I never forget money. My wife noted that I will forget anything but I can tell you what I paid for every one of my guns no matter how long it's been since I bought them.

Sounds sweet and a lot of history to boot.

One point which I would humbly dispute- The 7x57 doesn't have a ballistic coefficient, no cartridge does. Bullets have ballistic coefficients. Long heavy bullets in a 8x57 do the same thing they do in a 7x57. Takes a fast twist, but some 8x57 have that too. They hurt a lot more in an 8x57, and otherwise, yes the 7x57 is better.

 

[Art Doc]

b- I have no idea what the rate of twist is on the barrel. It's a Douglas blank so likely whatever their default rate is.

As I said, it's a 1924 Mexican small ring 98 with the crest intact and dated 1931.

The smith retired and closed his shop in CA largely due to the horrible gun laws in CA and "retired" to AZ. He works in another smith's shop on a PT basis mostly finishing jobs left undone when his shop closed. His dad (who must be about 100 years old) still works with him a few hours each week. He checkered the stock on my rifle and installed the recoil pad. Not sure if he will take on any new work at this point.

Now I'm waiting for the Remington Model 30 he's building in 300 H&H. BTW- the serial on that M30 is 21. Lowest serial I have ever owned.

 

[beagleye]

Good call on leaving the crest- holes thru a lovely crest are upsetting.

Interesting coincidence- this husqvarna (model 246 in 9.3x62) has serial # 521, but the series started at 501.

 

[Art Doc]

b- Give me a break, way too much splitting hairs. The 7x57 CARTRIDGE uses a .284 BULLET which generally has a better BC than the .323 BULLET used in the 8x57 CARTRIDGE.

OK now?

 

[beagleye]

Naw, I don't think it's hair splitting, just precise language and thought. The BC is in the bullet, not the cartridge. If you shoot 140s in your 7x57, and I shoot 220s in my 8x57, my BCs a lot higher. It's the bullets. Cartridge BC is a fallacy. And functionally it matters. 220 grain bullets in an 8x57 will do exactly what 175s will do in a 7x57 It's not nomenclature, it's how it works.

 

[Art Doc]

The best BC I see for the 7 is .46 (175 grain) and the best for 8 is .40 (250 grain). I think the 7x57 is superior (assuming I have it right that the bigger number is better). That was the original point before we went off on precise terminology.

I am rarely a precise person. Once in a while some phrase bugs me. Sorry I use one that bugs you. I won't change. Sorry.

When you discuss cartridges, naturally you are discussing the bullets they use. In the spirit of all those guys saying "pencil barrel" I will continue to say the cartridge has a BC because it has a bullet. Whatever the BC of the bullet loaded in the cartridge, it's good for the cartridge. It may not be technically correct, but it works for me.

 

[gaucho1]

Some unsolicited advice for the hall monitors.


For those who may be offended, think about taking your armband off.


If YOU understand what is MEANT, please keep your nits in the jar.

 

[beagleye]

In the spirit of the "pencil barrel", I am going to drop the whole thing.

That's a great looking mauser SP. Mexican small ring with a peep sight is a very cool choice for a full stock 7x57.

 

[brucev]

Beautiful rifle. Doubtless you will enjoy many happy days with it in the field and at the range.

For hunting medium and even large game it's hard to go wrong w/ a 7x57mm. There are many good bullets available. Bell used one on lots of big stuff with excellent results. No reason it should not do equally well on typical big game.

For hunting the 7mm is a great choice. When the Germans choose the 8mm, they likely had to consider usefulness for other than just a shoulder fired rifle. I've fired a lot of 8mm service type rifles. As with the .30-06, recoil can get to be grim after one has fired say 40-50 rounds. A lot of that would be due to the heavier weight bullet in the 8mm service load. A 197 gr. FMJ loaded full-power really talks back to your shoulder when you're shooting especially from the prone position. Given that the Germans used the 8mm the same way the U.S. used the .30-06, the 8mm was probably a better choice since it doubtless was easier to develop the various AP, API, tracer, etc. loads that would be needed on the ground and in the air. If I am off base, I'm off base. Chalk it up to to not enough coffee this morning! Sincerely. brucev.

 

[gaucho1]

Cartridge versus bullet ballistic coefficients, sorry, I don't agree that's nit picking and the difference isn't trivial. If you dont understand it or you're not interested, just try a new thread.

Did you understand what he MEANT? I did.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Would love to see some more pictures-how bout some close ups of the action when you get a chance

 

[Watchdog]

Beautiful rifle. I've always loved Mannlicher stocks, and this one's no exception. Not sure about the recoil pad but it's your gun. Love to see more/larger photos to show detail.

 

[BigBill]

There are small ring actions and large actions in the 7mm mauser.
There are Czech and Brazilian 98 actions and the steyr. The small ring are German mauser manufactured for south America. There are Spanish and Mexican actions too.
The Mexican action used a small ring barrel with the 98 bolt.

The 30-06 was copied from the 7x57 mauser. The 308win/7,62 NATO was copied from the 300 savage.

The 7mm mauser round is one of the flatters shooting calibers there is. Using a 125yard zero the bullets path from the muzzle to 125yds varies about 1/2" to 5/8".

I enjoy the 7mm german mauser and the 6.5mm Swede mauser. Both rifles have a very comfortable recoil yet lots of power with not a lot of kick. They shot elephants with the 7mm and In Sweden moose with the 6.5mm.

 

[Art Doc]

Yes, I fully understood what he MEANT.

He argued that the bullet has the measured BC, not the cartridge. He maintained that it's incorrect to say the BC of the cartridge.

In the terms of nitpickery, he's right.

I said when you say the BC of "7x57" compared to the BC of the "8x57" it goes without saying you are comparing a .284 bullet to the .323 bullet because that's what the respective cartridges use. Yes, the BC will vary depending on bullet weight and configuration so there is no one definitive BC for the cartridge, but my comment was regarding the best possible BC of both giving the edge to the 7 and I believe I was correct.

The crest is still in very good shape even after polished an refinishing. I like having such things remain on guns.

 

[gaucho1]

Yes, I fully understood what he MEANT.

He argued that the bullet has the measured BC, not the cartridge. He maintained that it's incorrect to say the BC of the cartridge.

In the terms of nitpickery, he's right.

I said when you say the BC of "7x57" compared to the BC of the "8x57" it goes without saying you are comparing a .284 bullet to the .323 bullet because that's what the respective cartridges use. Yes, the BC will vary depending on bullet weight and configuration so there is no one definitive BC for the cartridge, but my comment was regarding the best possible BC of both giving the edge to the 7 and I believe I was correct.

The crest is still in very good shape even after polished an refinishing. I like having such things remain on guns.

SP...........I was directing the response to the person I quoted.

I knew what YOU meant

 

[g8rb8]

Would love to see some more pictures-how bout some close ups of the action when you get a chance

Me too!

John
Scoundrel and Ne'er-do-Well in Training

 

[fyimo]

Beautiful rifle and it should be an awesome shooter

 

[Old TexMex]

A tip of the old Stetson to that Mauser. A beauty, for sure.