Mauser rifles for defense?

[David LaPell]

What would you think of a Mauser 98 or a Mauser 88 Commission rifle rebored to 8mm mauser (S stamped gun) for home defense? My wife doesn't shoot long guns well, and I have a line on both guns. The 98 Mauser is WW2 of course and is original for the most part but is more than servicable. The 88 is the Commission Rifle and is very light even for its size and it can be had for next to nothing. I have owned a few Mausers before, but never thought of them as home defense guns or truck guns. Mauser stripper clips though are pretty cheap, as is some 8mm mauser non corrosive surplus ammo. Better to me than Nagant rifles (hate the safety).

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

It depends on where you live....

...and what you live in.

IMHO, the only way a rifle of that much power could be used in home defense is in a rural enviroment. Those Mausers were designed for a battlefield where overpenetration isn't a big concern.
My suggestion, a shotgun, a pistol caliber carbine, or even a pistol caliber Winchester or Marlin lever action- short, handy, and fast. The max rifle I would consider using is an M1 Carbine or Mini-14 and even those might be a stretch.

 

[cmort666]

WARNING!!!

While it was originally reported that the "S" marked Commission '88s had been "rebarreled", in fact it has subsequently been reported that they just had freebore added to the barrels so that the .323 "S" bullet didn't INSTANTLY have to negotiate a .318 barrel. The barrel beyond the freebore is still .318.

As far as a 98 Mauser goes, 7.92x57mm will definitely put somebody down for the count, whether you use the anemic U.S. hunting ammunition (loaded to prevent blowups if used in .318 barrels), or 198gr. ball like that loaded by Prvi Partizan/Hanson. In a crowded neighborhood, a miss could go a VERY long way, and achieve impressive penetration of cheap building materials.

 

[off road]

Terrible choice! Home defense is close quarters defensive combat, where any long gun is just going to be a major hinderance. I think the notion that one will hear something go bump in the night, and have time to gather the kids together and barricade everyone in one room with a long gun covering the door, is pure fantisy. Most likely, it will be complete surprise, at arms length with the potential of quickly truning into hand-to-hand combat. Remember, you are not a SWAT team!

My personal choice is a Glock 23 size auto backed up by a M342 in my pocket. I don't even like shotguns for this application. Just to big and cumbersome to maneuver down narrow hallways, plus can't be on your person at all times like a handgun.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Odd choices, much like the board member who asked about using a Steyr
M95 as a truck gun, it will do, but much better choices. You said your wife doesn't shoot long guns well, hence a couple of old bolt action milsurps really don't sound suitable. IIRC the M1888 requires a Mannlicher style clip to operate, you did not specify what model of Mauser you are looking at, the WWI vintage Ge98 is on the long side-I have 2 of those, the Kar98k is about the same size as an M1903 or Lee Enfield, very awkward in cramped quarters.

 

[cjw3]

Maybe not such a good choice for your application, especially if she is not familiar/comfortable with long guns.

As others have said: slow, heavy, awkward (for someone not familiar with them) and the cartridge is far more powerful than necessary.

If you must go with a long gun, however, you might consider a 20 gauge autoloader with an 18"-22" barrel or a semi auto carbine for a pistol cartridge such as 9mm, .40 or .45. Mount a good flashlight to either.

 

[Gutpile Charlie]

No, not a good choice at all. I think these guys have pretty much summed up a number of the reasons.

Old surplus military rifles are fun, but they are really not the thing for HD.

 

[David LaPell]

Actually what I should say for home defense in my case is anything outside the house covering my property. (I know, long shot and not likely to happen). My property is 6 acres with another several hundred behind me. No neighbors on one side, the other is 300 yards plus. I should have said that I am looking for an outdoors defense gun. For the house, well that's my sidearm for sure.

 

[Smith357]

If you plan on putting the wife up in a tower overlooking a few hundred acres of land shooting at the bad guys from 2-800 yards away then the Mauser would be a good choice.

As for inside your house, I can't even imagine the collateral damage from the muzzle blast, let alone how may walls the bullet will travel through. A nice 870 with some #4 to 00 buck will do just fine. Get the Mausers anyway, they are fine rifles, just not for HD.

 

[cmort666]

IIRC the M1888 requires a Mannlicher style clip to operate

As originally issued they did. Most of the '70s era imports were converted to use regular stripper clips.

 

[cjw3]

Actually what I should say for home defense in my case is anything outside the house covering my property. (I know, long shot and not likely to happen). My property is 6 acres with another several hundred behind me. No neighbors on one side, the other is 300 yards plus. I should have said that I am looking for an outdoors defense gun. For the house, well that's my sidearm for sure.

Ah, that's different: .223 AR flat top of your choice with a 4X scope or dot sight....light, accurate, reliable, low recoil, enough power, relatively cheap to practice with using factory stuff and ammo is universally available.

I have a dot sight on my mid-length upper and am amazed at how quickly you can get on target with it.

Certainly not the least expensive solution, however.

 

[Chili Vega]

I noticed everyone giving advice on what would be a better choice. I don't think that was your question. As far as the 98, it will do if she will do.

 

[m1gunner]

The 98 Mauser would be a fine Homestead Defense Weapon. They are a lot of gun for a little money.

Some hand loaded 150 gr rounds at medium velocity would be more pleasant to shoot than the military ball stuff, and would still put down any threat to you or your family.

I have a 98 with a 17 inch barrel in 7.62 NATO. It is light, handy, quick pointing with its scout mounted red dot. With full power loads it has an authoritative muzzle blast.

The neat thing about using a milsurp for area defense is the availability of AP ammo. Some targets are just harder than others.

 

[willy]

If over penatration is a concern ,she could just use the bayonet and CHARGE!

 

[Combat_Diver]

First rule of any gun fight is to have a firearm, any arm.
Second rule is to use the biggest gun that you can handle.

I've done CQB and fired various long guns inside houses (ie, M4/M16/AK/M14/FAL and Subguns). All will work and there are some techinques that can help utilizing long guns inside, same with shotguns. If between those two listed rifles, I'll take the WWII 98 which would be more likely a k98 and use US commerical softpoints for the lower velocity and muzzle blast. I would also suggest keeping a set of electronic earmuffs or standard earmuffs on the buttstock to put on if time always. If you could afford something else there are lots of guns that are better preforming the role ie semi auto carbines firing either pistol cartridges or intermediate ctgs (5.56/7.62x39, etc).

CD

 

[k22fan]

What would you think of a Mauser 98 or a Mauser 88 Commission rifle rebored to 8mm mauser (S stamped gun) for home defense? [...] The 98 Mauser is WW2 [...] The 88 is the Commission Rifle [...] can be had for next to nothing. [...]

I don't know anything about home defense, CQB, or any such thing, but have fairly extensive hobby time target shooting with various old military bolt actions and have taken a few deer with them. The worst limitation of original Mausers for me is their sights. Mausers that have been ruined in a collector's eyes by the addition of decent sights often sell for half of what originals cost. Since you mention low cost being important and make no mention of collector interest, I suggest looking for a Mauser that someone else spent their money putting good sights on. Also I would avoid the model 1888 and pick a 98. Pre-98 Mausers were not built for the roughly 50,000 cup pressure of WWI and later 8mm military and European sporting ammo. The 1888 conversions don't have the margin of safety we presume our guns have and in the event of a split case a 98 diverts the escaping gass away from your eyes better than earlier Mausers. If you really want an original Mauser at very low cost there are lots of Turkish 98 type Mausers made during WWII for $70 to $100. Alternatively, shorter barreled Czechoslovakian 98 type Mausers were all over the place in the same price range just a few years ago and shouldn't be very expensive now.

 

[Maximumbob54]

I agree with the above statement for picking them up if the price is really that right. But even at the distance your neighbors are at that is still a heck of a rifle to chance hitting them or their property with. Even a .22LR can hit with authority at three hundred yards. That feeling of wide open spaces is misleading when you factor in that most .22LR is still lethal at a mile. Even stepping from the Mouser to a .223 would still be dangerous to your neighbors. I second the shotgun with 000 or 00 buck or if you must then use slugs. But even those slugs will travel. I wouldn’t even depend on thick brush or trees to deflect anything. It just wouldn’t be worth it when there are so many other better choices.

 

[Krull]

All I can say:

1-make sure to NOT aim it at yer neighbors,at 300 the 8MM will perforate both the bad guys,the neighbors,and probably anybody else within a mile or so of the shot!

2-make sure you understand even in the most gun friendly places you're not gonna get away with saying a bad guy at anything over contact distance is a threat,now if you have some fool at range with a rifle shooting at you,ok,you can probably get away with shooting the idiot.

But remind me to stay the heck away from you if you have people that mad at you!

 

[jimmyj]

Hi:
If they are shootable and cheap - BUY THEM!
Also 100 rounds of ammo for the Mausers.
When the BGs are breaking down your front door or coming though the window - over peneration is my last worry.
A handgun, shotguns, or carbine can be added later, however cheap serviceble firearms are difficult to find. Also in a riot or civil unrest you don't have to wait until the BGs are coming into your house to loot/rape/ etc. before you start to send them to their final reward.

 

[canoeguy]

I once owned a mobile home on a semi-remote piece of property, I lived on a dead end road, surrounded by a National Wildlife Refuge, nearest neighbor was about 1/2 mile down the road.

I was awakened one night at 3:00 AM with someone pounding on the door, during a torrential rain storm. I normally keep a handgun and carbine handy in the house, but had locked up all my guns in the gun safe the previous day, and forgotten to take my defensive weapons out of the safe before going to bed. I couldn't find the keys to the gun safe, the only gun I had that wasn't locked up was a Moisin Nagant bolt action rifle, and I had to hunt up the ammo for it. Took me at least five minutes to find some ammo for the rifle, all the while some woman was pounding on the door. I was yelling back "Hold your horses" while preparing to defend my home with a WW2 bolt action rifle.

I kept the lights off in the living room, turned on the porch light and saw a drenched 16 year old girl standing on my steps in the pouring down rain. I told her through the locked door to get in my car to get out of the rain (unlocked in the front yard) while I put some clothes on. I found my gun safe keys, armed myself and the wife properly, put some clothes on then went out to see what was going on.

The girl had run off the road in the rain, gotten her Dad's car stuck in the mud, and had walked to my house for help. She called her Dad who showed up with a four wheel drive pick up to pull the vehicle out of the mud. He was really mad, as she was supposed to be home hours ago.

Lessons learned: Keep your defensive weapons handy, and not everyone pounding on your door at 3:00 AM is up to no good.