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I have the chance to purchase a Mauser model 66 in 9.3 x 64 and a second barrel in 7 x 64. I cannot find much info on this gun, other than what Mauser themselves say about it. I am keen to buy it, for use on my planned Buff hunt in Zim next year. Can anyone shed light on the action and is it a suitable DG rifle(I know the cal is good)?
Thanks,
Cam
Cam,
A little write up on Mauser S66 by Rod Cockerill....
"Mauser 66 in 9.3x64. The M 66 is a 2-tier telescopic push feed action, designed to accommodate relatively long cartridges in a short action. Flawlessly engineered with a crisp and precise trigger, it is just the job for picking off pigs out of a high seat in a European forest. Spotlessly clean, it functions with unerring German efficiency, but it can fail horribly when exposed to the dusty conditions of the African bush. This is not the type of information you need to discover when something large is coming at you with serious intent. Although you may question what relevance this has for a plains game rifle, never underestimate anything that has been wounded, nor suffer the “curse of the click” on a trophy of a lifetime. Although my personal preference is for a sexy stick of walnut, synthetic and laminated stocks are undoubtedly more practical, require less maintenance and are more forgiving and tolerant of abuse in rough conditions. They are also unaf-our non-dangerous game species and covers animals from the tiny 4 kg blue duiker up to eland, which can weigh in at over 800 kg. These species cover diverse terrains and habitats, from dense jungle type undergrowth to deserts that appear to be devoid of life, gentle rolling hills, energy sapping mountains and plains so flat that you can see the curvature of the earth. Unless you are hunting all of these on an extended or specialised safari, there is no reason tobring more than one rifle/calibre combination. With the security restrictions of modern day travelling plus the fact thatyou can only use one rifle at a time, it is just simple common sense. Apart from the type of terrain and the hunting conditions, your choice will also be guided by what animals you have booked to hunt as well as the lawsof the country pertaining to rifle types and minimum calibres for certain species.Within the recommendations offered by your outfitter, it is really important to choose the rifle that you are most confident with, that is both comfortable to carry and shoot, and thenoptimise it to best meet the specific conditions of your hunt. Rifle types for hunting in SouthAfrica are restricted to bolt-action, pump-action, lever-action, single shot and double rifles. Any action that feeds another round automatically after discharging the one in the chamber"
Monish
Thanks for the info, Monish!
Cheers,
Cam
Great rifles! We have had a few come thru or shop. We had a very cool one that was a 300 H&H, 338 win mag, 375 H&H, and a 458 win mag set. They all had either scope mounts 300,338,375--and the 458 had an excellent set of open sights. We sold it for around 4,000 US--I would have to go back and look.
The only issue I could find with a Mauser 66 is the parts are few and far between. It was ahead of its time!
Ed