Any Experts that can assist with information on vintage Mauser?

StraightShooter

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Hi all,

I have inherited an old Mauser hunting rifle from my uncle recently. Unfortunately, I do not much information to go along to the rifle, except for a few points I gathered online, but that is also not much. Namibian gun laws also do not require much information to be placed on your license other than make and caliber. It was manufactured in Oberndorf, approximately 1926/27 from what I can gather. Chambered in 8x57JS. The stock is defos still original but a local gunsmith told me the barrel has been replaced. It is a Zeiss scope, but I am not sure when this was fitted - it is also very old.

Is there anyone that may be able to assist me with additional information and point me in the right direction?

Appreciate it and kind regards,

AP

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Hello StraightShooter,

It is an Original Sporting Mauser for sure but, as your gunsmith told, the barrel seems to have been changed.
Because the stock, also original, the rifle has been an Afrikan Model, with that long forearm and, originally, with a 74 cm barrel lenght
The scope, a Zeiss Zielvier 4x, I am pretty sure has been mounted at the Mauser factory. This because the scope mount, only used by the factory, and the way the front base has been installed, with a VERY shallow cuted dovetail (as should be!!) in the front ring.
The rifle was made, probably, around the 20s...

Nice rifle!

CF
 
Another thing...the rifle seems to have been reblued, may be less the floorplate and magazine. Perhaps then, the proof marks, that should be in the left side of the front bridge, were erased..They should be a B and U, with a crown on top of each letter, because of the rifle number.

Best!

CF
 
@Clodo Ferreira , so to help educate us a bit more on the Mauser, is this a 98? I had a Model 96 for a short while but didn't care for the cock on closing. Also, I see two triggers on this model, I assume it's a set trigger of some sort.
 
Hello StraightShooter,

It is an Original Sporting Mauser for sure but, as your gunsmith told, the barrel seems to have been changed.
Because the stock, also original, the rifle has been an Afrikan Model, with that long forearm and, originally, with a 74 cm barrel lenght
The scope, a Zeiss Zielvier 4x, I am pretty sure has been mounted at the Mauser factory. This because the scope mount, only used by the factory, and the way the front base has been installed, with a VERY shallow cuted dovetail (as should be!!) in the front ring.
The rifle was made, probably, around the 20s...

Nice rifle!

CF
Ok, great. Thanks for the insight - it helped a lot. On a different note: do these guns hold any specific value or are there so many in circulation that they are just old guns? A
 
@Clodo Ferreira , so to help educate us a bit more on the Mauser, is this a 98? I had a Model 96 for a short while but didn't care for the cock on closing. Also, I see two triggers on this model, I assume it's a set trigger of some sort.
The rear trigger would be the set trigger. When the rear trigger is pulled the front trigger becomes a hair trigger. Rifle goes boom with a very slight touch of the front trigger. Very scarce to find this configuration in original form.
 
Very nice. Are those see through scope mounts?
 
Welcome aboard StraightShooter. If this were mine, I'd consider it a good hunting rifle. Not one that could be put up for sale with the expectation of a high value. The caliber restricts it to Plains Game but there's nothing wrong with that. Have you tried shooting the rifle yet? If so, how did it perform?

Please introduce yourself and give us some more information about you as a hunter. things like what have you hunted in the past, what other firearms do you own, do you reload. There is a lot of knowledgeable folks on AH that are willing to share what they have learned. I hope you enjoy the site as much as I do.
 
For an authoritative review of your rifle, I would contact Axel Eichendorff, who posts as kuduae on the Nitro Express Forum. He is a fount of knowledge about commercial Mauser sporters and is a friend of Jon Speed, the author of two books on the subject.
 
Hi SShooter,

I also see your rifle as a "user" one. The barrel is not original and so.
Agree with xausa about kuduae! He is a REAL expert on german guns.
There is another guy who is a member of the gunboards forums. A site with many sub forums about military and sporting guns of many origins. His nick name is Fal Grunt. He is also a Very close friend of Jon Speed. More precisely, Fal Grunt is a kind of "speaker" of Jon Speed in that forum. Please, ask him! Or, if you prefer, I can send him your rifle pictures and questions. Up to you.
Good luck!

CF
 
Hi 375 Ruger,

Yes, it is a Sporting Mauser made on the M98 type action.
Jorg Kruger already answered your question about the two "triggers".

CF
 
Hi SShooter,

I also see your rifle as a "user" one. The barrel is not original and so.
Agree with xausa about kuduae! He is a REAL expert on german guns.
There is another guy who is a member of the gunboards forums. A site with many sub forums about military and sporting guns of many origins. His nick name is Fal Grunt. He is also a Very close friend of Jon Speed. More precisely, Fal Grunt is a kind of "speaker" of Jon Speed in that forum. Please, ask him! Or, if you prefer, I can send him your rifle pictures and questions. Up to you.
Good luck!

CF
Curious in that with matching numbers on barrel and receiver, how is it you believe its been re barreled? What are the clues?
TIA
 
Perhaps the original barrel was shoot out, due to actual shooting plus, may be, wrong cleaning procedures of the corrosive primers residues of period cartridges.
 
Perhaps the original barrel was shoot out, due to actual shooting plus, may be, wrong cleaning procedures of the corrosive primers residues of period cartridges.
What I mean is what in the pictures, gives one the idea its not original being the SN's on both barrel and receiver are the same?
 
Is it possible they may be just not readily visible, perhaps on the underside as they sometimes are?
I have never seen this not to be on the left side of the receiver ring and left side of the barrel of an original commercial sporting Mauser from Oberndorf. I might be wrong. I have 11 of them at home and it is always the same, gotta love that German attention to detail.
 

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