New - to me - Mauser Sporter

[Nailcreek1]

I just picked up this sporter of indeterminate clambering and provenance. While I wonder whether it's a "cigarette rifle", the stock and sights appear post-WWI. No serial, or above wood markings other than shown. Thoughts on what I might have here? It won't close on a 8X57JS snapcap and a .313 gauge will slide in the bore. It has been "worked on" over the years, so it's not strictly original. Thoughts from the board?

 

[318AE]

That’s a great looking old rifle and interesting find. Absent doing a chamber casting it’s hard to say for certain. It looks to be a .318 bore 8mm, the predecessor to the .323 Spitzer bore. Woodleigh makes .318 bore 8mm bullets.

 

[HWL]

I just picked up this sporter of indeterminate clambering and provenance. While I wonder whether it's a "cigarette rifle", the stock and sights appear post-WWI. No serial, or above wood markings other than shown. Thoughts on what I might have here? It won't close on a 8X57JS snapcap and a .313 gauge will slide in the bore. It has been "worked on" over the years, so it's not strictly original. Thoughts from the board?View attachment 396071View attachment 396072View attachment 396073View attachment 396074View attachment 396075

Try to feed a live 8x57IS cartridge from inside the magazine, not from laying on the follower.....

This is a claw feeded action not a push feed.

HWL

 

[Nailcreek1]

Try to feed a live 8x57IS cartridge from inside the magazine, not from laying on the follower.....

This is a claw feeded action not a push feed.

HWL

Thanks, I do think the next step is sorting through a chamber cast. More to come.

 

[Rimshot]

For a projectile option at a fraction the cost of Woodleigh (assuming you're not in Australia), I use Speer or Sierra .323 flat base spitzer and resize to .318 thru a Lee die. You need a press with a decent amount of leverage and plenty of lube but it works great. It's a little easier to size .321 bullets intended for 32 special but they aren't aerodynamic like the standard 8mm bullets.

 

[HWL]

For a projectile option at a fraction the cost of Woodleigh (assuming you're not in Australia), I use Speer or Sierra .323 flat base spitzer and resize to .318 thru a Lee die. You need a press with a decent amount of leverage and plenty of lube but it works great. It's a little easier to size .321 bullets intended for 32 special but they aren't aerodynamic like the standard 8mm bullets.

The 7,9 mm mark indicates, the barrel is a "S"-bore.....323 dia.

8x57IS should be fine.

Chamber has to be cleaned thoroughly, and properly loaded I guess, the rifle will accept this cartridge.

HWL

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats on the addition!

 

[Shootist43]

From the markings it has been determined what the rifle once was. However as you said it has been "worked over the years." I'd slug the chamber and bore to be certain, but I think you are already planning to do that. Depending on the condition of the bore, that should make you a mighty nice old rifle.

 

[rinehart0050]

Couple notes on proof markings:

Crown over N: smokeless powder (nitro)
Stmg: Stahlmantelgeschoss, steel clad bullets
14gr?: 14 grams

The 7,9mm makes me assume 8mm Mauser as the caliber.