Curious About The Swedish Mauser

[ronny]

My opinion only, but I think the Swedish Mauser is one of the best rifles ever made and the 6.5x55 is one of the best rounds ever made (right there with 7x57 and 30.06). It would be hard to go wrong with a Swedish Mauser. You pick some good ones, Brandi.

Look at dlbleak's post about those old "Guns" magazines. It'll make you cry. It did me.

 

[dlbleak]

Sorry for the confusion. I was specifically talking about the MBA shoots held at the gun clubs. Sights and stocks must be original. The FSR sights were added to the rifles at a layer date. If one wants to scope one out and go deer hunting, I think the choice would be ideal for that.

 

[excat]

Sorry for the confusion. I was specifically talking about the MBA shoots held at the gun clubs. Sights and stocks must be original. The FSR sights were added to the rifles at a layer date. If one wants to scope one out and go deer hunting, I think the choice would be ideal for that.

Gotcha. I misinterpreted what you meant by "shoots" in your post. All clear now. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[turkeyrun]

The 6.5x55 is an outstanding, mid recoil, accurate, and performs excellently on most North American game. I am a BIG fan of the caliber and the M96 rifle , also. Of course, modern rifles are available in 6.5x55. The .260 Rem has almost identical ballistics and characteristics to the Swede.

 

[Boehlertaught]

I was watching Shooting USA and they were discussing Swedish mausers. I really liked the looks of them and according to the show they are usually found in excellent condition. I liked the silver look to the bolt and stuff, similar to stainless or something? I've become a recent fan of 6.5 calibers after getting my Grendel and I've read the 6.5x55/6.5 Swede is an excellent hunting caliber.

What kind of prices do these guns usually go for? I looked at some different sites and prices were all over the map but seemed to stay between $250-$800.

Does anyone have any experience with these rifles? Like them, hate them?

I'm thinking I might add one of these to my list of "wants" for the future.

Thanks

Swedes are excellent rifles and as others have said the 6.5 x 55 round has mild recoil. We've hunted with them for years using hand loads with Hornady A-max bullets (similar off the shelf ammo is available). The Swede will take down any game animal in America. I'm almost positive the bolts are not stainless but I have not seen a rusty one. The price on Swedes with matching serial numbers have come up in recent years but the prices others have mentioned are what I've seen too. Remember that the Swedes put a serial number on everything...really! An all matching serial number Swede will be quite a bit more than one that does not have matching serial numbers. But don't worry if the numbers don't match. All the Swedes I have and have competed against shot really well.

 

[criticalbass]

Reloading for these is usually the avenue that shooters choose. If you do, be sure to do lots of cross checking on proper loads, and don't get "experimental." The range from under pressure to over pressure loads is narrower than for most calibeers. It isn't a deal breaker, but it does require a little extra care on charges.

I have a 96 that is extremely accurate. It has open sights. I am considering trading it for one with "peep sights" because of the greater precision these offer. It's a really long rifle.

 

[TROOPI6]

The Swedish Mauser is an exceptional firearm - top quality materials, design, workmanship, and assembly - plus that great 6.5mm round. I used to say that if my wife told me to get rid of all my rifles but one, I'd ask for two, and one would be a Swedish Model 96. At one point, and these were "keepers", I had seven M96, one M96-38, one M38, and one M94. My favorite is the M96, and I have never found someone who disliked his or her M96. Last winter I met a man I had sold an M96 a couple of years ago. He was very pleased with its performance and said no one at his range could out shoot him with open sights. Prices around this part of the East Coast are in the $350-$450 range for both the M96 and M38; each model has its followers. I can see another $50-$100 for diopter rear sights, Finnish Army marks, and fancy wood grains, but that's about it for me, although you'll see much higher prices asked here and there. It would have to be cheap or special for me to consider a rifle without a matching bolt, because it's so easy to find them here with matching bolts. Now, prices for the M94 are much higher here - $600 and more, plus those without barrel extensions, bayonet lugs, School weapons, etc. bring much more. As to using a scope, check out S&K Scope Mounts, LLC in Pennsylvania. They make a series of mounts and rings for various surplus rifles, to include the M96. Their mount replaces the rear sight and the new system locks in tight. The nice part is you haven't modified or damaged your rifle and its collectability and can go back to the original system if/when you want. I'm not a scope shooter, but have discussed the S&K mounts with a few driven scope shooters and they like it! On-line and magazine comments support their feelings. Don't tap your rifle for a scope!

 

[ronny]

Somebody please tell me this is not true. http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=435545473

 

[crrcboatz]

Heck of a lucky stroke for someone. Have seen them that nice sell for 900-1000 or more.

 

[ronny]

Yeah, there were actually 2 in that same time period which went for $500+.