Mauser 1891

[Mariner]

Hello,

When my dad passed away a couple of years ago I aquired his 1891 mauser rifle. Apparently a gun smith was working on it before I was born and may not have finished what ever he was doing. Is there a gun smith in middle TN that I can take it to that could look it over and maybe do some work on it for me. I have also heard that they can be re chambered for a modern round that is available, unlike the hard to find ammo it takes now. Normally I would not spend the time on this gun, but it was my fathers and I would like to fire it again. I would also like to turn it into something a little more on the tactical style with a bipod and maybe a new stock as this thing was cut down by the way it looks. Any gunsmith recomendations would be helpfull, I live in Crossville.

Thanks

Karl

[Jonnin]

is this 7.65? It is not hard to deal with the ammo issue, if you reload. You can make or buy the brass, and the rest of it is very easy to find (303 brit slugs, whatever powder and primer). If you do not reload, you can find the ammo easily but it is rather expensive. Old ammo, of course, is going to be corrosive, anything pre 1960 is suspect.

You can have it cut up into 30-06 but that is shooting a 308 in a .312 bore and inaccurate and I strongly recommend against it. You can rebarrel it, and that might be a better answer than cutting the chamber up, since a rebarrel would give good accuracy. Here again, if you reload, you *could* poke a 303 brit into a 30-06 case, but at that point, you could just have made the original round so that would be strange and worse, it might cause a pressure issue if someone stuck your round in a real 30-06.

As the gun is already cut up, a new stock and whatever is of no additional harm --- it is already ruined for collectors and is just another shooter.

Another idea, you can take out the action and build a custom gun from there. Since you are already looking at a barrel and stock, why not?

If you want some help making the cases or talking 7.65, I went thru all that a couple of years ago and can help.

There is a type of bipod for bolt action guns that just fits on the barrel. Or you could drill and mount a rail on the underside and use an AR bipod. Either of these is pretty simple and you could probably DIY.

edit: ammo link:

http://www.ammunitio...ll-metal-jacket

$15 for 20. 30-06 costs as low as 12 for 20 -- but the "same" stuff from privi in '06 is also $15 per 20 so its not that big a difference in price.

Edited August 27, 2012 by Jonnin

[Mariner]

Thanks for the response. I like the idea of using the action to build a new rifle from. The end of the barrel has been turned down, I believe to accept a brake, and the stock has had a part carved out for no reason I can see. The spot was carved out nicely so it was done for a purpose, I just don't know what. I wish I had talked to my dad about this gun more when I had the chance, as it just sat in his closet my entire life. I do believe it was supposed to be a deer rifle my mom was giving him as a gift, just never got finished. As I love to shoot, but know next to nothing about gunsmithing, I will have to do some serious reading about having a gun built up from just an action. My father loved to shoot like me and he would have loved to of had a tactical style rifle. If anyone can point me in the correct direction on learning about building a rifle, please point the way.

Thanks

Karl

[NRA]

I vote to put it back to original condition for the next generation. FYI an original rifle is always worth more than a bubbaed one. Many parts and stocks can be found online.

[Mariner]

I never intend to get rid of it so building something out of it that I can shoot is the best option for me, and me and my father both liked the newer look of tactical rifles.

Karl

[Jonnin]

I cannot help you with building it, that is beyond me. Pretty much, you want a new stock, a new barrel (30-06 probably, possibly 30-30 would work as well or 243 or 25-05 stuff like that) and a way to put it all together so that it fits right, the barrel is bedded right, etc. Probably want it set up for a scope. Sounds simple but the tools to do that correctly and get it all fitted are going to present some challenges to you. Or you can pay someone to do it, but you will spend more than the gun will be worth to get it right.

even though cut up, save that barrel and stock, doubly so if their serial numbers match the action.

It will always be a bolt action. Its up to you, but BA + tacticool = doh to me. I would just make it a BA deer or target gun and call it good.

Edited August 28, 2012 by Jonnin

[Mariner]

My problem to, as I am not a gunsmith and will need a professional to help out. I have been looking at it sitting in the corner for a couple of days now and may just hang it on the wall. this is the way I got it from my father and it may need to stay this way. I would still like a gunsmith to look at it as I may shoot it the way it is if it is safe. Then it will go on the wall. Anyway i am planning to have something built around a Rem 700 action in 308 next spring. Just thought it would be cool to finish my dads rifle, but the more I read the more it doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

Thanks

Karl

Oh, the serial numbers all match as well.

[Jonnin]

In the end it is up to you. A customized 700 is likely to cost you more than a custom gun built off the mauser --- the mauser parts are free and in hand. If you are going to make a custom gun anyway, its just your choice to use what you have or start from scratch. Many, many mausers have been turned into custom rifles in this manner --- and for a reason, the action is one of the best ever made.

Shooting it and leaving it be is also a fine option, just as it is you have a high powered rifle of great quality. Only issue is somewhat limited choices for ammo if you do not make your own. 308 is certainly cheaper and easy to find...

I am not sure what it would take to convert the mauser to 308. The 308 is about 10-15% higher pressure, and that may be too much in the 91 when they were still using black powder (I think?). The 308 is smaller across the board, but not by MUCH .... it is thousandths of an inch smaller at the base, and not even .1 inch shorter OAL. As with the 06, the bullets are a hair too small for the barrel. the shape of the shoulder of the 308 is totally different. If it will chamber, it might actually shoot --- but I would be very careful about that pressure issue in that gun, and get someone besides ME to comment on how safe that might be. The mausers were tough, but 15% overpressure might be a bit much even so. It might be a better conversion than 30-06 --- the reason they did 30-06 is the 308 was not popular for civillians yet and 765 was unpossible to find, so the next best fit was the 06. 308 is just a little more than 06 for pressure....

Edited August 28, 2012 by Jonnin

[Jonnin]

I did a bit more research for you cause work is slow today.

The 1891 can handle NATO pressure (about 50k) 308s but not modern higher pressure loads (over 60k). The older 765 ammo was in the 45k range while newer stuff is 55k roughly.

So, in a nutshell, your gun as it is will shoot light 308 loads inaccurately (again, barrel wrong size) and 308 cases can be used to produce working ammo for it (insert .311 or .312 slugs).

Apparently a gunsmith can add a gas port in the action which would allow the higher pressure 308s to be used. If building a new gun from the action, this would be done as well, so it could very well be used to build a custom 308.

For whatever that is worth.

[Mariner]

Thanks for yhe info, i will peobably keep the mauser as is and buy some ammo for it and shoot it occasionally. After having a gun smmith look it over to ensure it is safe to fire. I want to build a nice tactical shooter that I can shoot at the range with the other 300 yard shooters (max distance at our range). I really appreciate the information as I was not finding much on my own. seems there is alot about the 98, but not much about the 91 that I could find. Everything just went on hold as I have to catch an integratedtug barge tomorrow and get back to work.

Thanks again.

Karl

[Guest Wildogre]

I have an 1891 Argentine that was my Uncles. He had the stock sporterized. When he died it was passed to my Dad who had it rebarreled in 257 Roberts and then it passed to me. It has been shot time to time over the years. I am looking to restock it myself after much research found this company www.rifle-stocks.com. I intend to order a stock from them shortly. The wait may be six to 12 weeks but it is one of the few places I have found. They have several "tactical" style stocks if that is what you want.

My advice is to do what you want with it. Re-barreling or rechambering into 7 mm Mauser may be an option. Pick the the stock you want from the above site and get what you want.

The prices that I found quickly for a sporterized version are in the $300 or less range and in original condition $500 - $900. But then I am not a collector and have not played one on TV.

[Clod Stomper]

I picked up a "bubba'ed" 91 Argy about 10 years ago for 90 bucks. Back then, it was nearly impossible to find ANY ammo, so I formed some from 30-06 brass. I fooled around with it for a while, considered rebarreling it, etc. Finally decided that considering the age of the rifle and the lack of safety features like the '98 has (safety lug, gas port, better metallurgy), I'll just leave it in the safe unless I really need it.

If I wanted to build a tacticool ripersnifle on a budget, I'd pick up a Stevens 200 or a Savage 10 or 110.

I did, however, put a 7.62x39 barrel on a '89 Belgian action that I picked up really cheap. Unfortunately I can't find the trigger guard/magazine assembly so I haven't gotten to shoot it yet. Even with that lower pressure round, I'm going to shoot even lower pressure handloads only.

Will

[Jonnin]

That is what I did too, reformed 30-06. Thankfully each case lasts a long, long time or that would get very tedious in a hurry; I think I was able to make about 5 cases a day, each one took me a good 30 min from 30-06. It turns out you can force 308 brass to work without any extra effort (just get a bigger expander in your die or use the 765 die set), but I did not know that at the time (doh!).

I am glad I did it. I learned a ton making those cases, and next time, I will buy some privi and re-use their brass!