What kind of Mauser Action Is This?

[rookhawk]

My son wanted a larger caliber rifle for Christmas and I found this gem for the right price. I saw that it was a quality "lifetime" gun and figured I'd start my son out with a gun he won't outgrow since he was bragging that the recoil on the family .243 is no big thing and he was ready for more punch.

The question remains, what the heck is it?

It's a German Mauser. It is modern. (made post-1968) It doesn't look like a large ring as best as I can measure, and it doesn't look like a "traditional" single or double square bridge action either. I've found no other example to compare it to online in the modern era Mauser department.

Some sort of one-off run of square bridge non-magnum actions? There is more material present on the receiver than would be possible if you just milled down a large ring it seems, and the bridges don't look welded up to me.

It takes a side pivot mount from the front saddle, and then locks to the rear bridge dovetail.

Thanks for giving your opinions on this strange made-for-European-Market oddity.

 

[Ray B]

Hi Rook, in looking through a couple brochures I have on Mausers I don't see anything that resembles your rifle. The one is a 32 page magazine printed by NRA in the mid 80s and contains several articles and by-lines reprinted from various American Rifleman issues. The second is an advertisement printed by Stoeger Publishing 1964 with drawings and specs for the various Mauser models. Since your rifle has a few features that I do not find showing in either publication, I'm guessing that these are after market- I'm referring to the M70 style safety and the concave bolt handle. since the stock wasn't inletted for the thumb slot, I'm guessing that the stock is also after market. Are there any indicators as to who did the work?

 

[rookhawk]

Hi Rook, in looking through a couple brochures I have on Mausers I don't see anything that resembles your rifle. The one is a 32 page magazine printed by NRA in the mid 80s and contains several articles and by-lines reprinted from various American Rifleman issues. The second is an advertisement printed by Stoeger Publishing 1964 with drawings and specs for the various Mauser models. Since your rifle has a few features that I do not find showing in either publication, I'm guessing that these are after market- I'm referring to the M70 style safety and the concave bolt handle. since the stock wasn't inletted for the thumb slot, I'm guessing that the stock is also after market. Are there any indicators as to who did the work?

Hi @Ray B , there are no indications as to who did the work. It seems like a commercial product in many ways, as opposed to a bespoke, custom built gun. The safety for example, looks like something production as opposed to a three position premium after-market safety. (e.g. the red / white dots on safety are lawyer recommended for commercial makers) The stock (not shown) is a Bavarian boar-back style with a very contemporary, modern triple fluting to the comb. The stock doesn't seem aftermarket to me. In addition, the stripper clip slot isn't military dimension but is rather squared off and doesn't plunge beneath the stock either. However, a saddle mount and a EAW pivot mount are not typically "production gun" items, nor is the color case hardened receiver. I had heard that for a period of time Heym was making rifles for Mauser and it does seem very heym-esque in some of its stylings.

So overall, I remain mostly dumbfounded by the gun. Nonetheless, I thought it was a heck of a nice first rifle for my son in near-new condition in a great caliber, so I bought it. (7x64 Brenneke)

 

[HWL]

Is there a German proof mark on the left side of the receiver?

Are there any other (proof) marks, receiver or barrel?

The stamping of "Mauser Werke Oberndorf" looks something strange….

Shouldnt it be "Mauser-Werke A.G. Oberndorf A./N."?


HWL

 

[GuttormG]

To me it looks like a heavily altered m98. Welded on "square bridges"?

 

[rookhawk]

Munich post-1968 proof marks on gun.

 

[Shootist43]

Where do you find these treasures? Regardless of your efforts to find its' origin you've got the boy started out right. Is the L.O.P. going to be an issue, or is your son just going to have to wait a while and grow a little. If it is a European Production gun, I'll bet one of our AH friends from the E.U. will be able to identify it. I have a Heym manufactured Mauser in 375 H&H. If that rifle shoots anything like mine, the boy won't be taking any back seats at a shooting contest.

 

[Hammergun]

I don't know what kind of Mauser that is but I do know those are "torch colors", made to mimic color case hardening. It is very common in the Bubba gunsmithing of sxs shotguns. It really only fools those who have seen little or no authentic color hardening. It is not particularly dangerous in sxs shotguns, but I would worry about the heat treatment being damaged on a rifle. Buyer beware.

 

[Dewald]

It is strange that there is a thumb hole in the left receiver wall but no stripper clip notch on the rear receiver ring. The font also seems odd and the term “Mauser Werke Oberndorf” was as far as I know never used.

I’ve seen thumb slots cut into actions for cosmetic reasons. One possibility is a Brno ZKK or 537 action that had its square receiver tops altered. Most had a side slot on the left rear receiver for scope mounts though, but not all.

 

[Shootist43]

If the bridges were welded on, wouldn't that explain the "torch colors?"

 

[Hammergun]

The short answer is no. Any color from welding would be removed during cleanup and finishing. Those colors were put there by running a torch over the metal to mimic case hardening colors.

 

[Shootist43]

What about those guys in Ferlach Austria, or do they only make double rifles?

 

[rookhawk]

I don't know what kind of Mauser that is but I do know those are "torch colors", made to mimic color case hardening. It is very common in the Bubba gunsmithing of sxs shotguns. It really only fools those who have seen little or no authentic color hardening. It is not particularly dangerous in sxs shotguns, but I would worry about the heat treatment being damaged on a rifle. Buyer beware.

Cyanide Color Case Hardening, not torch work guys, come on. Honestly, that is a poor assertion. The story would go in your scenario "I'm going to do garbage crap work with a benzotorch and do up this receiver annealing and ruining it, but first I'm going to install and engrave standing sights, a German saddle mount on the barrel, inlet a ken howell style sling stud in the stock, put on a barrel band swivel and safari style ramp sight, and then I'm going to install one of the most difficult and expensive scope arrangements ever conceived. (those things don't reconcile)

Not "bubba gunsmithed" based on overall quality. Munich proof marks. Date code on top is 10.2 after the post-1968 to present proof marks, making me think possible October, 2002?

 

[rookhawk]

To me it looks like a heavily altered m98. Welded on "square bridges"?

The magazine stripper slot on left side is not of the kind used on a military mauser as it doesn't have the right width nor insufficient depth to be military, so it would have to be a civilian/commercial action of some sort in the beginning.

 

[rookhawk]

What about those guys in Ferlach Austria, or do they only make double rifles?

Munich proof marks, @Shootist43

 

[Shootist43]

Ok Foxi, now it is time for you to do some research and chime in here.

 

[Hammergun]

I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. I admit it looks like nice work. But just for safeties sake, look at online pictures of cyanide colors. Also there are many photos of cyanide colors vs. torch colors on doublegunshop.com. I've been looking at case colors on guns for over 40 years. I just don't want you to have an unsafe gun. And as others have pointed out, the lettering on the receiver seems to be incorrect. That's a second sign of trouble. I won't comment further.

 

[rookhawk]

I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. I admit it looks like nice work. But just for safeties sake, look at online pictures of cyanide colors. Also there are many photos of cyanide colors vs. torch colors on doublegunshop.com. I've been looking at case colors on guns for over 40 years. I just don't want you to have an unsafe gun. And as others have pointed out, the lettering on the receiver seems to be incorrect. That's a second sign of trouble. I won't comment further.

I agree that the lettering is not as written on earlier guns because it is missing dashes, dots, etc. I don't think its an expensive or "best" gun, nor do I think it's a designed to deceive a buyer as to its origins, it has a lot of features that seem to point to a production run from someone, yet with some embellishments. The date code of 10.2 after the Munich (1968-present) proof marks seem to be October, 2002. The gun's comb (not pictured) is kind of "science fiction" modernist Bavarian with a traditional Schnabel tip, the safety is a very modern (not custom shop) safety. The barrel has a high number serial number on it also. (32XXX range) It doesn't have the litany of proof marks and stampings that an older commercial mauser would have. I think to lay things to rest, after my son gets it for Christmas tomorrow I'm going to take the stock off and see what it says underneath as there are probably additional indications on that side.

 

[Nyati]

I see a custom Mauser 98 action, with a type Win 70 safety and curved bolt handle.

It lacks the second pin bolt on the stock as in the old magnum actions.

Not familiar with the markings, but they have been in production for so many years ...

Commercial production, even if it has the magazine stripper slot.

Could be a small production run ordered by an important distributor.

 

[Shootist43]

Dittos on the small production run by a Big Distributor. Like that place whose name starts with an "L." Never bought anything there just remember reading about it.