Need calber suggestions for custom Swedish Mauser rebuild

MongoMike

MongoMike

New member
I have a customized Swedish Mauser (1908) customized in the 1960s or early 1970s. The current caliber is .257 Roberts Ackley Improved. A previous owner (two or three owners ago) believes it has a Shaw chromoly steel barrel, 1-10 twist. He claims it was a real shooter when he owned it 30 years ago, but I find the accuracy is dismal...the best is around 3 inch groups now matter the bullet or powder. It is a really nice looking rifle, and has a nice Wenig walnut stock, a well done turned down bolt, and a decent aftermarket Bold trigger. I am an avid handloader and I already have a nice custom Remington 700 257AI. I plan on rebarreling this rifle soon, and I can't decide on a caliber.

My choices may be limited by the length of the action, but I am not sure how short or long a case this action can handle.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Well, without having to modify the bolt any the thought of a .243 AI comes to mind and a 22/250 AI does as well. Of course the .260 Remington either in standard or AI would be good if you want to just make yourself a nice deer rifle out of it.
 
As was mentioned, the Swedish Mausers were all originally chambered in 6.5x55 which is an ecxcellent cartride for just about anything short of Brown Bears in Norty America. Because of the CRF function of these early rifles, AI'ing one might cause rougher than normal feeding from the magazine.

The action feed lips could be modified to accomodate a straight walled AI cartridge to feed smoothly, but there is no going back to a standard case if you do that. Other than the cock on closing feature, these are excellent and very strong actions.

BTW - I'm guessing the 1908 nomenclature might be misleading. The named "Swedish Mausers" were Model 96 Mausers. If yours is a Model 98 action as the 1908 name might indicate, it might have been built in Sweden by one of the companies mentioned or at least one other, but its not a true "Swedish Mauser" in the historical sense. It's simply a 98 variant made in Sweden. Either way its a good strong foundation for a custom rifle. If it's a 98 Mauser, the 7x57 is a natural.

Although they are all called Swedish Mausers, some of the original Model 96's referred to as Swedish Mausers were actually built in Germany by Oberndorf. The true "Swedish" Model 96 ones chambered in 6.5x55 were built by either Carl Gustav or Husqvarna.
 
I'm assuming the 1908 is the build date stamped on the top of the front receiver ring? Probably a Gustav Model 96 Swedish Mauser.......the Model 94, 96 and 38 Mausers were Swedish Mausers built by either Gustav or Husqvarna as mentioned above. These are NOT 98 Mauser actions and, although built very well and machined to very good tolerances, heat treat spec's, etc., were built specifically for the 6.5 x 55 Swedish round, which in it's originally spec's, is a lower pressure round than most more "modern" US cartridges. The 6.5 x 55 is an excellent round, and has been knocking down moose over there for over a hundred years - mostly because of it's well-made, fast-twist original barrels that handle long, heavy, deep-penetrating bullets. Point I'm getting at is these "Swedish" Mauser actions were not originally intended for pressures like you're looking at, possibly even in the 257AI it's currently chambered in. The old Kimber reman'd a bunch of Swedes back when they were much cheaper, and chambered some in newer, higher pressure cartridges - I doubt many of them blew up, but no one else likes to got here much. Just my 2 cents.....YMMV.

If the gun is a 98 Mauser action, whole different ball game.
 
I know this is an old post but it touches on a question I've had. I've never loaded for my rifles (load quite a bit of .40 though). I've got one of the Kimber sporterized rifles mentioned. When I start looking at load manuals will those max loads be safe in that action?
 
Originally Posted By: SDMI know this is an old post but it touches on a question I've had. I've never loaded for my rifles (load quite a bit of .40 though). I've got one of the Kimber sporterized rifles mentioned. When I start looking at load manuals will those max loads be safe in that action?

Generally newer manual loading manual loads are for more modern, "stronger" actions. Again, the "Swedes" were a well-built, smooth, well heat-treated action, but acre is in order here. I wouldn't hotrod it. Remember, probably more deer have died from a "slow" 30-30, than a faster 308.
 


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