8mm Mauser

[mfreem08]

I received this 8mm Mauser from my dad today. I'm pretty sure it was a hand down from my deceased grandfather and don't know much else about it. All I have been able to decern so far is it was manufactured in 1939. Any help is much appreciated at decoding it. Pix attached.

2nd pic is the 3 "birds" the first bird has 357 under it, the second bird is unreadable under it, the third bird looks like 37 under it.

3rd pic is the 3 birds, all with 359 under them

 

[mfreem08]

More pix

1st pic has 147 and 1939 stamped

2nd pic has 5479 on the bolt

3rd pic has 6099 on the barrel

 

[mfreem08]

Last pic

Another showing 147 and 1939

 

[tater134]

You have a sporterized K98k that was produced by JP Sauer in 1939. The three "birds" on the receiver are Waffenamts and are proof markings. Your rifle has been heavily modified, buffed, and reblued. It also appears to be in a cut down Gew 98 stock. Its not worth much from a collectors standpoint but if the barrel is in decent shape it should be a good shooter. Here is a photo of my K98k so you can see what it would have looked like originally.

 

[mfreem08]

I was afraid of that (sporterized) bc I couldn't find any pictures of k98s with this type of stock. Well, I'll take her out to the range and see how she shoots. Needs a good cleaning first but I'll tear it down and shine her up. Thanks for the decoding.

 

[wpsdlrg]

Not at all uncommon - a "bringback" rifle made over into a good, workmanlike sporter. Not a collector's item (as tater said), but still a rifle with a lot of history and character. For me, such a rifle has 1000 % more appeal than a modern commercial sporter of ANY type.

I would be proud and pleased to own such a rifle.

 

[kilimanjaro]

Your Grandfather did a good job on the conversion to a deer rifle. I'd love to have one like it, and in fact do have two, both nicely done, had for a song. They are light in weight, superbly designed and machined, and good shooters. You can use the 8mm on elk if you get the bullet right and don't shoot beyond 200 yards. I've seen these 'scoped out nicely and good shooters out to 600 yards, but I prefer the iron sights and shorter shots.

 

[10-96]

Mfreem08-
If you can- double check to make 100% sure it's still chambered in 8mm Mauser. A good nomber of bringbacks had their chambers reamed to 8mm-06. Which was loading 8mm bullets in opened up .30-06 cases. RCBS still makes the dies and can tell you quite a bit more about the history and how common it was. Seems there were 8mm bullets available in the late 40's and 50's, but the problem of finding brass led to the reamings.

 

[mfreem08]

10-96

I do know it's a K98 & we shot it probably 7 years ago approximately 10 rounds with Sellier & Bellot 8x57.
Any way of checking other what we have already shot?

 

[F. Guffey]

“Any way of checking other what we have already shot?”

That is it, you did good, I have fired 8mm57 in an 8mm06 chamber, Hatcher fired 30/06 in his modified chamber, I ejected 8mm06 cases with very short necks, Hatcher ejected formed 30/06 modified cases, his case body length increased .080” from the head of the case to its shoulder, his case shortened, part of the case body became part of the shoulder, part of the neck became part of the shoulder. Hatcher? he just knew the case head would separate from the case body, he knew the case could not stretch .080”.

Both his case and my case shortened. the cases was fired, when the case was fired a new shoulder was formed. O am the fan of cutting down on all that case travel, neither Hatcher’s case or my case did any traveling forwarded.

A 30/06 case will chamber in an 8mm/06 chamber, both will have the same case head protrusion, meaning the bolt will close on a 30/06 case when chambered to 8mm06. A bad habit would be to chamber a live round.

there are a few that have managed to close the bolt on a 30/06 chamber after chambering a 8mm57 round. my opinion, firing a 8mm57 round in a 30/06 chamber can render a rifle scrap. And that is the reason I am not a fan of closing the bolt with belt resistance, I believe it is a bad habit. There are a number of reasons for belt resistance to bolt closing, not all of the reasons are good, I know, sounds good, “I like to un-bump my shoulders to eliminate the difference in length between the case and chamber, I want my case longer than the chamber” etc.. I believe it is a bad habit.

The difference in length between Hatchers modified experiment and firing a 8mm57 in a 8mm06 chamber is .125, meaning Hatcher formed his shoulder forward of the old shoulder .080”, I formed the 8mm57 shoulder forward .127”, Hatcher knew his case heads would separate, we all know the case will not stretch .080”, his case and my case did not stretch, his case and my case did not run to the front of the chamber in an attempt to out run the firing pin, my firing pins are mechanical and operated by a spring.

F. Guffey

 

[James K]

Based on your having fired it with 8x57, I doubt very much that the chamber has been modified or you would have noticed the odd-looking cases.

Jim