6.5x55 m/96 Swedish Mauser

[Dutchman]

Greetings

Did a little cast bullet shooting last week with a couple first time loads in the m/96 Swedish Mauser. Bullets were the 140 gr Loverin from Wayne Douda and the 170gr from Gardner's Cache.

I'm sorry the powder charge was tossed with the boringly common and totally unimaginative Unique. Load for the 140 gr was 10.5 grs and a Lee crimp. Cases were Swedish once-fired military Berdan primed m/14 Gallery cases.

140 gr. Range was 50 yds. 5 shots. I was surprised but attribute it to the relative mediocre velocity about 1,500 fps.



The powder & charge for the 170 gr was 15.4 grs SR4759 (Lee 1.6cc dipper). Wasn't as good but this was a first effort. This bullet is so dang long. OAL was around 3.025". Couldn't seat it out more as it was banging into the rifling. Lee crimp was used.



The rifle used was this one. It has a #3 bore plus some extra wear. It surprised the heck outta me that it shot that one group with cast bullets. The scope is a NcStar 4x32 on a custom made no-mod LER mount. The mount needs tweaking as it restricts rearward adjustment of the eye relief. I had to choke up on the comb to get a solid repeatable sight picture. This rifle also has a Dayton trigger. I figured since this was my primary range rifle I'd slurge. I like it alot.

correction = this looks like the Tasco 3x28 not the NcStar 4x32 scope.



This below "group" (term used loosely) was fired with a 1902 Carl Gustaf m/96 with an extremely worn bore. Worst barrel I've ever seen on a Swedish rifle. This is with the 140 gr bullet.



You can tell how much more accurate the 170 gr cast bullets were. Out of the 4 that hit the target 2 of them went in a little bit off kilter.



I have one spare new m/96 barrel and this 1902 Gustaf m/96 will probably get it. Its a mis-match bolt but otherwise quite nice overall. It has Elit target sights. Can you tell?

Dutchman

[scrapcan]

can you tell me a little more about the LER scope mount? Things you like, things you don't? Where to get it? Price?

Just getting ready to play with a m96.

[Dutchman]

can you tell me a little more about the LER scope mount? Things you like, things you don't? Where to get it? Price?
Just getting ready to play with a m96.

This scope is a Tasco 3x28 handgun scope, long obsolete but very light and small and ideal for this application.



The mount attaches via the ladder pin and the rear sight base setscrew, which on some rifles is soldered in place during the soldering process to attach the rear sight base.



This is the world's lowest long eye relief scope mount for a 1896 Swedish Mauser.
You can't buy it. You can't buy anything like it. It was scratch made on my 1942 Index Model 40 vertical milling machine in my home shop. I have a high interest in no-mod long eye relief scope mounts for vintage military rifles but I'm working with a non-CNC milling machine in a one-man shop. If I every did any production it would be very small production.

I'm currently beginning the design for a LER mount for the K98k Mauser and then the Gewehr 98 Mauser. They also will be the world's lowest LER mounts. After that will be the Persian 98/29, Brazilian 1908 and Argentine 1909. These rifles have a impedment to low scope mounting as the handguard configuration interferes with a low mount. The K98k and Gewehr 98 both have no handguard whatsoever between the rear sight base and the receiver making them the absolute best design for such an arrangement. The 1908 Brazilian, Persian & 1909 Argentine will be a higher mounting because of the handguard.

As I said, this particular m/96 mount is a bit too short in that it doesn't allow enough rearward scope adjustment when the NcStar scope is mounted. It works splendidly with the Tasco 3x28 just as it is but I wanted to try the NcStar 4x32 because they're cheap and so am I.

Also with the NcStar *steel* tube scopes the balance is severely affected on the m/96. The Tasco isn't nearly as bad as you can't hardly tell its mounted but that heavy NcStar throws things off as far as handling characteristics.

What I like about it - its cool to be able to see the target, have no interference whatsoever with the rifle action or bolt manipulation or ejection. Long eye relief scopes take a little getting use to but they grow on you. I certainly have the capability to mount scopes on the receiver but my design goal was ~no-mods~ and ~low as can be~.

S&K makes a pretty good LER mount. My two complaints is its too high and some of the models use proprietary rings, though some of his latest designs use Weaver rings. But its too high overall. The anchoring is solid and for that reason I give S&K two thumbs up for Mauser LER mounts.

Dutchman

[Larry Gibson]

can you tell me a little more about the LER scope mount? Things you like, things you don't? Where to get it? Price?

Just getting ready to play with a m96.

Below are pictures of one I made for my Swede Scout. I used a Burris base for a Marlin lever action. I also squared off the back of it and put a Redfield aperture on it that used to come on some Redfield bases. Makes for a very nice unabtrusive back up sight. The scope is the Leupold Scout so the eye relief is perfect. The rifle also has been converted to cock on open and has a single stage trigger. It makes for an excellent scout rifle. I made my own mount because all the commercial ones put the scopes up to high. The occular lens housing needs to be down close over the front receiver ring. You should not have to "look" for the scope when the rifle is shouldered. The view through the scope should just "be there".

Larry Gibson

[Dutchman]

Leave us not forget these are two very different mounts. Even though they may appear similar. Designing a mount for a sporter doesn't require preservation of the originality. The design constraint of "no modification to the rifle" is where the challenge lies. Sometimes you scratch your head and walk away (for years).

I always welcome comment, critique and competition. This is a very fascinating aspect of vintage military rifle shooting and I enjoy it very much as it blends together so many things I enjoy.

One other thing, Larry -- utilizing existing parts or modifying existing parts is a very good and prudent design principle. I do it myself whenever possible. If you google "airsoft scope mounts" you'll see how much CHEAPER the same item is than one offered for a firearm. I'm currently perusing Weaver rail in order to blend together a mount and rail to facilitate construction.

Dutchman

[jh45gun]

I have one that is lower but then it is permanent too. I mounted a weaver Rail for a Remington 740/42 which of course is curved at the bottom to fit the rounded reciever of that semi auto to a tube and then epoxied that where the old sight base was soldered on. Used Epoxy on my gunsmiths reccomendation as that is what Ashley said you could do with their mounts also. Never had a problem with it it is there to stay.