Your Model 91 looks like many that were sporterized and sold at Sears and Montgomery Wards back in the 60s. The modifications, as with your rifle, were well done and the bores on most of these are in good condition.
I make my brass from LC 30/06 cases using an RCBS trim and form die. I have good results doing this. I like SR 4759 powder, but it's getting scarce now. 4198 or 3031 will work well in its stead. For cast bullets, I like the Lyman 314299 (208 grains) sized to .314" at about 1,800 fps for best accuracy and long range performance. The short neck on the 7.65 case will necessitate a lube grove outside of the neck unless you want to seat the bullet down deeply. I like mine seated out to just work through the magazine as the lead in the Argentiniens is pretty long.
Stipper clips for the Model 1891 and 1909 Rifles are odd in that they do not have guide ribs on them like most service rifle stripper clips of the era. The extension on the bolt release provides pressure on the clip to ensure function when it is inserted into the clip guide on the receiver bridge.
Good luck and good shooting with your new rifle.
Last edited by Scharfschuetze; 08-13-2017 at 12:53 PM.
Keep your powder dry,
Scharf
Thanks ! Found new cases and dies @ Graf. SARCO has the missing Front band, spacer for it and rod. Good winter project to undo "duffle cut". Already have a Mosin mold, good place to start.
Any ideas on sourcing clips ?
Congratulations! You will like the rifle even more after you shoot it, and still more yet when you begin reloading for it. If needs be you can easily make brass from .30-06. The Argies ground the crest off from a huge number that were originally imported into the U.S., but in subsequent smaller shipments in later years allowed them to remain. I have two full length rifles, both without the crest, as well as two that have been cut down, also without the crest, but one engineer carbine with the crest. It's hard to imagine that a rifle could have ever been made to higher standards than the 1891 for fit and finish. As for clips, I guess you've tried Gun Parts Corp. and SARCO? Also try e-bay. The good thing is that you don't really need a clip to load the rifle's magazine.
Numrich is a possible source of stripper clips also.
I love shooting my 91 Arg. Tack driver at 100 yds.
You might be interested in this add for Model 1891 Mausers. In my youth, these rifles were available by the dozen at sporting goods counters at many stores. Your rifle quite possibly was sold at Montgomery Wards or Sears to its first civilian owner.
Keep your powder dry,
Scharf
If the serial number indicates 1899 year of manufacture, be sure to slug the bore
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7br aka Mark B.
On the internet, I am 6ft tall, good looking and can dance.
It doesn't have a magazine lock and is made by Ludwig Loewe so its an early one and antique per U.S. law.
My C-prefix was made in 1892.
Dutch
I guess he is suggesting, with no evidence, that the early ones somehow had a different bore dimension. I find it hard to believe any peacetime Lowe product was not subject to stringent inspection and did not meet purchaser's specification.
Good idea to slug the bore no matter the year of production. I have 6 of these and bores run from .311" to .315". I have replaced some of the really bad barrels with NOS, most of which had tighter bores.
The PPU loaded ammo I find is somewhat on the hot side for the tighter bores. Varies with the gun used.
Be aware that the base of the original ammo was slightly larger than cases based off the 30-06. Both function fine except the smaller bases might be too loose in the clips.
14grs of Unique with the 314299 matched to the bores makes a very accurate load for plinking.
Dutch is correct about the magazine lock, unless someone has removed it. Look for a hole in the triggerguard just in front of the magazine.
If you want to PM me the serial number I can look up the date of manufacture and some other info you might be interested in.
My argentine was manufactured in that year. Everything I read said to size to .314. When I did, bullets were going through the target sideways. My smith took a cast of the chamber and let me know the bore was .319. Life has been much better since I found that out
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7br aka Mark B.
On the internet, I am 6ft tall, good looking and can dance.
I have two of them (G and H prefixes) made in 1894. The bore on one is .311" and the bore on the other is .313." I run my 314299 bullets through a .315" sizer and shoot them like that in the rifles. Accuracy is about as good as it gets with any old military rifle and cast bullets. The .311" bore rifle shoots the best. Probably because the bore riding bullet is in tighter contact with the lands.
50 and 100 yard 10 shot groups with the 314299 bullet (Alox & GC) using 4759 powder in cases formed from LC brass.
Keep your powder dry,
Scharf
91's are one of my favorites.
I had one as a kid, teenager and adult. I used it as my deer rifle for quite a few years too. I bagged several deer with it as well. Nothing wrong with them. I gave mine to my brother in law and he didn't like it as he didn't want to reload and factory Norma ammo was getting expensive. So he sold it or traded it, instead of returning it to me.
I have two of these rifles also, one a long rifle and another one just like the shortened one in the advertisement you showed. I also have the same mold and was wondering if you would suggest to us how many grains of 4759 might produce the 1800 fps you had luck with?
Scharfscheutze is old.....almost catching up to me.........but he can still shoot very, very well.........
Larry Gibson
“Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
― Nikola Tesla
I have a carbine whose lands are a blur. The Lyman 314299's, sized 0.313" hit the target sideways but some of them are usually in a "group". I have yet to decide whether I need a new (larger) mold or a new barrel.
USMC 6638
Before you go to either of those extremes ..try;
1. Use some antimony (lino) in your alloy and see if you can't get the mold to throw a larger bullet
2. Size to .314....
One of my shot out Remington 03's went from being a sideways shooter to sub MOA gun by going up .001" in boolit size..
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |