Columbian 1950 Mauser

[bruce drake]

Folks,

Just purchased an early Christmas present to myself today off Gunbroker. A 1950 FN made Columbian 30-06 Mauser. The bore is nice and I'm looking forward to seeing what it does at the target range. I'm thinking about redoing the stock and rust bluing the metal after I finish my current project (A Left-handed Arisaka Fajen stock blank project-pictures on that will be on a different thread.) I love winter gunsmithing projects when the weather kills decent range time.

Bruce

[Bob S]

Bruce,

They are great fun. :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v76/BobS1/Mausers/ColumbianSR31129115gr2400.jpg

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[bruce drake]

I think I'll be saving that boolit and powder recipe for later!

I am looking forward to running some cast through it shortly although lately the work and Honey-Do list has been really interferring with the Range Opportunities.

Bruce

[Thecyberguy]

Aswesome looking Mauser.

Where do you shoot in your area (Fort Drum)?
Thanks,

[Dutchman]

According to Mauser Military Rifles of the World, Ball 4th edition, these were originally chambered in .30-06 and not converted like some of the earlier models. OAL 43 inches, barrel 22.75".

Colombia Fuerzas Militares = Colombian Armed Forces

Ball says one of the identifying features of this model is the buttplate, which "cups and overlapping along the sides of the stock rather than being flush". And "the bottom of the buttplate is also corrugated to provide better contact with the shoulder".

Nice target, Bob. I was thinking 311291 or 314291 would be good choices for this rifle.

Dutch

[bruce drake]

Aswesome looking Mauser.

Where do you shoot in your area (Fort Drum)?
Thanks,

There are two local clubs to shoot. Sackett's Harbor Gun Club and The Watertown Sportsmen's Club. Both offer 100 yard ranges as well as pistol ranges for the lucky few Soldiers with NY state pistol permits.

Bruce

[bruce drake]

According to Mauser Military Rifles of the World, Ball 4th edition, these were originally chambered in .30-06 and not converted like some of the earlier models. OAL 43 inches, barrel 22.75".

Colombia Fuerzas Militares = Colombian Armed Forces

Ball says one of the identifying features of this model is the buttplate, which "cups and overlapping along the sides of the stock rather than being flush". And "the bottom of the buttplate is also corrugated to provide better contact with the shoulder".

Nice target, Bob. I was thinking 311291 or 314291 would be good choices for this rifle.

Dutch

The funny thing about this stock is that the corrrugated buttplate matches more like the Haitian FN Model 24/30 but the rifle is definitely crested and marked as Columbian.

Bruce

[Multigunner]

The funny thing about this stock is that the corrrugated buttplate matches more like the Haitian FN Model 24/30 but the rifle is definitely crested and marked as Columbian.

Bruce

Seems to me that I vaguely remember somrthing about FN police carbines sometimes using leftover stocks from previous contracts. If true perhaps this stock is from a previous Haitian or similar rifle contract.
That or an older NOS stock sent along among replacement wood and installed later on.

[Bob S]

Nice target, Bob. I was thinking 311291 or 314291 would be good choices for this rifle.

Dutch

Thanks. That's been my standard "goto" load for M1903's and 03A3's since about 1965. If a rifle won't shoot that load at least this well, I start looking for something wrong with the rifle.

This was my first Mauser purchase. I still have it.

314299 perhaps?

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[NickSS]

My second rifle I ever bought was a Columbian 30-06 Mauser and I killed my first deer with it but it is long gone but I do remember that I bought it in 1964 for the huge sum of $25 but in 1964 that was my life savings.

[Buckshot]

..............I'm curious if that FN has the left lug raceway broached through the shoulder in the action ring?

..............Buckshot

[bruce drake]

Buckshot,

I'll pull the rifle out of the safe tonight and look and get back to you.

Bruce

[Fredx10sen]

Very nice rifle

[390ish]

Those are nice. Think they were the last military mausers made by FN.

[bruce drake]

Buckshot, I haven't looked at the receiver because when I went to fire it in January, it locked up with a mild load for a little bit until the receiver cooled down and then it opened up. Definitely a sign of bolt lug setback which was proven this morning when I pulled the reciever from the new barrel and I could defintely see the lug setback in the old reciever. Makes me wonder just how hot it got in the coastal tropics that caused the pressure of the Surplus 30-06 the Columbians fired escalate so.

THe rifle is back together again using a replacement Gew 98 Oberndorf dtd 1917 receiver I purchased off Gunbroker so now I have a German/Columbian Mauser in 30-06 (that chambering is the primary reason I bought it).

So...I just need to start describing this Mauser as a Post World War II German Emigrant to South America... ;) I guess I can't call it a Girl from Brazil ;) but perhaps Gertrude Sanchez might be rifle's new nickname.

Bruce

[madsenshooter]

Hey Bob. Completely off the subject at hand. But I bought a little sight off ebay. It looks like it could possibly have been made for the 1917. Has a windage knob sticking out the right front side, and an 03 leaf with a 1917 aperture. The base didn't appear to be long enough to be any machinegun or BAR sight I could find pics of. You reckon I stumbled across a prototype for the Marine Corps sight that you mentioned on another site? Hasn't been delivered yet, so no pic till it is.

[bruce drake]

I can't believe none of you guys picked up on the "Gerty Sanchez" line.

Bruce

[bruce drake]

Range Report:
Took Gerty out to the 100 yard range today.

Load:
Lyman 311413 -weight with my alloy is 175gr versus the stated book 169gr
Boolit Diameter: .311"
Powder: 13.0gr Red Dot
Primers: CCI LR
Cases: Remington
Lube: LEE Liquid Alox

Groups at 50 yards were atrocious with several keyholes. I'm thinking the heavy bullet combined with the fast shotgun powder just isn't a good combo. I'm going to try some 311291 next trip to the range with Gerty.

jacketed:
44gr IMR 4064
Speer 180gr
mix cases
Win LR Primer
5" group at 100 yards with the open sights and in offhand.

There is potential with Gerty. I just need to shoot her more to learn the right combo.

Bruce

[madsenshooter]

311413 just doesn't like to go any faster than 1400-1600, depending on the rifle. Don't know how fast your load would have been going. But I've tried casting them super hard and used various powders, it's a tough one. Easy enough to get them going faster, just hard to hit anything when you do. Phil Sharpe reported good groups with it up around 2000fps, but I haven't seen any.

[smoked turkey]

Bruce:
Gertrude Sanchez got a chuckle out of me so it wasn't totally wasted. I am glad now that your relationship has had a chance to deepen that you are on a first name basis and that she is how Gerty means that the relationship is going well.

[JeffinNZ]

Sooooooo, you won't need that P14 now.........

:-)

[bruce drake]

Jeff,

From my cold dead hands. Ms. Winnie is a permanent part of my Gun Harem. This might be sacriledge for an American but I prefer her to my Garand.

Bruce

[bruce drake]

311413 wasn't my first choice. My stock of 311291 was really low. I need to do some casting. I've been doing reloading and gunsmithing most of my time in the man-cave lately.

Bruce

[bruce drake]

311291 stocks are back up to standard as of yesterday afternoon. Also have a pile of 314299 to size and lube as well.

Tonight, I'll be casting some more 311291 as well as some of LEE's 200gr 309 boolits to determine which of the three is best for the rifle.

Next trip to the range I'll try to see what the rifle can do with a more rounded profile boolits.

The sights are calibrated for 100 yards with jacketed bullets already so its a matter of getting the right load combination. I plan to do a ladder test with both boolits to determine the right speed/load combo for each as I'd like to shoot Gerty in CMP Military Surplus Matches in the future with lead versus the old FMJ standby.

[bruce drake]

So, I got to take Gerty out again this weekend. The issue I had with the original 1950 FN receiver is happening again with the replacement 1917 Obie receiver which lends me to believe the bolt itself (the common denominator in this thread) might be the reason for the bolt being difficult to operate immediately after firing. It locks up and is difficult to open unless you wait a minute or so between shots. My luck will be that both actions have setback and will require the Gerty to be parted out.

I'm thinking that a newer 98 bolt from a gunsmith may fix the issues I'm having with this rifle as the barrel is almost new condition and is headspaced to SAAMI specs. For now, it will be tagged-out in my gunlocker for later work as I need to stop rifle expenses for a while until I determine where my retirement will be next year.

Bruce

[BudRow]

Buckshot, To answer your question. I have an all original 1950 FN Columbian in 30-06 and the left lug raceway is broached all the way through. Bud

[ukrifleman]

Folks,

Just purchased an early Christmas present to myself today off Gunbroker. A 1950 FN made Columbian 30-06 Mauser. The bore is nice and I'm looking forward to seeing what it does at the target range. I'm thinking about redoing the stock and rust bluing the metal after I finish my current project (A Left-handed Arisaka Fajen stock blank project-pictures on that will be on a different thread.) I love winter gunsmithing projects when the weather kills decent range time.

Bruce

Great rifles!
I get good results with the Lee 185gn .312 bullet, gas checked to .309 in front of 28.8gn of Accurate 5744.
ukrifleman.

[huey45]

Hi Bruce nice Columbian Mauser you got there mine is circa 1950 also with low 4 digit
serial number it is in 7.62x51 NATO caliber, by all the markings on it..
only difference I can see from yours to mine..

mine has turn down bolt, with stock cutout for bolt clearance AKA 98k style
rest as is yours, maybe altered at sometime, by previous owners ?

[45 2.1]

I'm thinking the heavy bullet combined with the fast shotgun powder just isn't a good combo. I'm going to try some 311291 next trip to the range with Gerty.
Bruce

Try 15 gr. of Unique with the 311291. It works well with the RCBS 308-165-Sil boolit.