The M48 Yugoslavian Mauser

[FAsmus]

Gentlemen;

My son bought one of the M48s that have recently appeared on the surplus market. He brought it home from where he is stationed and left it with me, saying that he couldn't figure out how to dis-assemble it.

Indeed - when I tried later on it was really troublesome. It turned out that the upper and lower bands had to be removed in what I thought was reverse order - that is the lower band had to come off first. Once the barreled action was out of the wood I found that the trigger guard/magazine wouldn't come out of the wood at all. I was finally reduced to my 2 pound hammer and copper "beater" before it came off. But it had been in so tight that a chip of the stock came with it. Yuck.

Well, I took everything to pieces, digging out cosmoline down to the last little screw. Then I re-assembled it and waited until he returned home on Christmas leave.

He brought 100 8x57 new made-in-Serbia cases and a set of LEE dies with him. ~ We loaded them up with SAECO 62081, Lyman 321297 and the 243 grain LEE "8mm Max".

The rifle didn't shoot well with any load. Just light experimental stuff that had proven accurate in previous 8mm shooting. I could see that it 'wanted' to shoot since now and then a semi-visible group formed before being spoiled by flyers.

My son was deeply disappointed.. I knew we had only begun to shoot.

I recommended that we toss the wood and start fresh with a commercial wooden or composite stock. He wouldn't have any of it - he wanted to preserve the 'piece of history' that it represented. ~ But he did go so far as to allow me to install a nice old Lyman 48 receiver sight and one of my home-made Mauser blade front sights.

In process of this work I first thought I'd epoxy bed the rifle. But I thought it over and realized that all that wood it carried would most likely neutralize anything good I might accomplish by doing so. Instead I went to inspecting the fit more carefully.

My! I soon found why it didn't shoot: There was a 0.030 gap between the stock's steel through-bolt and the receiver's recoil lug! No wonder!

But, I still didn't like the idea of messing round with epoxy in this situation so I carefully measured the gap by using number drills and feeling up through the front screw hole of the stock where I could get at the gap. Then once I had the gap measured I made up a steel shim of 0.002 greater thickness than my measured gap so it would all fit together tightly and reassembled the whole works..

This worked. The rifle now shoots as well or a little better than the usual as-issued military rifle does. That is about 5x2.000 groups.

My son now has his 'piece of history" and it even shoots fairly well.

Forrest

[WILCO]

Pics?

[FAsmus]

Wilco;

Lemme see if I remember how to do that..

132337

Over-view of sight & receiver markings

132338

Profile view

132339



The front sight.

I don't know why they're so small..

[Wayne Smith]

... cause soldiers have young eyes!

[lpspinner]

Beautiful Rifle.

[lefty o]

thats actually a fairly nice looking 48, too bad for me the reciever sight destroys it. nothing wrong with modifying a rifle you own, ive done a few myself . lol

[FAsmus]

Lefty;

Well, a receiver sight is a long way from optics so far as "destroying" the rifle..

Besides, out here, when I and my son shoot silhouettes out to 800+ you really do need something to adjust for windage..

Forrest

[tdoyka]

nice!!!!

and wayne smith is right.....cause soldiers have young eyes!

​i hate it when people are right!!!

[Mauser48]

great shooting rifles. I only have experience with jacketed bullets in mine but it shoots them well. Have fun!

[lefty o]

Lefty;

Well, a receiver sight is a long way from optics so far as "destroying" the rifle..

Besides, out here, when I and my son shoot silhouettes out to 800+ you really do need something to adjust for windage..

Forrest

for me, if you put holes in the reciever, doesnt make a difference if its a couple for a reciever sight or 3 or 4 for scope bases. again, not judging as ive cut up a few rifles, ive just become more selective of the rifles ill do it too now days. if the rifle does what you want, more power to ya!

[Combat Diver]

I still have my M48 BO that I picked up in a trade back in the early 90s. Never did anything to it but shoot it at iron maidens out to 675 yds with irons and surplus Egyptian/Israeli ammo. Love hearing that "thwack"!


CD

[Frank46]

I've shot my M48 BO with some sellier and bellot 196 grain fmj's. Found to have it shoot high. So got the higher front sight blade from Brownell's and through some trial and error and some slight filing did get it zeroed @100yds. Funny thing I can remember standing in a gun shop years back and seeing these rifles new in the box. And even today still see one now and again. I paid $265 for mine some years back with the bayo,and cleaning kit. Curious as just as to how many did they make. Don't hunt anymore but definitely would not feel undergunned if I ever did go hunting. No flies on the 8mm cartridge. Frank

[Adam Helmer]

FAsmus,

I have several mint condition M48A 8mm rifles and they all prefer the Lyman #323471, 210 grain semi-spritzer bullet and 25 grains of IMR4198 powder. I elevate the rear sight to "500" and get point of aim/point of impact hits at 100 yards. My bench groups average 2 inches at 100 yards. I shoot this cast boolit exclusively in the M48A and consider it "Ball Substitute" for target shooting at my gongs out to 400 yards in my hayfield.

Adam

[FAsmus]

Adam;

Today I had this M48 out for its fourth time on the range.

I've worked over the bedding to some degree and it now shoots about as well as any 'as-issued' military rifle will.

My initial test loads were the SAECO 62081 over 21 grains 4759. This sufficed for the work I was doing at the time.

Then, having become familiar with the rifle I loaded up a box of the SAECO bullet over 32 grains of Varget and went to the range in beautiful late winter weather.

At the bench this new load had performed quite well - nothing over 2 inches and usually four shots of the groups around 5x1.500. I am satisfied.

Then I took it up to our long range facility where we have silhouettes out to 835 yards. I didn't have a lot of ammunition remaining from shooting groups but I wanted to record some elevation numbers for the distances up there.

First I had to "find" the 350 yard target. Doing so would give me a starting point for the remaining distances.

I dialed in 20 MOA above the 100 yard setting to begin and as each shot was fired I tried to see where I was missing, increasing elevation gradually, searching for the steel. Finally I spotted mud-splash low and left, corrected the sight and began running hits.

About then a shooting buddy showed up and he spotted for me, allowing me to move through the targets quickly - this was a good thing since I was down to my last 15 rounds.

I was happily surprized to find that the M48 would move from one target to the next and would in many instances get hits on the succeeding target with only my estimated addition of elevation. ~ First shot hits are some of the best!

Together we worked the rifle out through four additional distances, on out to the 500 yard square before running out of cartridges. ~ Getting a hit with the last round I had along was nice!

This rifle belongs to my son - but as long as I have it - it'll be fun.

Forrest

[Bob S]

Greetings Forrest,

If you like the M48, try a 24/47. I purchased a M48 when they were $79, and I discovered as you did, that nothing fit properly. And the receiver seemed rather soft. Then I got my first 24/47. What a difference! Prewar quality in assembly and materials. One of the 24/47's now wears a .308 Winchester military profile barrel, but other than that, it looks like the standard Mauser short rifle. The other 24/47 I left alone. The M48 ended up with a fairly heavy barrel in .260 Rem, a "position" stock, and Redfield match sights. Now it's fun to shoot. They were inexpensive and plentiful ~ 15 -16 years ago, so I didn't feel guilty about using them as "project material". They are neither plentiful nor inexpensive now, however ....

Respectully,
Bob S.

[FAsmus]

Bob;

Thanks for the post.

Like I indicated - this rifle shoots quite well considering the amount of wood it carries.

I lapped-in the locking lugs because, as you say, the receiver seems a little soft and the lugs were somewhat galled. Also the stickiness of the bolt-throw indicates softness. But, from the way it shoots I think the barrel must be quite good. ~ If it were mine I think I'd restock it one way or the other, then just sit back and enjoy 8mm for awhile.

However, my Son wants it to remain basically 'as-issued'. ~ I did convince him that the issue sights weren't good enough to shoot over except if you happened to be a soldier; even with his young eyes my old 71 year-old groups were better.. So I got out the nice Lyman M48 and my own work on the front sight.

The only trouble with the Lyman M48 is that it is a short-staff and the action does not lend itself to my usual extensions that would allow it to reach the 835 yard target.

Thanks for the recommendation for a 24/47. I like these old rifles - I'll go check and see what I might have to choose from - and how much they're asking these days.

Good morning,
Forrest

[tdoor4570]

I got an M-48 several years ago and hated the sights. I built an adapter and mounted a 2X pistol scope on it what a difference. With my handloads both jacketed and cast this rifle realy shoots. I get 1 in or less with jacketed and 1 1/4 in with cast.

[Adam Helmer]

I must disagree with Bob S about the M48A Yugo Mausers, I have quite a few that cost $80 New and ALL shoot my jacketed and cast handloads well. The M24/47 is fine IF you like a horizontal bolt handle. I have a few and they are NO better, or worse than a M48A.

All my M48A fit just fine. They are all mint in and out and far better than the WWII junk Mausers available locally.

Adam

[FAsmus]

Adam;

Would you like to sell one?

After all, this one I have belongs to my son..

Forrest

[Adam Helmer]

Forrest,

All my M48As are spoken for, unfortunately. My wife hit the 100 yard gong first shot a while back with the cast boolit and one became her deer rifle. My son and three grandsons like the M48A because they were new when purchased and all shoot cast loads well. There go the excess four rifles and I only have two left.

Adam

[FAsmus]

Gentlemen;

Since my last post I have fired the M48 over as many of the long-range silhouettes as the sights would reach - this was out to 500 yards.

I experimented carefully with the various peep extensions I have in my shooting box and none would work.

Here at home I put together a new combination that allows me to increase the height of the peep by 0.4375. ~ Fortunately this additional height corresponds closely to the 500 yard setting - after the sight staff has been lowered all the way down to +6 minutes from the bottom of its travel in order to zero the peep itself at the same elevation as the staff with no modification at +61 minutes on Lyman's scale.

The modification looks a little weird but the bolt handle clears the sight - which was the problem that prevented me using my old methods.

Next will be the move on out in distance to our maximum range of 835 yards.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Forrest

[Bob S]

I must disagree with Bob S about the M48A Yugo Mausers, I have quite a few that cost $80 New and ALL shoot my jacketed and cast handloads well. The M24/47 is fine IF you like a horizontal bolt handle. I have a few and they are NO better, or worse than a M48A.

Adam

For the record, I didn't say the M48 wouldn't shoot well. Mine shot quite well after I worked over the action so that it would feed, extract and eject reliably. Mine was apparently turned in to stores as soon as it was manufactured; no one would ISSUE a rifle that was THAT unreliable to troops.

Respectfully,
BobS

[FAsmus]

Adam Helmer;

This M48 of mine is 'in process' but my point here is that the receiver and bolt of this rifle seem soft enough that the action will virtually never operate smoothly ~ the two pieces simply do not slide past each other like they should and, on some rifles do since the material is hard enough to permit.

Thus, the turn-down bolt of the M48 is a further handicap as compared to the straight bolt since it offers less leverage for operation of the sticky action.

Forrest

[kungfustyle]

I have tried three different cast boolits with my M48 and the only one it loved was the Lee 175g rn at .326 I get about 2 inches at 100 yards with 25.5g of SR4759 and I do have a peep sight on mine to. I have tried the NOE RD mold and the 200+g Noe loverin design and the gun just didn't like them. Tried the 4759 and H4895 from 1600 fps up to 2000 fps and couldn't beat the Lee. So sold the great molds and kept the Lee.
By the way, I put the peep on because I couldn't get the ramp sight to dial in at 100 yards either too high or too low.

[WILCO]

Wilco;

Lemme see if I remember how to do that..

132337

Over-view of sight & receiver markings

132338

Profile view

132339



The front sight.

I don't know why they're so small..

I just came back to this thread. Thanks for posting the pics. Rifle looks great.
Just love those old Mausers!

[WILCO]

Next will be the move on out in distance to our maximum range of 835 yards.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Forrest

Hi Forrest! [smilie=s:

At this point, are you still throwing lead downrange?

[azrednek]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and there were millions of military rifles made, all looking the same.....

I agree, possibly 30-60 years from now its re-sale value to a mil-surp collector may suffer. The true value of the rifle is its worth to you and your son. I have two Yugos. With Turk surplus ammo it is a fun gun to shoot at distant dong targets. My Turk ammo followed the issue sights pretty close. As close as one can expect with 64 year old eyes.

[FAsmus]

Wilco & Gentlemen; (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?4329-WILCO)

The load for me, so far is the SAECO 62081.

After I re-worked the bedding as much as I could stand the load of 32 grains Varget under the 190 gr bullet has worked well. The groups have printed around 5x1.700 to some 5x2.000 or slightly more. ~ Good enough to see how it would do at long range. So far, not bad at all and with the additional sight extension I worked out the distance may be extended out to our maximum of 835 yards.

I'll be back when the shooting is over tomorrow.

Forrest

[Tackleberry41]

I guess they have variations of the M48. I bought mine back in 2001, $100 thru a place on shotgun news. Wanted a beater rifle I could haul around on a 4 wheeler not worry to much about it getting beat up. But mine has the hooded front sight, never had any problems with fit, finish, or function. Always been a good rifle. I eventually put a scope on it and trigger in it, so stopped being a beater rifle.

[FAsmus]

Gentlemen;

The shooting went well the other day.

I'll attach a shot of the elevation card I made up as I acquired each silhouette:

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The place on the sight-setting shows the break I addressed in the previous post ~ the place where the regular staff ran out of travel, requiring the addition of the sight extension on the Lyman receiver sight to reach beyond the 500 yard distance.

This modification amounts to 0.437 additional elevation for the first hole and 0.875 for the second hole over the standard sight's capibility. This enables me to use the short-staff M48 Lyman for virtually all distances - even the 1000 if I wish.

Here is what it looks like as installed and set for the 835 yard distance:

135681

Good morning,
Forrest

[FAsmus]

Gentlemen:

The M48 Yugoslavian Mauser has undergone some changes.

Over Christmas I gave my son a new Bishop sporter stock for it. ~ This was after I'd attempted to restock it with a relatively clean M98K stock. The motive for this was because the Yugoslavian wood was so steeped in cosmoline that it "sweated" the stuff whenever it was exposed to sunshine. Yuck.

The (free) M98K stock didn't work because the stock screw center distance is not the same as this M48. The new Bishop stock is nicely made but the "fit" of metal-to-wood was only casual. Obviously it needed the typical epoxy job.

Well, my son and I didn't find a good time to work together for the job and along in February he left for a commitment in the Air Force. ~ I procrastinated for awhile but recently I got to work and bedded it.

I've done it before and although it seemed to take longer than it used to it did come out quite well.

During the interval I also have had my local gun-runner cut the front sight base down about 0.090 and cut a 3/8 dovetail into it so I could install a Lyman 17A front sight. This looks good.

So, when all was ready I loaded up the load-of-choice when it was full military and headed for the 100 yard range to do the initial testing. My! I was shocked to see my 'groups' printing wild no-hope stuff down range!

On the way home I realized that since the rifle was now basically "new" that my old load was no longer in the running.

I backed off and did another series of typical load work-ups from squib cast bullet combinations on up to full jacketed, winding up with the first load that worked when I was first testing the outfit: 21 grains 4759 and the SAECO 62081.

This provided about as good accuracy as the issue barrel and my marginal eye sight is capable of I think. ~ It would be interesting to see what improvement good, sharp eye sight would make..

Next was the proving of the combination at long range. I loaded 70 and with my spotter headed for the hill-top silhouette range. This was done in pretty good conditions and was enjoyable since the rifle did quite well enough at all distances right on out to 834 yards.

I did screw up in this outing - I forgot to bring a good machinist's steel scale. This was needed to accommodate the reduced height of the front sight: None of the old numbers were useful and none-the-less my make-shift sight extension had to be installed;

Right about at the 606 yard distance I ran out of staff and had to install the extension. Since I didn't have a scale I just took piece of stiff target paper, marked the center of the peep as it was for the previous distance,installed the extension and lowered the staff until the lines matched up, adding 3 minutes up for the next target. ~ This worked; my spotter saw my first shot just a foot or so off the silhouette, easily adjustable for a hit the next round.

With these things done my work is complete; the rifle is up and running for whenever my son returns to town from his training base in Texas.

Good evening, Forrest

[Scharfschuetze]

I'm sure that your son will appreciate the effort. Is your son with the 300th Field Artillery (HIMARS) Regiment?

[FAsmus]

Scharfschuetze;

The young fellow is in (worse luck) the Air Force.

This training is in San Angelo, Texas - where, I understand, all branches of the military get various kinds of training.

Forrest

[Scharfschuetze]

Scharfschuetze;

The young fellow is in (worse luck) the Air Force.

This training is in San Angelo, Texas - where, I understand, all branches of the military get various kinds of training.

Forrest

Just wondering. I've got a relative at Fort Bliss on pre-deployment training and his unit is from your neck of the woods.