some bore pics of my father in laws MAUSER

[corey012778]

I spent about an hour and half. looked good from just looking down the bore in to a light. pulled out my 7mm usb endoscope (fun and useful toy). these it was I saw.

143839 143840 143841 143842 143843

chamber shot
143844

when I started cleaning I could barely push a thin patch on a 30cal jig. when I finished I was double patches.

pretty pitted and rough. used every trick I know to shine up the bore.

I don't know how to get the nose cap off and I need to get in and take apart the trigger mech, put the endoscope to open, it is pretty rusted. think I may have the wrong project gun at these point.

[Beagle333]

Triggers and barrels, you can get.:coffeecom How does the rest of the action look?

[corey012778]

the bolt is in good shape. everything seems in a good shape, just the barrel and trigger.

[marvelshooter]

I see rifling in the barrel. What would be the harm in fixing the trigger and seeing how it shoots? I have a Win '94 in .38-55 that doesn't look any better but shoots surprisingly good with PC'd boolits.

[zuke]

I have a couple Steyr Mannlicher's in 8x56R that look like that, and they shoot nicely

[GhostHawk]

Shoot it, clean it, shoot it, clean it, shoot it, clean it, shoot it some more.

My pair of Mosin's arrived with very dark gray rifling, the whole bore looked dim much like the pictures I saw above.

Over the course of some 4-5 months of shooting and cleaning it continued to improve. Then all of a sudden I was getting dark green patch's with the use of Hoppes. After the next trip I had a mirror bore which totally amazed me. And yes the groups continued to improve. Went from lucky to hit a 5 gallon bucket at 50 yards to putting 10 in a tennis ball or smaller group at 50 consistently.

I was also alternating between Hoppes patch, 2-3 clean patch's, then a patch soaked with Dextron III(Auto tranny fluid)

With even a 5 min soak that was lifting lead and copper fouling the the Hoppe's was not touching.

[corey012778]

once I get some rounds. got a good look the trigger under my phone's camera, what I thought was rust was wood go figure.

[LAGS]

I wouldnt give up on the barrel just yet.
Get you some Ammonia for the Copper Fouling,, Transmission fluid for the rust, Chore Boy Copper pads for the crud, and a lot of elbow grease.
Once cleaned up, you can try hand lapping or even fire lapping it.
I have started off with many barrel in that shape, and shot them for years after some cleaning, then Eventually replaced the barrel.

[corey012778]

I'll get clean up more, I have two ml that I am getting ready for sale and the mn stock I am working on, so it is going to wait

[LAGS]

Yep, the barrel can wait for now.
And while you are waiting to get the barrel, Keep your eyes open for a replacement barrel at a very good price or other options you might want to do with the Mauser in the future.
Dont wait to find Possible parts when you are working on a project gun.
You will have a tendeancy to pay more for the parts then you should or want to, just to keep your project going.
Plan ahead, and look for GOOD DEALS on what you Will need in the future.
What model is the Mauser, and what year and Date Code ? if I may ask.
I have tons of spare parts.

[corey012778]

the info is on these gun is in these thread. one typo, but good to go on info.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?275910-need-help-with-finding-id-of-an-mouser-rifle


(http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?275910-need-help-with-finding-id-of-an-mouser-rifle)

[corey012778]

thought I delete the bore scope of what I found the made me start the cleaning process. I was wrong. sad pics.

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[LAGS]

That looks like a Commercial Mauser and it might or might not have the steps in the same spacing as some military models.
I think it would be closest to the VZ-24.
Send me a list of the step locations and I will see what I have laying around here.
But I know I have a Husqvarna 8mm tapered Take off barrel from one I rebarreled to .30-06 that has a good bore.
And lots of Mausers waiting to be Rebarreled into other calibers since the rest of the rifle isnt worth putting back to original.
A Yugo 24/47 or 48 barrel will work if you have the Safety Breeching milled off when the barrel is installed, and the steps may be close to what you have right now.
But you can always refit the stock to match the barrel.

[LAGS]

Check with local Gunsmiths and gun shows from time to time.
Like me, lots of gunsmiths have old Mauser Take off barrels that are still in good shape, and you can get them for a song.
They are just left over from rebarreling jobs over the years, where someone wanted a more availabe caliber, and nothing was wrong with the bore or chamber.

[corey012778]

have to wait a gun show to even come close. only know of 2 or 3 guns smiths that may do that never have talked with them or even know where there shops are. most the gunshop gunsmiths just do basic jobs, trigger replacements, scope mounting, maybe some stock refinishing. I already asked one about drilling scope mounting screws big fat no and got the name of two people that MIGHT do it. may not hurt to as if they do have barrels around.

[LAGS]

That is why I ended up buying some minimal tools and doing 90% of my own work.
I had access to friends lathes after I moved to Arizona and sold mine, but now they moved away.
So barrel threading is about the only thing I have to farm out now.
But getting the parts now, is just something to keep your eye out for.
Finding someone to do the work if need be shouldnt be that hard.
But you seem interested in Gunsmithing, and pretty handy around the house.
"Where there is a will, there is a way." ( Anna Nichole Smith )

[corey012778]

I have been looking into even before joining any type of forum. can't find a classroom setting for the hands on learning close. all online or dvd learning based.

[LAGS]

I was doing gunsmithing for 20 Years before I took Classes.
I learned by going to Used Book Stores and buying Gunsmithing Books second hand.
I got most of them for a buck or two.
If you really want to apply yourself, it isnt that hard.
Oh, back when I first started, they didnt have DVD's, Or Cell Phones and no Internet.
So all those things are really not needed if you have the drive.
But the internet and Forums like this, are a great help if you have questions, need help, or want to try things you are unsure of..
There are lots of Good Ol Boys willing to share their knowledge.

[corey012778]

I order 3 books last night off amazon.

wish I could figure out how to get the front band off, would love to get the wood off and check the metal under it looks. that has been my biggest problem. trying to find a easier way then brute force.

[LAGS]

What is the problem.
If you post or PM some pictures I will try to help out.

[LAGS]

From what I can see in your other thread, you should have a spring catch for the front band and rear band on the right side of the Forestock.
You have to push in the front part of the spring catch and then slide the band forward on both of them.
But from Neglect, the slot that the spring catch slides into when being depressed , may be swelled up or has stuff under so it cant depress into the stock. Also, from being on the rifle for so long, the stock may be swelled up a bit so the bands are really tight to the stock.
You may have to Tap them off with a Brass Punch while you are depressing the spring catch.
You may have to tap on the spring catch with a Brass punch to get it to depress into the stock.

[jspidle]

I have 2 8mm 98's. One is a late 30's spanish export that ended up in argentina. It took me 2 weeks of cleaning the bore every day to get it to a decent level of clean. I used foaming bore cleaner once or twice a day to get to where the old copper and **** was removed. Don't shoot it until you have it as clean as possible. Then slug the barrel to get the bore size. that is easy to do on your own. just use a brass or aluminum rod with a soft teardrop fishing weight.

Get the appropriate no-go headspace gauge if you want to be double sure. But don't shoot it until it's clean, I have seen picture of the bad results if you try to shoot a rusty barrel.

After cleaning, my 1940 turkish 8mm will put 5 rounds inside of an inch at 75 yards(yes, I had a good day at the range today). My spanish needs to have the stock bedded before I can really see what it will do.

regards, Jeff
(a born again Mauser 8mm freak :>)

[corey012778]

no spring under the front band. wonder if I try to pop the pin out that may help release that band.
144228

one more mark I did not get on my first post about these gun.
144229

[Blammer]

push the pin IN

[LAGS]

Yes , Push the pin in, if it does not go all the way thru the nose cap.
When depressed the nose cap will be able to slide forward.

[corey012778]

I feel the give but one side is almost all the way in. the other will not more, going to put a heavy coat of gun oil on it to see if it help it give.

[LAGS]

The mauser nose cap has one retaining dimple on the right side.
If there is a pin on the left side, that might mean that this nose cap is held on with a Thru Pin.
I didnt see the spring retainer on the right side of your rifle, so you may just have a thru pin.
But if one side is going In, then it should be coming out on the other side, Unless the pin is Tapered, and you need to drive it out from the other side

[LAGS]

The Bayonet Lug is held on by a Thru pin.
And the Nose Cap Band keeps that pin from coming out.
This may be one Mauser where they used One Pin to hold both in place.

[Rich/WIS]

Looks like my 1894 Krag barrel AFTER extensive cleaning. Pitted from chamber to muzzle in the grooves but lands are still good. Shoots cast just fine, and the few jacketed rounds I tried grouped extremely well. Both types shot far, far better than I would have expected.

[corey012778]

i tried to use pair of adjustable pliers, did not apply much force. the pin was setting with the majority setting out to the left, after using the pliers, moved the bulk of the pin to the right. may not take much to get the pin out.

[LAGS]

A 1/8" brass punch will usually drive the pin out fine, or if it is the spring retainers, drive them In on Both sides of the stock, so the nose band can come off.

[corey012778]

the pin came out pretty easy, i just had too short of a punch. had to put the last little out. these thing is getting more and more intrusting more I dig into it. the stock almost looks like the band was somewhere else and was moved or a shorter band was in that place or the lug was added later or something.

144339.

[LAGS]

The rifle was probably a Commercial Civilian rifle built Between Wars.
Then they Retro fitted it for the Bayonet Lug to be placed in Military service.
That is why the spring catches are not installed to hold the front band on, and a Pin was installed to get it to work.
There should be another pin that holds the Bayonet Lug on the stock.