The Return of a Swede

[oldhenry]

Back in '05 or '06 I was into NRA XTC competition & had just added CMP competition with an H&R Garand. Well you folks know how it is: the Garand matches were so much fun that you want to add to the fun with an '03 and maybe something for the Vintage Rifle Match.

I have a shooting buddy that came on board with the XTC shooting & had bought a Garand also. We entered the game late in life: I'm 78 now & he's 77.

In response to an add in the Gun List (or one of the other names it took on) I sent a certified check to a gentleman in Ohio for 3 Swedish Mausers: 2 had turn down bolts & one with the straight bolt. My shooting buddy was @ my house when UPS delivered the rifles & when I unwrapped them I was very pleased. They were all in excellent condition (later we discovered that they had cosmoline in the bbl. & on all parts).

My shooting buddy was particularly impressed with the one with the straight bolt & said he'd like to have it. I knew at that time the gentleman selling these rifles had 22 more, so I told my buddy to take the straight bolt gun & pay me only what I had paid for it & I'd order another with a straight bolt. The replacement straight bolt gun was in good condition, but not quite as good as the one I had surrendered to my shooting buddy.......but, I was happy.

It didn't take me long to figure out that the turn down bolt may look better, but the straight bolt version had a definite advantage in the rapid fire stage of the CMP Vintage Rife Match. The turn down versions became safe queens. The rifle that my buddy ended up with had a #1 bore as did the replacement. These were very accurate rifles (I earned a gold in the '08 CMP National Match @ Camp Perry with it).

The time came when our ageing bodies could no longer endure the prone position & we stopped all competition shooting. We sold our XTC rifles, cart, coat, spotting scopes'stand, and funky looking "cyclop" glasses, but kept our Garands, 03-A3's & Swedes.

Recently my friend decided to sell all of his military rifles (this surprised me). His Garands (and mine) and been tuned for CMP competition by Gerald "Hook" Boutin (he was the chief armorer for the AMU @ Ft. Benning back when the army team shot Garands. Mr. Boutin is a legend (he died in 2015). One of my buddy's Garands was a CMP Special that has never been fired.

Getting back to the story: my buddy knew I had a soft spot in my heart for the Swedes (and maybe feeling a little guilty about getting the pick of the litter) offered the Swede back to me for exactly what he paid me for it years back. So this is how I came to have this rifle back & it will stay with me until I go to meet my maker.

The photos follow. The Swede is long & long objects are difficult to photo.......believe me the rifle looks better than the photos.

[30calflash]

Nice rifle, nicer story. Thanks for sharing.

[koger]

Love my swedes, I have been shooting them 30 years, have stock, customized and full blown customs built on Savage actions

[Texas by God]

How stupid I am for letting several Swedes go -especially the 1899 Orbendorf! The 96's were always my favorite.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Uncle Grinch]

Love your story for two reasons, one it’s about a 6.5x55 Swede. Had one very similar and ended up giving it to my son. The other reason is you’re from my home town. Was raised on a dirt road off Slappey Dr.

[Dutchman]

Very nice rifle.

Dutch

[JimP.]

Albany High class of 70. love swedes too

[ARKLITE881South]

Great story. Back in 1977 i met a older guy who opened a gun store in eastern oregon. He moved to a smaller town to the west. I was a out of work construction worker and decided i'd help him out with his new store and the property that went with it. So, i helped around the place building fence, cutting/splitting wood for him. Doing little odd jobs, just killing time in between jobs. So, i had helped him catch up on all the things to do with the store and his property. One day he said, well, what do i owe you for the help? I had told him from the start, i just wanted to help him get things going, i just wanted to help him, no charge, nothing. So, i reminded him about our agreement. Being ''old school'', he felt he owed me, and said, i want you to take this, and he handed me a 6.5x55 Swede, but, in a Krag action. Then he gave me a bunch of brass, some loaded ammo, and said, are we square? I did every thing i could to pay him for that old rifle, it had been shorted on the barrel, and a trim job on the stock. It had a Williams peep on the rear and ramp front sight on the front of the barrel. He would not take a dime for it. Granted its not a Swede like yours, but, its got some neat memories for me, and i had a good friend as an extra bonus.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

:happy dance: I was looking for a "smiley" that is rolling on the floor with laughter, but I guess this one will have to do. It's hard to work up any sympathy for a fellow who has a 6.5 Krag instead of a Mauser! :-D I've got both, several of the Mausers, but only one Norwegian Krag, and love it. They're all great rifles.

[oldhenry]

Albany High class of 70. love swedes too

Jim,
I'm a transplant from Columbus. I was here from '66 to '69 and we returned in '76 to stay.

In '70 the school system in Albany was excellent. Unfortunately, the system has declined.

Henry

[oldhenry]

Great story. Back in 1977 i met a older guy who opened a gun store in eastern oregon. He moved to a smaller town to the west. I was a out of work construction worker and decided i'd help him out with his new store and the property that went with it. So, i helped around the place building fence, cutting/splitting wood for him. Doing little odd jobs, just killing time in between jobs. So, i had helped him catch up on all the things to do with the store and his property. One day he said, well, what do i owe you for the help? I had told him from the start, i just wanted to help him get things going, i just wanted to help him, no charge, nothing. So, i reminded him about our agreement. Being ''old school'', he felt he owed me, and said, i want you to take this, and he handed me a 6.5x55 Swede, but, in a Krag action. Then he gave me a bunch of brass, some loaded ammo, and said, are we square? I did every thing i could to pay him for that old rifle, it had been shorted on the barrel, and a trim job on the stock. It had a Williams peep on the rear and ramp front sight on the front of the barrel. He would not take a dime for it. Granted its not a Swede like yours, but, its got some neat memories for me, and i had a good friend as an extra bonus.

Great story. Could you post a photo of that Krag? It sounds just like one I bought from Flaigs in '58 for $22.50, shortened the bbl., & made a Mannlicher style stock from the original. The case hardened receiver was a real problem mounting a Williams 5D sight, but a sergeant in my reserve knew a retired AMU armorer that knew how to spot anneal. That retired armorer drilled & tapped that Krag. I mounted a Williams ramp myself. It really looked good (anything mannlicher looks good to me): however, the bore was hopelessly corroded & the boolits keyholed. I sold that gun to raise $ for my 1st. motorcycle.

I love the Swedish Mauser for it's efficiency, svelte looks & accuracy. The Krag was different: I was hopelessly fascinated with that right side box magazine & the parts that fed those rounds to the left side.

Henry

[Texas by God]

Working a Krag or a Swedish Mauser action is a lesson in what a bolt action should feel like. And these were military issue from a hundred plus years ago! So smooth you have to check to make sure you chambered a round.

[vzerone]

Working a Krag or a Swedish Mauser action is a lesson in what a bolt action should feel like. And these were military issue from a hundred plus years ago! So smooth you have to check to make sure you chambered a round.

I agree, but a good Mannlicher is the same way.

[ARKLITE881South]

:happy dance: I was looking for a "smiley" that is rolling on the floor with laughter, but I guess this one will have to do. It's hard to work up any sympathy for a fellow who has a 6.5 Krag instead of a Mauser! :-D I've got both, several of the Mausers, but only one Norwegian Krag, and love it. They're all great rifles.

Trust me i'd love to have a mauser, but, I've just put off buying one, know of any nice ones for sale :) The old Krag gets some attention at the gun shows, loll. One guy i worked with almost called me a liar when i told him i had one. So, when he had a table at the local gun show, i took it and showed him. He turned a nice shade of red, and he's a gun guy, he'd never seen one before. I bet i was stopped 10 times before i got to his table, by guys wanting to see the 30/40 Krag, only for me to tell them it is a 6.5x55. and, the really good thing, it's a really good little shooter.

[ARKLITE881South]

Great story. Could you post a photo of that Krag? It sounds just like one I bought from Flaigs in '58 for $22.50, shortened the bbl., & made a Mannlicher style stock from the original. The case hardened receiver was a real problem mounting a Williams 5D sight, but a sergeant in my reserve knew a retired AMU armorer that knew how to spot anneal. That retired armorer drilled & tapped that Krag. I mounted a Williams ramp myself. It really looked good (anything mannlicher looks good to me): however, the bore was hopelessly corroded & the boolits keyholed. I sold that gun to raise $ for my 1st. motorcycle.

I love the Swedish Mauser for it's efficiency, svelte looks & accuracy. The Krag was different: I was hopelessly fascinated with that right side box magazine & the parts that fed those rounds to the left side.

Henry

I wish i could post a picture of it, but, i just changed to a new computer, and didn't get all my pictures on to this one, i'll see what i can do though, its nothing fancy, but, its a good old rifle, and just plain neat looking, flat bolt knob and all.

[Tom W.]

Today at the range the guy next to me came out with a 7.65 swedish Mauser straight pull with a ring on on the end of the bolt. The rifle looked like it just came from the factory, stock was perfect, bluing was excellent, and it was as accurate as anything I've seen. Up until today I've never seen a straight pull rifle in person, just magazines and on TV. It was a beautiful rifle.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

A very interesting report, Tom. I've never heard of such an animal. Could it acutally have been 7 .5mm Swiss rifle, Schmidt-Rubin?

[Tom W.]

After looking around the internet, it probably was... the man said it was his son's rifle, and he wasn't too sure himself. I wanted to get a properly headstamped case, but at the time he was shooting imported military fmj, nothing with a description. It sure was pristine. I have no idea where he bought it, but a place in Colorado sells them with different grades, so I'm guessing there rather than GunBroker....

[Scorpion8]

Gorgeous rifle! Love me Swede too, altho' in a fit of stupidity years ago I had mine sporterized. Very accurate rifles. Great cartridge too!