My Late Father's 22 Mauser

[303Guy]

Not wanting to hijack Pressman's thread, here is my late Father's 22 Mauser

https://i.postimg.cc/76H3BCdw/Dad-s-Mauser-22-005.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/5tXLkVkX/Dad-s-Mauser-22-011-1.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/TYLrHv7L/20200829-155459.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/fTGYGqpH/20200829-154956.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/gc5hhBzY/20200829-155010.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

And the modified sights I mentioned.

https://i.postimg.cc/Hxd2fvcG/20200829_155106.jpg (https://postimg.cc/JyYZXq5K)
https://i.postimg.cc/j2jhjW4Z/20200829_155528.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[recumbent]

Nice old rifle.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Unusual piece. Appears to have been well cared for. If you were up here on the top of the world I'd try to swap you out of it! :D

[pietro]

.

Your dad had good taste - You apparently have a beautiful pre-WWII Mauser Mm 410 B Patrone. :2_high5:

https://www.gunvaluesboard.com/mauser-werke-a.g.-oberndorf-a.n.-patrone-22-cal-lr-452124.html


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[Pressman]

303guy, Thanks for posting, that is one nice rifle and even more so when you get to shoot it. It looks and feels like a real rifle, not another .22
Ken

[303Guy]

.

Your dad had good taste - You apparently have a beautiful pre-WWII Mauser Mm 410 B Patrone. :2_high5:

https://www.gunvaluesboard.com/mauser-werke-a.g.-oberndorf-a.n.-patrone-22-cal-lr-452124.html


.

Yup. That's the one! Thanks, I tried unsuccessfully to find it on the net. I could only find the close 350 B. Mn 410 B it is. Can one determine the year of manufacture from the serial number? So it doesn't have the eagle stamp making it pre 1940. Apparently all records were destroyed at the end of the war but is seems the eagle stamp appeared as s/n around 22x,xxx so mine would be anywhere between 1934 and 1939 but I would guess closer to 1939. I know my Dad bought it pre-war when he was magistrate in the Mkuzi area of Zululand and I can probably find out when that was.

It has an interesting one piece bolt with a central firing pin. the bore is offset to the center line of the bolt to bring the firing pin in line with the cartridge rim. This means that on locking the bolt, the extractor move off the rim as the bolt rotates. I should take a photo of it to show y'all (those that are unfamiliar with these designs). This also puts the bolt in the right position to pick up a cartridge from the magazine. This thing even has extraction camming.

Mine still carries the front sight protector. While I can see the sight better without the cap, I never took it off and don't plan to now.

Oh yes, yesterday I was aiming it in the bushes and found that tiny needle tip front sight hard to see. My eyes were tired so that's my excuse. When I was young I had no problems with it. I wouldn't mind finding an original replacement rear sight blade but I don't hold out any hopes for that.

[gewehrfreund]

.

Your dad had good taste - You apparently have a beautiful pre-WWII Mauser Mm 410 B Patrone. :2_high5:

https://www.gunvaluesboard.com/mauser-werke-a.g.-oberndorf-a.n.-patrone-22-cal-lr-452124.html


.

Correct, but "Patrone" is not part of the model number. It simply means "cartridge". Part of my life's work is to get people to stop using this in a description of a German rifle.
It's equivalent to someone saying "I have a Winchester Model 69 cartridge".
Now that I have that out of my system, that's a very nice Mauser Schonzeitbüchse(basically, small game or off season rifle). I'm lucky enough to have 2 of them; an unaltered rare 5-digit serial number example, and a very nicely "sporterized" one that I like almost more than the "original" even if someone altered it years ago.

[Jniedbalski]

Very nice rifle. I always liked the 22 trainers. I got a Chinese JW15 trainer that I like very well. It’s A pre import One and made a lot better than the ones that where imported the 90’s. It’s a tack driver.

[swheeler]

303 you have got a bute there, love the Mauser banner on any reciever! I guess what makes it even sweeter is the fact that it belonged to your late father, a true heirloom.

[303Guy]

Yup. Thanks swheeler. My father spoke of his hunting with that rifle quite often. He often emphasized the Orberndorf Mauser with pride. Having it in my hands now is so meaningful. And my club application has been acknowledged and I go for my acceptance interview on the 13th. I asked if I could bring my rifles and they said sure. Guess which rifle I'm taking! ;-)

[murf205]

Wow, what a beautiful rifle and it was your dads to boot! I have my dads Type 99 Arisaka in as issued condition but considering the job your dad had, I'll bet that little Mauser could tell some stories.

[Hank Ryan]

That looks awesome! :D

[jsizemore]

303guy said

"Oh yes, yesterday I was aiming it in the bushes and found that tiny needle tip front sight hard to see. My eyes were tired so that's my excuse. When I was young I had no problems with it. I wouldn't mind finding an original replacement rear sight blade but I don't hold out any hopes for that."

I made me a little "dot" from finger nail polish with a little metal flake in it to contrast the surrounding. Brilliant white or florescent orange have worked pretty good. Maybe the girls got a sample you can try.

[303Guy]

I finally got the rifle to the range.

https://i.postimg.cc/C5wCRz1L/2020-10-04-212121-2.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

I'm pretty sure my aiming was better than that. I'll be testing it with a few different types of ammo next session.

[pietro]

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How far was the target ?

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[303Guy]

25m. That group is really poor! At that distance with the sights it has on it I should have been able to keep all shots in an area smaller than that white square.

[303Guy]

I took the Mauser to the range again today. I had taken it out a few weeks ago too. With a scope I can better assess the guns accuracy. Well, previously with a scope I did get a few promising groups, much better than the first outing. Today however, it really grouped!

https://i.postimg.cc/024yXZZ0/DSCF3293.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Still at 25m so not fantastic but better than I can shoot offhand. That is 10 shots. Not sure why the first shot was high - I had just fired 10 shots with the same ammo after using a different ammo. This was Eley Club.

[Bigslug]

Oh HELL yes!

The reason so many of us jumped on CZ 452's is because we want - and can't find - .22's like THAT.

[Jniedbalski]

That is a good group. I really like good quality 22’s. My burno#2 is about as fancy as I have. I have never seen a German 22 like that very nice. You mention not taking of the front sight hood. In the picture it is missing. I took my hood off on my jw15 and my burno. I can see without it so much better. I took it off because I didint want to loose it . It’s already came off on me a few times. I shoot with a scope now so it really doesn’t matter. I can’t see the sights at all now any way. Hope you can find a rear sight.

[303Guy]

I must say, that sweet rifle has such a smooth action. It must be kept oiled though or it goes sticky. The bolt open cocking is so effortless it can be down with a flick with the back of the finger, followed by a rearward flick to eject the spent case. Just drop a cartridge onto the magazine and close the bolt. So silky smooth! Flawless feeding as a single shot, which is how I like to do it on the range. And the the trigger - perfect! It has a long first stage which is fine for bench shooting but I do prefer a short first stage for field shooting. I did find myself taking quick shots in the field, forgetting the first stage. That's where the short travel first stage comes in.

So I objective for my next range session (which are becoming dodgy now that the winter rainy season begins - got lucky today with mostly sunny and calm weather after a week of rain and wind) is to fit a higher power scope and set up a more stable rest. The target was going blurry after a while, so I was just aiming for the middle of the blur. An adjustable objective lens is a must for my eyes!

[303Guy]

Jniedbalski, The hood normally stays on. It is hard to get off. I only took it off for the photo. The front blade is so thin I wouldn't risk damaging it. But you are right, I can see and aim much better without the hood. I suppose what I should do is make a bigger round hood to use in the field should I want to use the rifle with open sights.

Something like this.
https://i.postimg.cc/rFYQFNWT/Shrowded_Front_Sight.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

jsizemore, I'm thinking of your suggestion to use a dab of nail varnish on the front bead. It would make it bigger for a start.

I'm debating whether to buy a brick of Eley Club. The stuff seems to shoot well in other rifles too. Today a fellow at the range was showing me his SX results and they were impressive! But then he has a brand new quality rifle. At least I know the Eley Club works in the Mauser.

[Jniedbalski]

It is funny that my parts from my jw15 and my burno will interchange . The mag and front sight hood . The Chinese did a good job of copping it. It looks almost identical. My son used my jw15 and lost the 5 round mag in the woods. They are impossible to find in the states being banned in the 90’s.but Canada and Australia still import them. One day I tried the burno mag and it worked perfect. I did find a new on at a gun store a new burno one ,but at 65$ for A 5 round kind of sucked. The old JW15 mag was all steel the new burno one is steel with the bottom floor plate plastic. My front sight is also very small very thin blade. Iam like you I can only use a adjustable front lense scope now with my eyes. Some scopes with out it it’s blurry with glasses the cross hairs, and the target is fine. With glasses off the cross hairs are sharp but the target is blurry. It sucks getting old. Have fun with it.

[Forrest r]

FWIW:

I've owned a couple of different mauser 22lr's over the decades, all of them like the cheap sk standard+ over the eley club.

Used to buy a lot of eley club, used it to season the bbl's on clean rifles. It used the same lube as the 10x & match.

[303Guy]

After concluding that this rifle likes Eley Club I found some and bought a brick. But I discovered the barrel was touching the barrel channel so I packed the barrel on the opposite side to wedge it in the channel plus a pucker under the barrel to hold it firm. This at the end of the barrel channel. I also gave the bore a bit of a polish with AutoSol.
It seamed to take out a lot of black stuff. So today I got to take it to the range and give it a workout.

I did manage to get a nice group with it but then the groups started opening up. I also tried Geco Target in it and just to see, I tried some Remington Subsonic HP. The latter shot a pattern!

Eley Club
https://i.postimg.cc/3JZHJSN5/DSCF3363.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

But until I can get the barrel free in the barrel channel it's really just paddling upstream. However, I did get some trigger time with her and it was great. The scope is more or less zeroed so what's not to like? It's an awesome rifle to shoot with.

[TCLouis]

Pretty Shootin Piece, historical and family heirloom to boot!

[Bigslug]

.303 - It's probably worth your time to play across the wider Eley spectrum. All the EPS bullet loads are basically production rejects that didn't quite make it onto the Tenex pedestal for various reasons. Knowing the level of players Tenex is made for, the reason for downgrading might be as minor as a worker sneezed in the general vicinity of a beeswax block before they melted it down for lube.:kidding:

At any rate, I was fortunate enough to be able to test a number of .22 match loads on a 100 yard indoor range about ten years back, and the Eley Team was the winner of the day, from a proned, slung-up, Unertl'd Winchester 52. I know it was at least ten rounds into 5/8", though I might well have gone for 20. Point being, even the lower-priced end of their "rejects" might be all any non-Olympic rig needs.

[303Guy]

Pretty Shootin Piece, historical and family heirloom to boot!
Yup. It sure is. When I hold it I think of the hunting stories my father used to tell me about it. Now that he is gone, that rifle bears fond memories. I've been remembering his tales. Then there's the fact that I grew up with that rifle and thinking back to my youth, I did some fair shooting with it. But not only that, it is such a slick action and has a great trigger. Plus the historic aspect of it. It's a pity all the Mauser factory records were lost or destroyed.

Bigslug, I must admit that prices kinda limit my choices, but you are right. I have actually tried a small spectrum of Eley, not the tenex though. Apart from not being any, I'll hold off until I am satisfied that I have all the bugs ironed out. The scope messed me around a bit. Take a look at this target.

https://i.postimg.cc/FRPzZpmd/DSCF3365.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

That was attempting to zero adjust the scope. It went from extreme left to extreme right with just a few clicks. I can understand adjusting out and the moving bit doesn't follow the adjust but adjusting in and it jumps too far? Then adjusting out a small amount and it jumps tp the opposite extreme? This was immediately before the group I posted before.

[303Guy]

So I found the cause of that horizontal string above. Scope loose on rail! But after that 'group' the groups went south. The bore was fouled with lead. I gave it a good scrub yesterday and today it behaved itself.

https://i.postimg.cc/rwJN9Mjy/21-05-16-Geco-Match.jpg (https://postimg.cc/3kkG8Mzz)

That one flyer was just that - a flyer. The round jammed on chambering which I'm sure would have damaged it but I fired it anyway and it landed out of group as I expected. This was now with Geco Match.

[Earlwb]

That is a really nice rifle there that you have. I have thought about getting one myself. But so far the only one I have seen is a big one that they have at our local big box store. Unfortunately it is missing the rear sight. I doubt that one could find another rear sight to install on it.