help identify this old rifle

[kbear]

I bought a mauser (of some kind) at an auction a few years ago. At the time I believed the gun was a 7mm, but will not hold a pattern shooting the 7mm mauser loads. The only mark on the gun is "X85" There does not appear to be any other markings or insignias. Does anyone have any Idea what this gun is?

Thanks Kbear

[Cactus Farmer]

Pictures please?

[mooman76]

There are allot of old 7mm mausers out there with oversized bores and will shoot like you described. I have 2 of them. Pictures would help.

[KCSO]

Just hold it up to the screen and I'll take a look....

[largom]

Before I shot it I would slug the bore and make a chamber cast to determine what the gun is.

Larry

[bubba.50]

most likely an 8mm but as said: i would make a chamber cast/slug the bore. cheap insurance for non-warranty parts(eyes,hands,brain-pan,etc.). my opinion and you're welcome to it, bubba.

[Wayne Smith]

Kbear, if you don't know that making a chamber cast is using Cerrosafe, go to Brownells.com and find some cerrosafe. It melts at just under the boiling temp of water, shrinks and then expands in a predictable and known way. Oil your chamber, plug the bore just up the barrel from the chamber so you can also measure the bore, melt the cerrosafe and pour. It will set up immediately. Knock out the cast with a cleaning rod.

Now compare the measurements to known chambers like those in Cartridges of the World. You will find out what the chamber is, then you can begin to find resources.

[swheeler]

Kbear if you have one of the empties you fired in that rifle you should be able to figure what cartridge it is chambered for. Dig out the reloading manual and calipers and go to it. Lets see a picture of it.

[JIMinPHX]

Even candle wax will be able to make a chamber casting that will give you a good idea of what you actually have.

[kbear]

I am attaching pictures. Let me know if anyone wants a closer look at any particular part.

[kbear]

Full views of Mauser

[docone31]

I have three of the X numbered recievers.
They are large ring. I made two in .243BR. and one in 7.62. That is my large bore caliber.
I have wondered what the X numbered recievers were from. Mine are consecutive.

[Cactus Farmer]

We need to see the rear portion of the bolt,ie,cocking piece and shroud. A pic of the bolt itself may also be helpful. I'm guessing 95 Mauser roght now as the rear sight appears to be the origional military sight. Caliber could be 8x57,7x57,7.65x54, or some other odd numbers. Might even be a 7.62x 51 Nato. Can you put a caliper in the muzzle and get an idea of the bore?

[NickSS]

From the small size of the pictures I could not tell much but it looks like a 98 mauser that has been semi sporterized. I have owned several but as yours has no marks except the X number I can not tell much more about it. It could be a 7 or 8mm. Both would chamber and fire in either a 7 or 8X57 bore. If the shells came out with the neck size under 30 cal it probably is a 7X57 but if they are larger it is probably an 8mm rifle.

[Bret4207]

Yup, need action shots.

[9.3X62AL]

Cool old rifle. I'd want to get it up and running, too.

[Multigunner]

Another possibility might be a 7.65 rechambered to .30/06. Some of the South American 7.65 rifles with 98 actions had straight grip stocks.

Whatever it was when new theres a possibility it may have been rechambered or rebarreled to a larger caliber.

[swheeler]

Kbear; picture is too small to tell much. Does it cock on closing or on the uplift of bolt? Maybe a couple close ups of the action would help clear things up.

[kbear]

it cocks on closing. if I keep it empty and want the pressure off the spring, I close the bolt while pulling the trigger, and it does not cock. I will get my wife to take some more pictures of the bolt (I'm more of a mechanical guy, not technological). I will also try to get a caliper and measure the bore. Thanks guys

[swheeler]

it cocks on closing. if I keep it empty and want the pressure off the spring, I close the bolt while pulling the trigger, and it does not cock. I will get my wife to take some more pictures of the bolt (I'm more of a mechanical guy, not technological). I will also try to get a caliper and measure the bore. Thanks guys

One of the pre 98's, probably 93 or 95, cross bolt in the stock looks out of place, maybe the stock has been swapped out/replaced with one for a lr yugo variant? ? more pics please

[kbear]

I have one more picture after this. I am having to load them only 2 at a time. If you want a closer look may I suggest that you copy the picture (right click copy) and paste in your own picture or paint program so you can enlarge, crop, etc to get a closer look.

[kbear]

Hope these help

[kbear]

I will work on getting a cast

[MtGun44]

Not a 98 Mauser, no gas flange on the cocking piece, no third bolt lug on the
bottom. Square bottom of the bolt face is a key identifier, but I don't remember for
what - I think it means a 95, but not sure. Definitely either a 93 or 95 Mauser
or copy. How does a 7mm bullet fit when pushed into the muzzle? Go right in
all the way, or only part way? I have owned an old 7x57 93 Mauser that would
dump a bullet sideways at 25 yds due to a worn bore.

Is there a little bump of metal (part of the action) located on the right rail so that
the bolt handle root drops behind it when the bolt is closed? If so, this is a Mauser
95 of some sort. Should have a country crest on the top of the front receiver ring.

Bill

[KYCaster]

IIRC, the flat bottom bolt is a '93 "Spanish", which most likely would have originally been 7X57mm, but since the bolt handle has been altered I'd do a chamber cast rather than make a guess that could very well be wrong.

Jerry

[doubs43]

IIRC, the flat bottom bolt is a '93 "Spanish", which most likely would have originally been 7X57mm, but since the bolt handle has been altered I'd do a chamber cast rather than make a guess that could very well be wrong.

Jerry

There's no question that the bolt is from an 1893 Mauser. The flat on the bottom of the bolt face is the give-away. The 1895 Mauser used a round face bolt.

The original chambering would have been 7x57mm. A lack of accuracy could be caused by a shot-out bore or the rifle being converted (rebarreled) to a larger diameter bullet. The lack of markings other than "X85", the reworked bolt and the two holes seen in the top of the receiver would indicate that it had a scope mounted at one time. It's a small ring Mauser action and doesn't have the safety lug behind the bolt handle root that a '95 would have. It all probably means the rifle was converted to something other than 7x57 and sold to civilians as a sporting rifle. Lots of the early Mausers have gone that way.

[Bret4207]

Yes, a 1895 Mauser. In 7x57 they make and excellent rifle. Works for 35 Rem and some other lower pressured rounds. I'd hesitate to use one with anything but mild loads if rebarreled to a high pressure round. DO a chamber cast or provide a picture of a fired case next to a 7x57 factory round. The poor accuracy can be the muzzle, garbage in the barrel.....any of a number of things.

[swheeler]

Kbear; You have a small ring mauser, now since it has a flat bottom bolt face it can be one of three models, A M1893(M93), Brazilian M94 or a Spanish 1916(all 93 variants). If there is an oval gas port hole on the left front reciever ring it is the Spanish 1916, this was added as a safety feature for gas escape incase of a case failure. I believe these rifles were originally 7x57(7mm mauser) chambered, except the Spanish 1916 which was chambered in 7mm and 7.62 Nato. I can see it was drilled and tapped for a one piece scope mount(single hole in rear bridge) bolt handle replaced for scope , but looks to retain the original safety, and a reblue.
If it is in fact chambered for 7x57,which I believe it to be since you have been shooting it(you need to do a cast or post close ups of fired and unfired casings with measurements) Clean the barrel of all fouling and slug it, it still might make you a cast bullet shooter.
What does the barrel look like after you clean it, bright and shiny with strong rifleing or not? Do the patches drag and snag in the barrel, bore look dark? Your getting this picture thing down pat!! Scot

[Buckshot]

..............It appears in the right photo of the rifle (with my nose up against the screen) it appears that there IS a thumb cut in the receiver wall, so that rules out the M1894 Brazilian as they had no thumb notch. However the M1894 Brazilian DID use a chinned bolt as did the M1893 and they were interchangeable.

As a chinned bolt will ONLY work in a reciever cut for it, after setting aside the M1894 Brazilian, yours would HAVE to be an M1893 Spanish.

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

[swheeler]

"If there is an oval gas port hole on the left front reciever ring it is the Spanish 1916," by swheeler

I am guessing this M93 variant, 1916 Spanish, my final answer.

Guess it is up to Kbear to supply a close up of the reciever now, left side please Kbear.

[skeet1]

I am guessing that the receivers are sequentially numbered because some gunsmith needed to number some unnumbered receivers. Years ago I had a Siamese Mauser that only had a serial number written in Siamese. I took it to Gunsmith Gordon Bess in Canon City, Colorado to have it barreled to .45-70. When I got it back it was numbered with an "X" number. I would suspect this was a common practice.