Remember that 1983 movie, A Christmas Story? It beautifully recreated a classic scene that captured the wonder and magic of Christmas, the anticipation and excitement of Santa’s arrival and the delivery of that Red Rider BB gun. In my case, the rifle most recently delivered by Santa was not a Red Rider BB gun, but something just as wonderful, yet better suited to an old man who is beginning to reminisce, something that is perfectly suited for the old man, but you could not know that until you had it in your hands.
To my surprise, the fit and finish, and the furniture are so well put together that in my eyes this rifle is better than new. I am awe-struck. It is so pristine, the motherly instinct to preserve it arises and I am less in inclined to use it, but to hang it on the wall behind glass and admire it, and show it to others who might be infected with it’s magic. I could not be so impressed by the soulless appearance of a new modern high tech rifles. Those leave me cold and uninterested. To comprehend that the heart of the rifle was made in 1892, and was expertly remade as would an artist create something of sublime utility and beauty. And so it is with this unassuming rifle in the photo, an 1891 Argentine Mauser rebarrelled with a 20-inch .300 Savage barrel with William’s Peep sights on top. It is so ‘minty’ as if it were just made and delivered directly from craftsman’s workbench.
The marks on this fine tiger-striped stock added to the flavor of what is a fine old wine surrounded by expertly recreated finish on the metal that imparts old world-class taste and standards. A like new or a modern stock would have ruined the piece. I too am a craftsman at heart. However humble is the finished work, the heart of the artist is imparted and this is an example that is a work of art.
When I saw it online it had just been put on sale and I jumped on it. But the photos did not capture its virtues and beauty that can only be experienced by the beholder. And it came with my favorite type of sling lovingly preserved and with hint of oil remaining. It is a high grade blending and melding of the practical with the antique and the vintage, yet it is not new, but better than new. It is as if Santa had delivered the perfect rifle.
Santa Delivers
As reality would have it, the rifle was delivered by Elk Creek Company, delivered by Santa himself disguised as a white-bearded postman. This is one sweet rifle expertly conceived and executed. It is short, but not too short, fast-handling, and at no more than 7 pounds it is lightweight, compact, and the length of pull and stock are ideal for heavily-clothed hunter. The peep sights are excellent and far better than Mauser iron sights, and faster than a scope to acquire a ‘sight picture’ or aiming point at woods ranges, and will never fog up.
Peep sights on the AR-15 to the M1 Garand are more popular than are V-notch or buckhorn sights for very good reasons. And like on battle rifles, the Williams peep sight is fully adjustable. I prefer iron sights inside of 100 yards and even a low powdered scope blocks my ability to detect movement on either side of the sight picture. Using stripper clips is also possible so I ordered up few just in case I am attacked by a herd of deer. Seriously, I like to keep all the options open if possible, and perhaps could repurpose the rifle to be used in a last resort self-defense role. It would be a good bugout rifle as well.
The rifle was designed for woods hunting, to be carried a lot and shot little. The lack of a scope is good thing and it reduces the weight by about one pound and allows the rifle to be carried closer and more comfortably next to the body. The peep sights are rugged and will not become too dirty to use and there is no scope to get in the way in terms of handling the rifle or carrying the rife up close to the side of the body as one transverses challenging terrain and attempts to avoid the low hanging tree branches and brush. It is one very handy rifle and IHMO better than most Mauser M94 type carbines.
However, it does require handloading to get the most out this rifle. The .300 Savage 180-grain ammunition is now difficult to find and expensive, and is round nosed ammunition designed for the Savage 99 lever action rifle. Hornady’s Superformance load IHMO is likely too hot for the 1891 Mauser. As I already reload for several rifles in .300 Savage, it is a perfect fit for my stable of rifles.
While reloaders will have a wider choice and likely already have a large supply of .30 caliber bullets and would prefer a rifle with a barrel that uses bullets with a diameter of .308 instead of .311 that the 7.65 x53mm ammunition uses, it is to their advantage to choose an antique that is chambered in .308 Winchester or .300 Savage. A better M1891 choice for all others would be rifles that are chambered 7.65x53mm Mauser. There is currently for sale at Elk Creek Company rifle that does not require handloading as there is plenty of affordable 7.65×53 ammunition for sale at just over $1.00 a round from PPU. Use Ammoseek.com to find the lowest price.
I would expect that because of the shorter barrels typically used on sporterized rifle that these do not deliver the full expected velocity that PPU advertises that these rifle will perform at .300 Savage levels. Another prospect for reloaders would be an antique Mauser in .308 Winchester that could be reloaded using .300 Savage reloading data that will yield a maximum pressure of less than 46,000 CUP in a rifle shooting .308 Winchester. As a surprise, Jim delivered one of those as well!
Thus is the lure, and experience that an admirer of antiques and an old rifleman enjoys. Forget the ATF and the special antique status that pre-1899 rifles have. The gold nuggets that can be found are worth possessing for only their value as examples of Old World craftsmanship, where the craftsman is an artist, and has a close relationship and understanding of his simple tools and the materials before him. This craftsman created a beautiful and powerful implement of life and death. It is amazing that there is little new under the sun. One might figure that an antique rifle was obsolete, yet 7.65x53mm has set a standard of performance still in use today as a standard to be met or exceeded. One does not have to be a historian or gunsmith to be a hobbyist who appreciates antiques.
How modest the rifle is not the question. It requires an artist’s eye to recognize the work. The pursuit of excellence is a force that cannot be mechanized, but only envisioned and empowered by the craftsman’s imagination and skill, and an all consuming desire to create something new, even if the materials are old. This is one beautiful rifle in my eyes. As reloaders, we too should strive to be craftsmen too. Jesus was a carpenter, a craftsman, and that was not his previous vocation. At His essence, He is the creator. And we are created in His image.
Disclaimers
This article is merely my opinion based on years of study and experience as a hobbyist. I do not make a living reloading and I am not a qualified gunsmith. If I am in error in any way, I hope, yet can not guarantee, to have understated rather than overstated certain figures and estimates. It is up to the reader to verify what are the facts of the matter. I am not qualified to have an opinion and suggest the reader use a reloading manual to guide themselves through the process as this article is not a reloading loading manual, but only a presentation of my unsubstantiated and unprofessional opinion.
I am not college-educated nor possess any credentialed education other than a high school certificate. The reloader must take full responsibility for their actions. If you take my advice or use procedures herein without consulting and carefully adhering to the instructions found in a reloading manual then you putting yourself in unnecessary jeopardy and risk injury. I accept no responsibility for your actions or negligence. Always wear safety glasses when firing these rifles during load development, and exercise great caution when reloading, and learn how to identify signs of excessive pressure.
Inspection is Required
Paying a gunsmith a small fee to have the rifle inspected is an affordable and wise investment. If there is any doubt confirm that the cartridge that it is advertised on the barrel is indeed the cartridge it is actually chambered for. Recently I acquired another antique rifle chambered in 7.62×39. Most commercial bolt actions that are chambered in 7.62×39 are made to use commercially made 7.62×39 ammunition. Because of the vintage of the rifle and because reloaders of that time had easy access to .308 diameter bullets and not .311 or .312 diameter projectiles, I suspected that the rifle was not chambered in 7.62×39 with a .311 diameter bore, but had a bore designed to use .308 diameter bullets. I was correct. Even so, I paid a local gunsmith for his opinion even after I had slugged the barrel multiple times. He had the tools to more accurately determine and confirm my measurements were correct.
I would have liked to have used my store of 7.62×39 commercial ammunition in this rifle. Fortunately, I had the discipline not to load one up and fire it without a full examination. A modern rifle would have no problem handling the excessive pressures of a larger bullet being swaged (reduced in diameter) by the bore, but an antique rifle loaded to near maximum pressure or lower, might have experienced a case rupture had I fired commercially made 7.62×39 ammunition that is typically load at maximum pressures. Had I not been a long time reloader aware of such a possibility I would not have questioned the “7.62×39” stamp on the barrel. IHMO, most gunsmiths might not question the stamp on the barrel or the actual bore diameter. Older and more experienced gunsmiths know better. It is prudent to have all custom-made rifles examined by a competent gunsmith. Insist that they confirm a rifle’s cartridge chambering and mechanical safety.
An Abbreviated History
Most important to note is the pressure limit for the 1891 Mauser is less than 51,000 PSI that is roughly equivalent to 46,000 CUP. The 1893, 1895, and 1896 Mauser rifles and subsequent progeny, their cartridges were developed prior to latest or modern metallurgy and action designs were capable of 46,000 CUP. This is the often-stated pressure limit for small ring Mausers.
The 1889 Belgian and the 1891 Argentine Mauser are small ring Mausers, yet because these are the earliest produced during the infancy of the rapidly evolving metallurgy that began about 1880 early on during Industrial Revolution, the working pressures might be lower than 46,000 CUP. There is no SAAMI-specified pressure limit available for the 1891 Mausers. SAAMI specifications were first introduced around 1926. Early load data empirically established the safe working pressure for the 1891 Mauser rifle and appears to be around 44,000 CUP. This is not fact nor is it an industry-stated pressure limit. In the opinion of some gunsmiths, the 1891 Argentine Mauser can handle 46,000 CUP. I will instead err on the side of caution as my research into matter as of this date leads me to do so.
Another important consideration should be the process and consistency of the quality of the metallurgy that was not as advanced and was continually being improved. It is an important consideration, so it is best to establish a personal estimate based on the first production run. Fortunately, to my knowledge, early Mauser rifles were made in Germany to the highest levels that could be achieved at that time and therefore the 1891 Mauser earned a reputation that made Mauser rifles to eventually become wildly popular and the implement of choice during the period. South American nations had their own arms race, in that era.
While I am not a historian, I can appreciate that the tempering process was much more consistent in later decades when small ring Mausers were still in production. Metallurgy advanced rapidly between 1880 and 1920 and Germany was at the forefront. And Germany is still a nation of engineers.
Naturally, there was an arms race based upon the rapidly emerging technology of that time, in particular, metallurgy that produced ever more effective weapons and other machines. The U.S. learned the hard way during the Spanish-American War as the Spanish used the 7mm Mauser that provided battlefield superiority that was devastating. My great-grandfather was there, and lived to tell about it. We should have paid attention to what the Boers did to the British with their own small ring Mauser Model 1895 7×57 rifles. I am a proud owner of one of those too.
It was often the case that nations first purchased Mauser rifles produced in Germany and then later developed the means and obtained a license to produce their own Mauser rifles in-country. The Swedish continued to produce small-ring M96 Mausers as late as 1948. The later models were assigned the nomenclature M38. They were still issued by the Swedish Army as late as 1995. Thus, the Swedish Army used the small ring Mauser for a full century!
Although using the latest tempering methods, the M38 rifle had reportedly had steel that tended to be more brittle than M96 rifle produced at the turn of the century. The Swedes insisted that German steel at turn of the century was not as good as Swedish steel that had naturally occurring nickel and chromium in small amounts that made the Swedish steel alloy superior. And indeed it was and is part of the reason that Swedish Mausers might be the superior small ring Mauser.
In contrast, with Swedish Mausers made in Sweden, Mausers made in Spain are said to be of inconsistent quality and possibly of softer steel and should have the headspace checked. As a reloader, we can compensate and make custom cases to that fit maladjusted chambers and fix the headspacing problem indirectly with what is equivalent to a band-aid that might only obscure a more insidious threat, bolt set back and possible micro-cracks in the bolt lugs.
And, as reloaders, we should also compensate for the softer actions with lighter than standard load pressures. As we are not gunsmiths however, if the action is questionable, the action should be inspected by a qualified gunsmith of adequate repute who should check for micro -cracks and abnormalities as well as head spacing.
Some nationstate arsenals were not as meticulous as where the Swedish or German arsenals and their surplus rifle might have serious safety issues do to a lack of proper inspection and maintenance, especially if the Mauser was used in a Third World nation. Often, like their horses, the rifles could be ridden hard and put away wet. Often their barrels can be found to be badly worn or eroded by the effects of corrosive primers.
These conditions are a clear indication of a lack adherence to regular maintenance practices, and the over all condition of the rifle should be suspect. Apparently, the Swedes were one of the first to discontinue corrosive primers in their ammunition. This added to the good reputation of Swedish rifles. The Swedes were extraordinarily meticulous. A military surplus rifle’s country of manufacture, and country of origin matter.
As reloaders, we know that each rifle is an individual and each rifle could potentially tolerate higher in pressure loads and produce higher velocities, or conversely a particular, rifle might however only tolerate only lower pressures and lower velocities. There is a margin of error and no load data is absolute, therefore using use the safest procedures detailed in reloading manuals is necessary when developing a load. While I will present my approach, it is no substitute for the procedures provided by a reloading manual that is required reading is a prerequisite before attempting to use any of my personal suggestions about how to reload any rifle.
It is absolutely necessary to carefully examine the expended brass case for any sign of excessive pressure even if only a starting charge was used. When it comes to antique Mausers, my standards are high and any sign that might indicate a high-pressure condition is the point where the charge is reduced significantly. It is far better to chase accuracy than velocity. Swedish Mausers are claimed by some European reloaders to be able to handle more than 46,000 CUP on regular basis. But in my experience, I would not do so particularly for any Mauser that might possibly have slightly more brittle action.
(To be continued tomorrow, in Part 1.)