.303 Mauser with hole in barrel

M

matthunt101

Regular
GunNutz
Rating - 100%
27   0   0
Location
Algoma, ON
So originally I was trying to sell this on the EE, but after a conversation with a member decided to haul it off, and do a little more research and checking on it before selling it. In the process of doing so I discovered the hole in the barrel in the top picture below underneath the barrel band. I think this is a no4 barrel, but I'm not sure. Any idea what this hole was for, or did bubba get at this and I should just make it a wallhanger? The hole is not threaded, nor does it go all the way thru to the bore. Thanks in advance!
:cheers:
zVeySKk.jpg

nEowslN.jpg

iSFW3us.jpg

vXEOYVP.jpg

iwKqLTN.jpg
 
That stock looks like it's very old sportster,possibly 1920-30 period.1915 Erfurt too.

Barrel band doesn't belong there either.What caliber is this in?
 
That is a Ross barrel retrofitted to the Mauser action.
Depending on where it is, a blind hole might be part of a rear sight positioning system.
 
It is a M1905 - Mk II - Ross barrel. The breech contour of a Lee Enfield barrel is different - there is a large flat on top. If it were a SMLE barrel, there would be a transverse hole through for the rear sight base pin.
 
Looks like a 1905 Ross barrel; definitely not a No4. Ross barrel has been modified for a Mauser installation.....the barrel may have been shortened? I do not see the step just ahead of the receiver and knox looks short? Hole might be originally for the sight locate and has been disguised with the metal cover/band. It's concerning if the depth measurement is 3.44 mm. We would need to know the barrel diameter at the hole location to determine it's safety......need to be concerned if the barrel has been profile in the area and if hole has been altered. Why not sell the rifle as a project with this disclosure? Ron
 
Last edited:
The measurement is the diameter of the hole, not the depth. I had originally bought it as a project for myself and was stunning settling to free up some funds for other things. I'm unsure what to do with it now. Haha
 
That is a small ring 98 action; favored for sporting conversions. Of course, the bolt face has been altered for .303.
The barrel contour could be that of a Ross 1910 R sporter, but the blind hole would suggest otherwise. If it is from a sporter, there should be a serial number on the barrel breech. A 1910 barrel would certainly have enough meat in the shank to rework for the Mauser thread. I'm wondering if a Mk.II shank could be turned and rethreaded? Bushed?
 
Measure the hole depth and barrel diameter. Insert a a needle or toothpick if you have nothing else. Mark and measure.
 
That rifle will shoot just fine IMHO.

Most of the hard/tedious work has already been done.

Have you tried inserting cartridges into the magwell and feeding them into the chamber?

Many years ago, one of my first projects was fitting a surplus Siamese Mauser mag well to an early 98 small ring action and fitting a take off Ross barrel to it. It was definitely a huge learning curve for me at the time and likely not a project I would take on again. I should have just utilized one of the junker quality Siamese actions for the project. My major hurdle there was the awkward threads on the tenon and my lathe skills weren't up to it back then.

That rifle functioned and shot as well as I could shoot it back in the mid sixties. I wish I had never sold it.

When I first saw pics in magazine articles of the ''303" Eastonian/Latvian 98 Mauser and later some sporters built on them, I wanted one in a very real manner and tried ever available option, open to me at the time to locate one. I never did find one and I had some very reliable access to surplus firearms in those days. Likely they're around or rusting away in some warehouse in a third world ex soviet satellite.


The .303 British Estonian/Latvian Mauser,
During the 1930’s, Czechoslovakia made a very rare Mauser variant for use by Estonia and Latvia. A simple bolt action rifle, they were very similar to the German 98k or 33/40. The major difference, however, was that the rifle was chambered for the .303 British cartridge. Notice how the magazine juts slightly out of the rifle to accommodate the .303 rimmed cartridge. Why did Estonia and Latvia want a .303 Mauser? Who knows. What is known is that this is a very rare rifle. I was not even able to find a picture on the internet. Instead the pic above is scanned from Ludwig Olson’s book, “Mauser Bolt Rifles”.
Source: Mauser Bolt Rifles by Ludwig Olson
 
tiriaq said:
That is a small ring 98 action; favored for sporting conversions. Of course, the bolt face has been altered for .303.
The barrel contour could be that of a Ross 1910 R sporter, but the blind hole would suggest otherwise. If it is from a sporter, there should be a serial number on the barrel breech. A 1910 barrel would certainly have enough meat in the shank to rework for the Mauser thread. I'm wondering if a Mk.II shank could be turned and rethreaded? Bushed?
Click to expand...

The amount of knowledge you have is mind blowing. You’ve probably forgotten more about rifles than most average gun guys will ever know.
 
Thanks for all the info everyone! After double checking the hole depth and comparing the bore diameter and from everyone's information here, I think I'll hang onto it for now and see if I can find time at a later date to make a decent shooter out of it. It always amazes me how much knowledge some people have and how they can identify the type, manufacture, and so much other important information from a couple crappy photos.
:cheers:
 
matthunt101 said:
Thanks for all the info everyone! After double checking the hole depth and comparing the bore diameter and from everyone's information here, I think I'll hang onto it for now and see if I can find time at a later date to make a decent shooter out of it. It always amazes me how much knowledge some people have and how they can identify the type, manufacture, and so much other important information from a couple crappy photos.
:cheers:
Click to expand...

See if you can source a Siamese Mauser triggerguard/magwel for it. Maybe even a take off stock. Leeper may be able to provide you with a stock. I seem to remember him making up custom rifles on the Siamese Mauser actions. Many were converted to 45/70 and 458 win mag. The surplus military stocks were stuck in a corner.

Liberty Tree Collectors has type 45 stocks for sale and they just might have a trigger guard assembly as well. Do your own DD on this.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom