mauser sporter

P

paul lewis

New member
EE Expired
Rating - 92.3%
12   1   0
Location
Nova Scotia
I have a unusual gun H. Dowal 98 8 mm on the barrel and is 23 '' barrel and has belgian proof marks on receiver& barrel , no serial # and not made in any country name on it , i believe its pre WW1 and it has 3 leaf site and a ramp front site and its a small ring and think it would be a 318 bore !
Any help on this gun or info about it will be appriciated ! Thanks Paul
 
you better make sure I SHOOT a pre ww1 8 mil and it's a 323 (most are) best gun I've ever shot groups under 3/8 at a 100 yards with 57 grains 4350 and a175 pro hunter siere
 
Paul, can you post pics for us? If not, I'd be happy to for you if it helps.

There's an oldie out here too, I think is a .318 bore as well but I have not measured it. This one is also a small ring 98 action...... very slender stock of typical pre war German style. It says made in Germany on the right side of the ring. Single flip up sight, checkering is strange, the diamonds are raised above the rest of the wood surface, with no border.

Hopefully Baribal sees this thread, he knows a ton of vintage Mauser info.
 
I came across an early Steyr in 8x57 that was a .318 bore. Person I bought it from was shooting .323 bullets (commercial loads).:eek: Needless to say, it was rebarrelled with a .323 bore after that.
 
Last edited:
What i would like to know if anyone has heard of H. Dorwal guns as this Mauser sporter that i have and having Belgian Proofs as to who made this gun and how old is it ??? Thanks for the info so far Paul
 
Before and after WW1, sporting rifles were being built by cottage companies all over Europe. Some of them were marked J or S to determine bore size but by no means all. In those days, you were expected to either know or find out, the responsibility was all yours. If it's a small ring mauser action, it may be anything from a 93 to a 96 or a small ring 98. Your description is just to vague. Either take it to a gunsmith or show us some pics, especially the bolt. Slugging the bore is easy enough as long as you have some lead and a micrometer or vernier.
 
gunrunner100 said:
I came across an early Steyr in 7x57 that was a .318 bore. Person I bought it from was shooting .323 bullets (commercial loads).:eek: Needless to say, it was rebarrelled with a .323 bore after that.
Click to expand...

I assume you meant an 8x57. In actual fact, one of the reason North American factory loads for the 8 Mauser are so anemic is due to this. They knew that the average NA hunter barely knows which end the bullets come out of, much less niceties like bore dimensions, hence low pressure ammo. - dan
 
I don't know anything about Dorwal mausers but I have seen one, in 8x57.
It seemed like a well-built rifle.
If it has Belgian proofs, it was at least sold in Belgium.
 
bearhunter said:
Before and after WW1, sporting rifles were being built by cottage companies all over Europe. Some of them were marked J or S to determine bore size but by no means all. In those days, you were expected to either know or find out, the responsibility was all yours. If it's a small ring mauser action, it may be anything from a 93 to a 96 or a small ring 98. Your description is just to vague. Either take it to a gunsmith or show us some pics, especially the bolt. Slugging the bore is easy enough as long as you have some lead and a micrometer or vernier.
Click to expand...

I agree, if it has a third locking lug under the bolt handle it is a 98. The Dorwal that I saw was a light sporter and the owner said he'd only fired it twice as it kicked like a mule. Maybe as a result of firing .323 bullets in a .318 bore?
I've read that this is one reason the 8x57 is underloaded by U.S. companies, to avoid an uninformed shooter getting the "New Look" as a result of discharging a round in an undersize bore.
 
dan belisle said:
I assume you meant an 8x57. In actual fact, one of the reason North American factory loads for the 8 Mauser are so anemic is due to this. They knew that the average NA hunter barely knows which end the bullets come out of, much less niceties like bore dimensions, hence low pressure ammo. - dan
Click to expand...

You are correct. Fat fingers and poor eyesight...:redface:
 
Mauser Sporter

I am putting this gun up again as i have got good deal of answer and i do know how to slug it and find the actual bore .
The name on the barrel is H. Dorwal 98 8 mm Thats all
Proof marks are the real issue here as they are Belgian !isthe ? here, was it made in Belgian / or Germany and proofed in Belgian ?
There are no other marks or names or made in { country } on it .
As i said its 23'' barrel 3 leaf mid site and a ramped front site , slender lite stock , horn butt and grip cap .
Still looking for help , Thanks
 
H. Dowal Mauser are a lot more common than you think. These were post WW1 and quite plane....have seen these at local gun shows for around $200.00. They are 318 bores so be careful what you use for ammo. Calibre is not marked or simply marked 8mm...at least mine is. The receiver ring is generally ground to small ring size and profile is quite sleek.
 
paul lewis said:
I am putting this gun up again as i have got good deal of answer and i do know how to slug it and find the actual bore .
The name on the barrel is H. Dorwal 98 8 mm Thats all
Proof marks are the real issue here as they are Belgian !isthe ? here, was it made in Belgian / or Germany and proofed in Belgian ?
There are no other marks or names or made in { country } on it .
As i said its 23'' barrel 3 leaf mid site and a ramped front site , slender lite stock , horn butt and grip cap .
Still looking for help , Thanks
Click to expand...

Pics are everything Paul, pics of the bug proofs, pics of any other distinct features etc. You may have to remove the stock to find them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom