7mm Mexican Mauser this can't be good.

Could be but it's a military rifle, they typically had longer ( and usually heavier than a hunting load too) bullets in the old Milsurps with rate of twist to stabilize the original loading. A fast load and / or the lesser bearing surface of a shorter bullet might cause it to skid over worn rifling.
Stay at or below the original loading with a bullet which is similar in profile to the original load and it should work.
Might have to go to a cast bullet with a gas check though. But it might pay off big time to tweak it.
But until it gets a chamber casting and the bore slugged its all supposition; I think we can agree on that fact, correct?

Agreed, inspect crown, slug it, chamber casting.... some pics and model would be nice :) Mexico fielded about a dozen different models of Mausers, including one in .30-06!

Though I'm a little bit concerned, 7x57 in a Model 98, you sure about the model #? should be 8x57 maybe? Also going through my mauser book here, no model 98 for mexico - 95, 02, 07, 10, 12, 24, 12/33,36 & 54 all in 7x57 except 54 in .30-06

Pics please :)
 
If he has the 98 Mexican Small Ring Mauser, they were made for 140 grain bullets. They usually shoot the 160 and 175 grain bullets quite well though.

I am a bit concerned with the "lead mist". Is this bore merely dark or badly rusted???

Is the bore really in 7mm or was it the later 30 caliber. Many of the early small ring 98s produced by the Mexicans in 7mm were converted to 30 calibre later, after they adopted the 30-06 as their standard military cartridge.

I also saw a few that had been converted to 7.62x51. Both were together in a mixed lot of rifles.

The 7x57, will chamber and fire in a 30-06 chamber. How do the fired cases compare to the new cases??
 
If he has the 98 Mexican Small Ring Mauser

I don't see these in Mike Ball's book - did they [Mexico] produce their own Mausers or are you referring to a 98 ~type~ action?

I'm curious, OP I'd really like to see some pics of this gun.

-sean
 
I don't see these in Mike Ball's book - did they [Mexico] produce their own Mausers or are you referring to a 98 ~type~ action?

I'm curious, OP I'd really like to see some pics of this gun.

-sean

Mexico produced Model 1936 and 1954 rifles in their own factories. Both were small ring 98s.
 
Yes but the old 175 gr load was a RN, if you can try those.

Could be but it's a military rifle, they typically had longer ( and usually heavier than a hunting load too) bullets in the old Milsurps with rate of twist to stabilize the original loading. A fast load and / or the lesser bearing surface of a shorter bullet might cause it to skid over worn rifling.
Stay at or below the original loading with a bullet which is similar in profile to the original load and it should work.
Might have to go to a cast bullet with a gas check though. But it might pay off big time to tweak it.
But until it gets a chamber casting and the bore slugged its all supposition; I think we can agree on that fact, correct?
 
Mexico was the first South Amrican or Central American nation to built a Mauser Rilfe in theyer Arsenals: Model 1910 is a rifle with the 1898 bolt. I have a Model 1910 made in 1931 in Mexico City War Factory that has same problems of stabilisation of the bullet but last time fired with it was 4 years ago :)


regards
 
firing a 7x57 in a 30-06 rifle would at the very least be noticeable in the brass, or at the worst cause a head separation, for example
Wrong-3001-e1335291225113-200x300.jpg
 
I took my 1936 Mexican small ring 98 out this morning and fired a couple of rounds out of it to see how well it did.

Its bore condition is about 80-90%, depending on how critical you are. I figure the 80% covers it better than the description I was given but that's not what we're here for.

I loaded up and fired 50 rounds through it. I also brought along a Chilean with an excellent bore but a tighter twist rate.

5 each, 110, 130, 140/145 boat tail and flat base, 162SST, 160 GS, 175 Interlocks, 175 milsurp and ten each 190 Noslers.

All of the bullets shot well in the Mexican Mauser, except the 190 Noslers. The 190 Noslers keyholed at 50 meters into a one foot group. The rest, all grouped lower with each increase in weight but at 100 yards, they all grouped 5 inches or less. No screaming hell but with my aging eyes and the 23+inch barrel mounted sights, that's pretty decent for me. Minute of Deer.

Now, the Chilean 95, shot the Nosler 190s like they were made for her. That tight twist rate made a big difference to stability. The 29 inch barrel mounted sights made target acquisition much easier as well. This old rifle, is in at least 90%+ condition inside and out.

It shot the last five rounds of 190s into a group that was slightly less than 3 inches. This was the last target of the day and to tell the truth, I was developing a bit of a flinch. Even with a PAST shoulder pad. Someone else, could probably have done a much better job.

I'm not saying this test was definitive but I am saying my Mexican Small Ring Mauser shoots several bullet weights well. Right up to 175 grains.
 
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I'd be willing to hazard a guess that you have several bore factors at work against you. I'd also bet that your throat is so badly eroded that the bullet isn't seating anywhere near where the lands might be (if they're even there!).
 
We get people who pose a question and if there's no answer within a day, rip into board members. Here we have the opposite - a guy poses a question, then "goes turtle" with several guys eager to assist. A few answers to simple questions and all can be revealed....
 
Tough to say from the light and angles in your pics. The front of the barrel should be perfectly square at a 90 deg angle to the line of the barrel. After that, the crowning tool must break the interior edge of the bore in a perfectly symmetrical and smooth circle-no chatters or gouges. As suggested above, shoot it and see what happens.
 
Sorry folks I have to apologize - I didn't realize this post was still ongoing.

I have been away a lot and I have to go away on business tomorrow but once I get back I will get some pics of the gun, muzzle etc.

I checked the empty casing over with the verner calipers and the rifle is a 7mm Mauser. As far as model of mauser I may be off the mark.

My sincerest apologies again and I will get some pics up in a week or so.
 
Tough to say from the light and angles in your pics. The front of the barrel should be perfectly square at a 90 deg angle to the line of the barrel. After that, the crowning tool must break the interior edge of the bore in a perfectly symmetrical and smooth circle-no chatters or gouges. As suggested above, shoot it and see what happens.

Thanks... the pics can be clicked on for a larger version.

I'm afraid the cut isn't perpendicular to the barrel... as shown in the picture (perhaps a slight exaggeration from the macro angle) it seems to be at a slight angle from the top of the barrel like this: \

Might even be a mild curve in the cut... and some hacksaw marks around the barrel edge.

The muzzle has been smoothed and there doesn't seem to be any blemishes right at the interior edge. No 11 degree, recessed or button crown...

My intuition tells me it's a hack job and not some fancy innovative version. Will shoot and see but thoughts welcome.
 
Ok folks,

Got out a couple of days ago with the 7mm Mauser again and fired some of my hand loads. No lead mist this time:). They wanted to group but there were flyers at 25 yards and a few keyholes. The previous factory shells I fired were Hansen Cartridges Factory 175 grain. This time I fired the same empties with 154 grain Hornady slugs and 42.5 grain of IMR 4350. So the light bullets did perform better (not much though).

I fired another 20 rounds (total so far 40 rounds) and once I got home from the range I measured the empties and they were 2.243" long (fire formed). The outside dia of the neck was .324" and the inside dia was .289 ". There are no breaks in the empties and they look good.

I slugged the barrel and the grove dia was .289 (measure several times). Seems a little large to me.

The gun was manufactured is 1934 and I believe is a small ring Mauser. The bore is dark but the rifling is strong. It doesn't rip the patches but there is some resistance.

Here are some pics of the action (sorry my camera is not too good).

MexicanMauser007_zps2c647db6.jpg


MexicanMauser005_zps32d60d52.jpg


I guess my next step is to try some bore treatment and maybe oversized cast bullets. Since most jacket bullets are .284 dia, should I be looking at getting a cast bullet in the .289/.290 range?

Your thoughts

Thanks folks.
 
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