What do I have here? 1901 Large Ring, Short (true short) action Mauser 98

Ardent

Ardent

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I've bought a rifle that really has me wondering, it is a large ring, true short action. Unfortunately drilled and tapped, but that's life and I can fix that.

Specs, close as tape measure and eye will allow, not at home:

Receiver OAL: 8 1/8"
Between Screws: 7 5/16"
Mag Follower: 2 9/16"
Receiver Ring: 1.40"

Ring markings, pretty standard except the date, and only marking so far found but haven't pulled it from the stock. The markings look odd to me in their cut / stamp, but I've never owned a 1901 either:

WAFFENFABRIK
MAUSER
OBERNDORF A/N
1901

I'm perplexed by the extremely early date, and the true short action combination, and the large ring. I know one large ring short action has been found and proven to be original, I'm not going to count on being that lucky just yet. I need education but had thought the short actions were 1915 and later, coinciding with the .250 Savage etc. So far, I cannot find any signs of weld, it has of course been case hardened in recent times. Barrel maker was of Innsbruck, Austria, originally it was chambered in 6.5x57 (now 7x57, though has to be very short seated to fit the mag length), and I believe the barrel was a take off from another rifle of course as it seems to be later manufacture and the chambering doesn't fit the action length of course.

 
Times like these I wish I still had my Kurz Mauser to compare to... the date on the receiver ring is in line with the early kurz actions. There is a photo in Lester Womack's Commercial Mauser 98 Sporting Rifles of a 1902 dated small ring kurz, calibre 8x51. The roll markings are identical to yours, except for the date. If you get a chance take the action out of the wood. The small ring actions were round on the bottom behind the recoil lug, not flat as on typical large ring mausers.

My initial impression was that the left wall has been reduced slightly to give the impression of a large ring. Except for that anomaly, it seems to be a correct kurz action. The only other thing I can think of is that someone has gone to a lot of trouble to cut and weld to make a short action. I didn't know that one other large ring kurz existed... more info on that action, specifically a date, would help clarify what you have.
 
Looks like a reworked military receiver with a lot of time put into it. You are right though, those markings on the forward ring look like someone used a small milling or cutting bit to put them on a scrubbed receiver. Have you had it out of the stock? I would be interested to the rest of it.

I see 9.3 got in there quick. Did the Kurz have the charger guide in them?
 
The short action rifles had charger guides and thumb slots just like their bigger military brothers. Some of the later ones had square bridges. The best way to check for a weld job would be to strip the bolt and check the firing pin. I doubt anyone would be too particular about hiding weld lines on a part that's seldom seen.

Love a good mystery... driving me nuts though.
 
Possibly a Mauser Type A short model (or edited to add) or a Type K ... in either case it would have been rebarreled by the maker (who's name I cant read) cause as far as I can see from Olson's "Mauser Bolt Rifles" .. neither type had this style of barrel from the factory .. but both were chambered in 250-3000, 6.5x54 Short and 8x51 Short. Could be a later re-chambering to accommodate 6.5x57
 
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Its a pretty special firearm .. the appearance of differential heat treating is beautiful but may have been an accident associated with the drilling and tapping (spot annealing) which was carried over to the rest of the metal to camouflage the error. Either way it is very elegant!

My initial impression was that the left wall has been reduced slightly to give the impression of a large ring
Click to expand...
or drawn down to allow the new caliber to be struck in place of the original perhaps

That would be just the ticket for a wealthy Austrian gent who didnt wish to carry a heavy load into the Tyrol after chamois
 
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Fantastic Mauser Ardent! I can't comment in regards to the Kurz actions as I'm not very familiar with them but it's a beautiful rifle and whether it's a true Kurz or a shortened standard action, it looks awesome!
 
Was this the one from Prophet? If so good call on picking it up, is there a history on it? From their pics I had wondered if someone had it refinished and restocked here in Canada.
Makes me regret getting rid of all my Mauser books now.
 
I would lean towards thinking it may have started life as a long action. It looks like some fairly skilled craftsmen have spent some time on it and you won't be able to see the evidence of a shortened / modified action. It would be interesting to have someone do a welding x-ray on the action, that should settle the debate rather conclusively.
 
Guys, here is some VERY interesting info I wasn't aware of, from a German member of the Nitro Express Mauser forum, it may well have been a short action from the start, more digging to do but the cartridge originally appears it was short action:

kudae of the NitroExpressForum said:
Obviously this rifle was rechambered from 6.5x54 to 6.5x57 in 1942, indicated by the 3rd Reich Ferlach reproof, eagle/I, Ferlach "shield", proofdate 542 = May 1942.
Click to expand...

thepitchedlink said:
Damn Ardent, where do you find these things?????? Aren't you supposed to be chasing cats now
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Already done! Just got home actually, a success all 'round, have neat point of view videos on Lion and Gemsbok, the Gemsbok one's up right now in the hunting forum, along with a couple preliminary pics. It was an extremely long iron sights double shot as the wife's patience was up, and I'd been chasing them on foot for days getting busted right when I had a shot. So in the end, had a long shot at a great bull, and took it and all worked out.

Unfortunately, my eyes are always open for beauties!
 
9.3mauser said:
Times like these I wish I still had my Kurz Mauser to compare to... the date on the receiver ring is in line with the early kurz actions. There is a photo in Lester Womack's Commercial Mauser 98 Sporting Rifles of a 1902 dated small ring kurz, calibre 8x51. The roll markings are identical to yours, except for the date. If you get a chance take the action out of the wood. The small ring actions were round on the bottom behind the recoil lug, not flat as on typical large ring mausers.

My initial impression was that the left wall has been reduced slightly to give the impression of a large ring. Except for that anomaly, it seems to be a correct kurz action. The only other thing I can think of is that someone has gone to a lot of trouble to cut and weld to make a short action. I didn't know that one other large ring kurz existed... more info on that action, specifically a date, would help clarify what you have.
Click to expand...

It is radiused after the lug, hopefully that is the correct profile. Jon Speed apparently has word of this rifle from the Nitro Express forums and is interested to learn more about it. I'm pretty experienced at spotting metal repairs and work and I can't find even the slightest indication the action has been welded, this appears original.

289A6366-EE42-4EB1-ADBE-91883EDB54D9-19668-00000B34DD10C3D8_zps44a1bb2c.jpg
 
Should also note I would expect case hardening irregularities at any weld, I've done some case colouring and even the slightest difference in steel composition can show up quite clearly due to how that area will absorb the carbon and impurities differently. I'm not ready to say this is a factory Kurz, and I want to learn more about the receiver radius profile among other things, but information is pointing that way. Encouraging.
 
Nice restoration. The stock does not fit the German style, but at least it's pretty.
From the pics, I'm also inclined to say it wasn't cut+welded as a weld always show with color case..
Think you get something cool and uncommon there.
 
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