1871 / 84 Mauser blues - pics added

[tokguy]

So I picked one up as a parts gun. I have an 1871 sans stock, with a 12 gauge bbl. Can use it as a template...perfect.
It's a 1871/84 repeater...no good to me. No Salty, it's actually nice to handle...nicer now that someone shortened it...
It'll make a good wall hanger irregardless. Could move it on the gun show circuit, I've a relative whom plays that game...maybe even make a couple bucks.
The bbl is really shiny at a glance, missing the ejector ( 43 + the ride out of Nurmrich...why bother though?), and a well repaired stock crack.
This caliber is a bit of a wormhole, no?
It'll likely cost far more than the price of the rifle to get it shooting, or am I mistaken?

 

[Snider shooter]

Getting brass is the biggest problem, if you can find it, it is over $100/20. Lee sells the dies. Bullets you either buy the mould or buy the bullets from someone who has the mould. Cases can be made out of 300 win mag with a bit of lathe work. If you can find dominion brass or rounds the brass can be used. I find annealing stops necks from splitting within a couple reloads.
My 71 sporter I bought for $80. 40 brass for $180 and Lee dies for $52 about 7 years ago. I four working rifles and a couple of parts guns. One of the 71-84’s has a 3 ft brass scope on it which is fun to shoot. Someone put it on before I bought it.

 

[tokguy]

It seems like a neat caliber... but I have this habit of acquiring odd military rifles that then have to be fed oddball ammo.
The round is similar to a 45 -70 in the original loading...is that a fair comparison?

 

[Snider shooter]

The two rounds are close. I sometimes use the same bullet. I size my 500 gr RN down to 0.446. With that bullet the 45-70 takes 60 grs of 2fg and the 43 takes 75 grs making the 43 slightly faster but probably not enough to notice under hunting conditions. I get bored with common calibers so I know how it happens. My last one was 8x50R Austrian just because it matched my 8x56R Austrian.

 

[bearhunter]

OP, that really depends on what you paid for the rifle.

The bore diameters on those old ladies vary a lot.

Getting the proper mold and paper patching would be your best bet IMHO. They were intended for black powder originally but I believe there was a military version of the round with smokeless issued as well. Some of the 43 Mauser ammo that used to be commerciallly available from CIL/Dominion Canada used to be loaded with a smokeless powder but that stuff is as rare as hen's teeth.

The thing is, you've picked up a rifle that was intended for black powder, why not shoot black powder.

I believe GRAF still makes a run of 43 Mauser per year or at least have it in stock. You might be able to convince a broker to bring in a bag for you but it's going to cost a couple of bucks or more per case.

 

[tokguy]

Was pondering last evening...wondering just how hard to would be screw the 71/84 bbl onto the the 71 action. I was thinking a takedown piece with the 71 from the git go. That's why I snapped it up.
Reloading for a big single shot is considerably easier than a big tube fed gun. The dies and a box of brass would easily eclipse the value of the piece. The ejector + ride is gonna push the cost of getting it shooting up more too.
A single shot...could press together bullets drinking coffee at the kitchen table. Don't even need to put a crimp on them .And I think BP is best. I read about paper patching for these being popular...that is single shot stuff again.
Tube guns can be finicky beasts...and Bubba got at this one already. So it ain't original...is the tube mechanism even going to work?
Nice shiny bbl to screw onto the 71 is easier and cheaper... have to see what is kicking around for blanks for the rear stock. Wanted to try case hardening this spring anyhow.
These things always seem like great idea when one is drinking coffee...not so great in the long game.
Likely throw it up on the cross beam, time to trade out the K98 for a spell. See if I come to my senses in the light.
More sensible to get a box of brass, try to decipher what works or not by just using the 71/84 as a Single shot. Out 120 on brass if nothing comes of it.
Which is likely.
And yes...in the light...someone was gonna put it up.

 

[partial]

As others said already, the cartridge casing is not easy to find.

I ordered a large quantity of Bertram brass several years ago, this is high quality brass, but very expensive, if you can find it.
The RCBS mold casts the perfect bullet for the Mauser 71/84, sized to 0.446 and lubed, loaded over IMR 4198 gives excellent results, very accurate.
Lee sells the dies for a very reasonable price.

I used to shoot Dominion loaded ammo. The Dominion cases are reloadable, but the case heads are quite thin, so expect a case head separation after a few firing (this happened to me quite often, that's why I bought the Bertram brass).
If you can find Dominion ammo, it is a collector's item nowadays, and a box of 20 will sell for around $150.

 

[partial]

Was pondering last evening...wondering just how hard to would be screw the 71/84 bbl onto the the 71 action. I was thinking a takedown piece with the 71 from the git go. That's why I snapped it up.
Reloading for a big single shot is considerably easier than a big tube fed gun. The dies and a box of brass would easily eclipse the value of the piece. The ejector + ride is gonna push the cost of getting it shooting up more too.
A single shot...could press together bullets drinking coffee at the kitchen table. Don't even need to put a crimp on them .And I think BP is best. I read about paper patching for these being popular...that is single shot stuff again.
Tube guns can be finicky beasts...and Bubba got at this one already. So it ain't original...is the tube mechanism even going to work?
Nice shiny bbl to screw onto the 71 is easier and cheaper... have to see what is kicking around for blanks for the rear stock. Wanted to try case hardening this spring anyhow.
These things always seem like great idea when one is drinking coffee...not so great in the long game.
Likely throw it up on the cross beam, time to trade out the K98 for a spell. See if I come to my senses in the light.
More sensible to get a box of brass, try to decipher what works or not by just using the 71/84 as a Single shot. Out 120 on brass if nothing comes of it.
Which is likely.
And yes...in the light...someone was gonna put it up.

I might be wrong, but the 71/84 was built on the then new metric measurement system, while the 71 was still on the old inch pattern.

If you use it in the 71 action as single shot, I believe you can use 45-90 cases to form the brass.

 

[R005t3r]

The last couple auctions have had a generous amount of 43 Mauser ammo and brass on offer. At least five dollars a round; loaded or just brass.

 

[rgwhitman]

The extractor on the "71 Mauser is large and quite usable on other rim shapes. I have one with a 45 Colt barrel on it and know of another with a 45-70 barrel on it. 43 Mauser Brass made from "magnum" brass by turning off the belt and then fire-forming and adjusting to length works well. The same brass will not function in the 71/84 but could be used single shot as the extractor will not work.
I have not tried to put a 71/84 barrel onto a '71 so I cannot comment on this but I did install a 71/84 full length barrel on a Rem 700 magnum action and it works well with the above mentioned converted brass.