Difference between a m94 and a m96?

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Hunter-gatherer

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Looking for help identifying the model of mauser action I have.
There is only a barreled action to go by, ie no stock. It has also had a bold trigger installed. The receiver is marked;

CARL GUSTAFS STADS
GERVARSFACTORI
1901

Probably a stupid newbie question that's been answered a thousand times but
any guidance would be appreciated.
 
The 1894 action was the prototype for the 1896; there is a great deal of similarity between the 92, 93, 94, 95 and the final version, the 96. Actually, a lot of parts interchange all along, the biggest differences being between the 96 and the rest of the series.

Brazil bought a fairly large batch of 1894 long Rifles, but these were in 7x57.

Sweden and Norway had an arrangement whereby both would adopt the same ammunition and co-ordinate defence if either one was attacked. Denmark had adopted the Norwegian Krag rifle in 1889, although in 8x58R. Sweden bought the Mauser Carbines in 1894 as a dual experimnt with the 6.5x55 round and the Mauser rifle both. Norway adapted the cartridge to an improved Krag rifle and stayed with the combination until after War Two. They are scarce because Uncle Adolf grabbed the majority and they disappeared somewhere, although the residue have been used as sealing rifles off the Canadian East Coast, Sweden stayed with the improved Mausers and their truly great cartridge until into the 1960s and only sold them off starting in the early 1980s.

But they are FINE rifles, possibly the most inherently-accurate military rifles of the period. There are certainly very few "modern" rifles which can give them a run for their money out at 300 to 600 yards, especially while retaining enough power to do anything more than give a gut-ache to a gopher.
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Hunter-gatherer said:
Looking for help identifying the model of mauser action I have.
There is only a barreled action to go by, ie no stock. It has also had a bold trigger installed. The receiver is marked;

CARL GUSTAFS STADS
GERVARSFACTORI
1901
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In 1901, Carl Gustafs made 5994 Carbines m/94. The serial numbers ran between 6699 and 12693.

!n 1901, Carl Gustafs made 16028 Rifles m/96. The serial numbers ran between 83538 and 99566.

You should be able to figure out what action you have from the above serial numbers.
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Sweden and Norway had an arrangement whereby both would adopt the same ammunition and co-ordinate defence if either one was attacked.

I guess Sweden forgot that when the Germans invaded Norway at the start of WW2?
 
Hunter-gatherer said:
Trade Ex has 6.5X55 barrels new old stock that are short chambered? ($100) Am I better off buying a custom barrel? My goal is to build a deer/target rifle.
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Depends on how much you want to pay, how much of the work you want to do yourself, and what tools you have. To use your action with a Trade-ex barrel ($125 with shipping) plus a Gunsmith to mount the barrel, (say another $100) plus a stock (another $75-$100 from Trade-Ex) you are now at the $325 mark. You also have to drill and tap for scope mounts, and bend the bolt to clear the scope. Safety might have to be replaced or modified too. Cost more $$$$$.

You can buy a nice Husqvarna Sporter from Trade-Ex that will do you for Deer hunting for around the $250 mark.

Target and Hunting rifles differ quite a bit in their usage. Target rifles used for more serious paper punching have more weight and heavier barrels. Hunting rifles are lighter and more handy, as they are carried more than they are shot.

If you want a good hunting rifle, Trade-Ex has some nice 6.5x55 ones. They also have some Commercial Husqvarna Factory Sporters in 8x57 for around $250.

If you read the descriptions carefully then you can find a rifle that already has been drilled and tapped, bolt bent, and even a side safety on it. Trade-Ex is good to deal with, and I would pick a rifle with at least a Very Good bore, drilled and tapped, side safety, but not a side mount. A rifle described as "Swedish sporter" is generally a rifle that has been a military rifle but made into a sporter by some company in Sweden. If it is described as "Husqvarna Sporter" then it is a new (at the time) Carl Gustafs action with the thumb cut. If described as "Commercial" then it is an action without a thumb cut. In a 96 action, the Commercial Husqvarna is all Husqvarna made, including the action with a high left side wall and no thumb cut.

Trade Ex will send you more detailed pictures of possible choices if you ask for them.
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smellie said:
But they are FINE rifles, possibly the most inherently-accurate military rifles of the period. There are certainly very few "modern" rifles which can give them a run for their money out at 300 to 600 yards, especially while retaining enough power to do anything more than give a gut-ache to a gopher..
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In November 1990, in Normark, I dropped my one and only elg at ~70m with one shot from a m/96-38 [converted from a 1906 CG]. Open sights, Norma 140gr bullet, resting on my guide's shoulders.

It had needed culling, the guide had said, as it was getting too thin to survive the winter. It dropped like a stone and weighed in at 890 pounds.

This morning I took my newest acquisition, a m/96-38 based on a 1898 CG #895, and trying to find a good load, put ten rounds in an even inch at 100m with cheap S&B 140gr bullets over 39gr of RL15. Open sights, of course.

The guy right beside me, shooting his brand-new SAKO in the same calibre, put ten rounds in just over half an inch.

I just love the 6.5x55SE.

tac
 
In the book by Steve Kehaya and Joe Poyer, "The Swedish Mauser Rifles" on Page 10 paragraph three they mention that in 1896 there was a thumb cut added to the left side of the receiver of the carbine.
 
Modern ammo generally is loaded to the recommended pressures of the cartridge. These pressure levels were set back when the cartridges/rifles were designed.

Personally, I find S&B loaded warmer than I want to run through my two rifles (both 1899s), although it is a good source of brass.

Fresh Partisan brass is available in big bags from Trade-Ex at reasonable prices. They also stock bullets, except for the cheap-o Remington 140s which my rifles like.
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buffdog said:
The serial number 102XX with a 1901 Date on it would be a m/94 Carbine receiver.

Check the Date-Serial number range in Post # 6.
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Thanks for clearing that up, I was not sure as some have said if it had the receiver cutout it had to be a 96. Will a barrel for a 96 have the same threads as the 94? Also will other parts such as safety's from the 96 fit?
 
In 1894, the Swedish Infantry were using Remington Rolling block type rifles that had been rebarreled to the center fire 8X58R Cartridge. The Cavalry were using the older rolling block Carbines in 12.7X42R rimfire. Thus, it was decided to rearm the Cavalry first with the Carbine version of the new Mauser rifle, designated the Model 94.

Sweden originally ordered 5000 Carbines from Mauser and later increased the order to 12,000. The number 1 m/94 Carbine, (presently in the Pattern Room of the British MOD,) had a straight left wall on the receiver and no thumb cut.

The "Working Model" for the Swedish Carbine was serial number 6. It had a turned down bolt handle and the raised checkered thumbpiece. Although designated m/94, the first Carbines were not test fired until September of 1895. Carl Gustafs Factory started production in 1898 due to delays in getting the proper machinery.

"Crown Jewels" states that all production m/94 Carbines have a thumb notch. A picture of Serial number 5447, (a Mauser made Carbine,) shows this notch on that Carbine receiver.

The Trade-Ex short chambered m/38 barrels should fit the m/94 receiver. However, as I stated before, if you are intending on making a rifle out of this receiver, it had better be a labor of love because the cost of doing so will probably end up being twice the amount that you could buy a good Swedish sporter from Trade-Ex. If you buy a complete rifle then you should be able to use the trigger from your present action on it using only a screw driver, punch and small hammer.

Please do not take this as a "put down" but rather as advice from a 70 year old Geezer who just happens to have about 55 years of working on, making, shooting and collecting of guns. I presently have a 2000 square foot garage with metal lathe, two metal shapers, welders, and a whole lot of tooling to play with in my retirement years. Do you really comprehend what you are in for and what you have to do ?

If you proceed with your plan, you are either going to have to do it yourself or have a Gunsmith do it for you (at the cost of mucho bucks.)|

"Short chambered" means that the chamber of the barrel is not fully reamed. You can not simply screw the barrel onto the receiver and close the bolt on a cartridge --it is not long enough to accept the standard cartridge.

You are going to need a barrel vise, an action wrench and some experience to get the proper torque on the barrel. Then you have to have a chambering reamer and headspace guages to finish reaming the chamber. Then you have to drill and tap the holes for the scope mount and/or open sights. This also can involve silver soldering open sights, and drilling scope mount holes is best done with a jig. The receiver is hardened, and it is extremely easy to get the holes out of line.

The Carbine bolt is bent and the rifle bolt is straight. You have not said which one you have but it might end up that you have to bend or replace the bolt handle. Using the Carbine bolt as is will result in a very high scope mounting, and unless you have a neck like a Giraffe, you are going to need a cheek piece so that you get a good stock fit on your face when using a scope.

You are then going to have to blue the action, barrel, and other parts. Trying to do this with a Cold Blue type of bluing will result in a mottled finish that you really will not be proud of.

Then a stock. Even if you buy a factory one, there is still going to be a lot of careful work in fitting it. You are going to need rasps, files, scrapers and other wood working tools. If you use a "90% finished stock", that means that 90% of the easy work has been done for you.

Again, I am not putting you down, but trying to give you and idea of what such a project will involve. In fact, you are probably going to spend twice what a good used sporting rifle from Trade-Ex will cost, or you could buy two rifles for what you will spend on this one. In reality, the trigger on the action is worth more than the action is. That trigger could easily be transferred to another rifle with a minimum amount of work.

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buffdog said:
Again, I am not putting you down, but trying to give you and idea of what such a project will involve. In fact, you are probably going to spend twice what a good used sporting rifle from Trade-Ex will cost, or you could buy two rifles for what you will spend on this one. In reality, the trigger on the action is worth more than the action is. That trigger could easily be transferred to another rifle with a minimum amount of work.

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Your advise is definitely not taken as a put down, I am very appreciative for your detailed response. This receiver is already d+t for scope mounts and has a "butter knife" bolt handle. The barrel was badly pitted and it had a s**te ramline stock that was cracked. I was thinking of the rebarrel, by a gunsmith, and a boyds stock bedded myself. The thought of blueing it myself (not cold) interests me but much more research is needed. It may not be worth it but this belonged to a long gone uncle who helped spur my interest in hunting so lets call it a tribute rifle. Also think 6.5x55 is a great caliber.
 
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