Swede 6.5x55 help

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dugin

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Greetings from down south, mercan, needs help with swede,6.5, picked her up bout 10 yrs.ago now that I'm retired i want to pay her the attention she deserves! It's a sporter, sad to say, but a nicely done one, pro.job I believe. Probably done back in the 60s of 70,s. Serial #76237, oh no did I just give out the entire serial number.??? Those are the ONLY numbers on the gun, no other markings remain on the reciever, which measures 1.27 in. dia. Barrel is 17.75 in. Bolt handle bent, nicely for scope clr.she sports a Tasco world class 3x9 scope, a real nice Herters, Monte Carlo walnut stock and a Hunter, brand leather sling. When I do muzzle chect,case rim is .290 in. Away from muzzle!!!!! Yes she is very accurate. Anyway, can you guys tell me what m# she was in her previous military life. Id really like to know. Thanks
Also as an aside, back in the day did you fellas patronize Herters? I sure did back then, but then the family grew and the gun budget shrank!!! Are they still around at all??? I miss them, and their catalogue! Remember the fruitcake???? Thanks for any info. CHEERS Dugin. ( please don't tell me she was an M94,!!! PLEASE )
 
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I have a reference book, "Crown Jewels The Mauser of Sweden" by Dana Jones. It has tables of serial numbers and Inspectors. As near as I can follow, the M94, M96 and M38 were all produced at various times, often at the same time, and at at least two plants. Each model serial separately, so can have M94 and and M96 with same serial number.
Usually, on a Swedish made mauser, there are two letters just ahead of the serial number on the receiver. Those are initials of the inspector. By cross reference initials and serial number, it seems possible to identify which model and where it was made. Unmolested ones will have the roll stamps and year of manufacture on the front receiver ring. A small run of these mausers were made in Germany and did not have inspector initials. There were extraordinary rifles made by the inspectors themselves as part of their training that had no numbers, just their names, but pictures I have seen of them always had the roll marks on the front ring.
Also, in 1950's, Sweden surplused a lot of their M94 which were essentially cavalry carbines with "bent down" bolt handles. I tried one of those bolt bodies in a M96 with Weaver bases for small ring mauser and does not clear scope eye piece. Maybe you have a forged or cut and welded sporter bolt on yours?
 
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A 17.7" barrel sure sounds like it was a carbine. There were a lot of surplus carbines sold. I recall them being about $39 in the 60s. I frequently kick myself for not buying one. I did buy some of the rifles.

I have some Herters bits in my loading room but don't recall seeing their stuff sold since the 80s.

That short barrel can have a very painful bark. One experiment is to try 2 or 3 different powders to see which is the most tolerable.
 
If the barrel is original and not cut down, the 17.7" is very close to the metric 448mm or so NOS M94 barrel that I recently received. So, since barrel length is about the only difference between a M94 and M96 barrelled action, let's assume it is likely an M94. With serial no. 76237, and as an M94, it would have been made at Carl Gustaf Stads Gevarsfaktori in 1916. As such, the serial number should be preceded by initials H.K. (Helge Gustaf Ludvig Kolthoff - Besiktningofficer Apr. 1, 1912 to Feb.28, 1923). If it had been a M96 (originally with long barrel) that serial number would have been made in 1900 at same factory, but preceded by initials O.G. (Olof Darling Gibson - Besiktningofficer May 1, 1898 to Mar. 31, 1902) The serial number is well below the range of anything produced by Husqvarna in the 1940's. As previously mentioned, on an unmolested receiver the factory and year would be stamped on the top of the front receiver ring.
 
Hey, Ganderite, I'm going to look into this weapon further, she has a beautiful deep blue job,the bbl. measures a full .100" smaller at the muzzle, the reciever is . 030" smaller than my other two M94s, so I guess it could be a reworked M94? Reciever has only the ser. #, no inspectors initials, so as Potash says, no definitive answers. Whoever went to all this work must have been a very talented, resourceful home craftsman, or a professional gunsmith, I'm going to be tearing this old girl down soon to try and find out more info./clues if any. Wish me luck, Dugin
 
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