Need help identifying 2 long guns

[dirtyvicar]

My Dad has 2 rifles in the attic but doesn't know what they are. He got one from his Dad, and another from a cousin. There's not much in the way of stampings on them to help with the identification.

Anyone know what either of these are (click on the picture for full size image)?

[HamsXD]

The one on the bottom looks like a sporterized Mauser. The stock kinda resembles a 1903 stock. Just a guess though.

The top one, no clue.

If you can find out the calibers of the rifles, someone with a better eye should chime in.

[Brickboy240]

The bottom one is definately some variant of the Mauser family. If you could tell us what markings it has on top of the receiver or on the side receiver rail...I might be able to tell you more info on it than you can stand. Since it has been sporterized, its collector value is nil, but it could be a good shooter. I have a chopped up Mauser G-33/40 (bought it that way) that I bought for 125 bucks and it is a fantastic shooter and my favorite wild pig rifle.

The top rifle is some sort of 22 bolt action target or military trainer. It looks alot like the Mossberg/Remington/Winchester trainers that the CMP was selling a long time ago. Again, depending on the condition and make - it could be a good shooter. Some of the old 22 bolt actions are amazing shooters. I own several, including an early Mossberg M-44 military trainer.

Hope this helps...letting me know more of the markings on both could yield alot more info.

-Brickboy240

[dirtyvicar]

Thanks for the input so far. I won't be back over to see the rifles for a few days, but when I do I will check for any stampings.

[Brickboy240]

Yeah let us know.

I am 90% sure that the bottom one is a Mauser. Lots of Mausers had straight stocks like that, with no pistol grip at all. It is definately not an 03 Springfield - the cocking piece is totally different and the rear sight base screams "Mauser variant".

Actually, the rear sight base is whats throwing it for me. It looks too flat on the sides and too big to be German or Swedish. The stripper clip guide and claw extractor give it away as a Mauser, though.

The stubby bent bolt handle, that makes it even harder...this could have been done by a smith or from the factory. Some of the South American Mausers that were built by the Europeans (like the Steyr built Chilean 7mm short models) had stubby, bent bolts. Some of the rebuilt Turks coming in lately have these too.

Who knows? Could be a fun little shooter in 7mm or 8mm, though.

-Brickboy240

[bd]

Originally Posted by Brickboy240

Yeah let us know.

I am 90% sure that the bottom one is a Mauser. Lots of Mausers had straight stocks like that, with no pistol grip at all. It is definately not an 03 Springfield - the cocking piece is totally different and the rear sight base screams "Mauser variant".

Actually, the rear sight base is whats throwing it for me. It looks too flat on the sides and too big to be German or Swedish. The stripper clip guide and claw extractor give it away as a Mauser, though.

The stubby bent bolt handle, that makes it even harder...this could have been done by a smith or from the factory. Some of the South American Mausers that were built by the Europeans (like the Steyr built Chilean 7mm short models) had stubby, bent bolts. Some of the rebuilt Turks coming in lately have these too.

Who knows? Could be a fun little shooter in 7mm or 8mm, though.

-Brickboy240

I think BB (good eye ) nailed the mauser. It looks a lot like the small ring Spanish Mauser I have. The front and top of the forestock is missing but as has been said it looks to have been sporterized. Everything else looks identical as far as I can tell.

My mauser is chambered in .308, I think this was done as an aftermarket modification.

If it is a Spanish Mauser there is probably a crossed sword and axe(?) type marking on the top of the receiver.

bd

[Brickboy240]

I wouldn't fire one of those "converted" Spainish Mausers in 308 with a 20 foot string from behind a brick wall. The 1895 Spanish Mauser action was designed for the 7x57mm round, that was, at the time, loaded pretty mildly. Look at the difference in how much chamber pressure the 308 Winchester produces, compared to the 7x57mm Mauser. Scary, is it not? Now, consider that the higher pressure 308 ammo will be run through a rifle that is about 100 years old....zowie!

Man...the surplus arms people will do anything to make a buck...even if it means somebody loses an eye...or worse. The consensus in the Mauser collecting community is htat these were crudely done and very unsafe.

However, a 7mm Spainsh Mauser is perfectly safe with modern 7x57mm ammo and can be a great shooter.

-Brickboy240

[bd]

Originally Posted by Brickboy240

I wouldn't fire one of those "converted" Spainish Mausers in 308 with a 20 foot string from behind a brick wall. The 1895 Spanish Mauser action was designed for the 7x57mm round, that was, at the time, loaded pretty mildly. Look at the difference in how much chamber pressure the 308 Winchester produces, compared to the 7x57mm Mauser. Scary, is it not? Now, consider that the higher pressure 308 ammo will be run through a rifle that is about 100 years old....zowie!

Man...the surplus arms people will do anything to make a buck...even if it means somebody loses an eye...or worse. The consensus in the Mauser collecting community is htat these were crudely done and very unsafe.

However, a 7mm Spainsh Mauser is perfectly safe with modern 7x57mm ammo and can be a great shooter.-Brickboy240

I have fired this gun with cheap surplus ammo but I don't use it for anything other than it's a "sucker" gun that I keep in the glass gun cabinet in the den.
I have 3 or 4 guns in there I'd hate to lose but if someone breaks in I'm hoping they'll be satisfied with those cheap-assed sucker guns and won't go looking for anything else.

I think I bought this gun years ago at a Rose's dept. store when they sold Milsurp stuff cheap. As I recall it was in a 55 gal. drum with as many other Mausers that would fit in. .....maybe $29.95.

I keep searching for a good Mauser....it will come to me.

bd

[dirtyvicar]

OK, I finally got back to check on the rifles.

The top one definitely looks like it takes .22's. Darned if I can find ANY markings on this thing, though.

The one that may be a Mauser only has what appears to be a serial number stamped on the side, and another number on the handle of the bolt. There was a sticker in the case that is pretty much unreadable, except for the part that says "Interarms". I can see a discoloration on the stock that matches the shape of the sticker, so it seems a safe guess that it came off of this rifle...

Does that help, or just deepen the mystery?

[hobocircus]

Mossberg Model 46, .22 caliber made in 1935 to 1937. In the condition it is in, I would say it's worth around $100 to $125 to a Mossberg collector.