Another historical Mauser bites the dust...

[AlVine]

In good shape that was a $500 rifle, 7mm Brazilians were only made for a short time. After...$250 w/sight?

 

[daddyusmaximus]

In good shape that was a $500 rifle, 7mm Brazilians were only made for a short time. After...$250 w/sight?

Before, it was valuable to collectors, but unusable to us.

Once finished it will still be the same rifle brought back from war by a family member, but now usable to us with a modern stock and scope.

Collector value is of no concern to us.

The goal is only that we get some use out of it, and remember who it was that brought it back to us, not what is was in it's original form.

 

[Hkindiana]

The goal is only that we get some use out of it, and remember who it was that brought it back to us, not what is was in it's original form.

In that case, change out and modify ALL of the parts except the firing pin and you will STILL have that WAR TROPHY that UNCLE brought back . . . .

 

[roscott]

Americanbob, pics of your FR8 please.

OP, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A butchered rifle that gets lots of use and love is better than an original left to gather dust somewhere.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Americanbob, pics of your FR8 please.

OP, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A butchered rifle that gets lots of use and love is better than an original left to gather dust somewhere.

I didn't see Americanbob post in this thread, but the pic of my FR8 is in post #9...

 

[Wolfhound]

I didn't see Americanbob post in this thread, but the pic of my FR8 is in post #9...

Very nice FR8 DD!

 

[roscott]

That’s a sweet one DD. I have a soft spot in my heart for the FR8. Ugly guns need love too!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

That’s a sweet one DD. I have a soft spot in my heart for the FR8. Ugly guns need love too!

I always thought they were neat looking little rifles. I used to have a Spanish M43 Mauser (large ring Mauser), which is what the FR8 was converted from. Interesting history too, how they made them to be similar to the Cetme for training purposes until they could get production ramped up for the Cetme. The FR7's were converted from Model 1916's (small ring Mausers).

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Very nice FR8 DD!

Thanks! I got a good deal on it because this is the condition it was in when I bought it off Gunbroker. Just needed a little TLC. (original pic from the GB ad)

 

[AmericanBob]

Daddy max, sweet little mauser you got there! I'm glad YOU are enjoying with your family the way YOU want to. There is nothing wrong in my eyes with taking something and making it your own. Cool old guns are like cool old cars in my eyes. I love the lines of '56 bel air. There is not a more beautiful car in my opinion. But I also drool over them when someone chops em up, throws a straight axle under the front end and turns it into a fire breathing gasser! Things are things and everyone enjoys them differently.

That being said, here's my mauser thing as Roscott requested:
View attachment 79739

I agree with your assessment on the vortex scout scope. I also learned last year, that once the woods start getting dark, it is a lot harder to see through the thing than a regular scope. It just doesn't collect and transfer enough light. I do like that I can still run stripper clips with it though.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

The '56 is my favorite of the tri-5s... They get no love, compared to the '55 and '57, but I love them... mostly in a two tone...

 

[edporch]

Yes, you were free to destroy your rifle.
I'm not impressed.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

Yes, you were free to destroy your rifle.
I'm not impressed.

Kind of you to say so...
I'll sleep much better now,
because impressing the likes of you was my goal....

 

[Thor]

Do I have reservations about messing with "historical" rifles? You bet...if I owned, say, Henry Harrison's long rifle I wouldn't touch it (though I would shoot it). Do I own rifles with history that I won't modify? Yes. Do I own rifles that were sporterized on an industrial scale to make them palatable to a wider population? Yup. Would I buy the OPs rifle if I saw it at my LGS? In a NY minute, cash on the barrel head...and then I'd put a quality wood stock on it.... Everyone to their own.

 

[edporch]

Kind of you to say so...
I'll sleep much better now,
because impressing the likes of you was my goal....

Oh gee, that just changes everything.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Do I have reservations about messing with "historical" rifles? You bet...if I owned, say, Henry Harrison's long rifle I wouldn't touch it (though I would shoot it). Do I own rifles with history that I won't modify? Yes. Do I own rifles that were sporterized on an industrial scale to make them palatable to a wider population? Yup. Would I buy the OPs rifle if I saw it at my LGS? In a NY minute, cash on the barrel head...and then I'd put a quality wood stock on it.... Everyone to their own.

^^^This^^^ I've said it before, but I've gained a new appreciation of the old military sporters. Sometimes they're just more utilitarian, but back in the 50's and 60's, there were some truly beautiful custom hunting rifles made out of them. As an example, I have a "sporterized" Argentine Mauser that I bought from a buddy (it had been his dad's gun, and I remember it from my childhood, hanging in their basement). That was one of the ones that were mass-produced for public consumption (Think Bannerman).

I also have an Argentine 1909, that was re-barreled to 30-06 and put in a full Mannlicher stock that was a sporting rifle built from a milsurp receiver basically. It's a gorgeous gun, but I guess by some, it would be considered to be blasphemy. I have a Krag sporter that basically looks like a milsurp saddle carbine. I can't afford a real Krag saddle carbine, but I get the joy of working that action and shooting it just like I would if it was the real McCoy. Same with my Ross model 1905 sporter.

I didn't do any of the sporterizing myself FTR. But don't sweat it daddyusmaximus. One day, whomever ends up with that gun will have a family heirloom. Yours will be the "old customized hunting rifle" of the future.

Daddyusmaximus has done the same thing that some guy did back in the 50's or 60's. He just used polymer instead of hand-inlaid wood. That's not a reflection on him. That's just what is popular/standard today.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

Daddyusmaximus has done the same thing that some guy did back in the 50's or 60's. He just used polymer instead of hand-inlaid wood. That's not a reflection on him. That's just what is popular/standard today.

I thought about doing wood. I had the idea of going with a Boyd's stock for a bit. I did that with a Savage Axis, and it completely transformed the gun into one like I used to lust over in the catalogs as a teenager. However, I have had the Hogue stocks on other guns before, and still have one now, and they are just so comfortable that beauty took a back seat... I wanted this to be a field/woods gun... One you can take out without worrying about.

 

[88E30M50]

Actually the condition that it served in would have flown, the condition it was found in was a state of disrepair. The display was much closer to the condition it would have served in.

Maybe they should have just left it to rot in the desert?

It should have been preserved as found. It was a time capsule that told a story. It looks very little like how it had served now and the story was lost.

 

[Thor]

It should have been preserved as found. It was a time capsule that told a story. It looks very little like how it had served now and the story was lost.

Actually, I'd have liked to see either iteration. The National Museum of the AF or Air and Space wouldn't have displayed the decaying in the desert version though...and I'm guessing pretty much nobody was going to visit the desert site where it sat so many more people will see it now.

 

[roscott]

^^^This^^^ I've said it before, but I've gained a new appreciation of the old military sporters. Sometimes they're just more utilitarian, but back in the 50's and 60's, there were some truly beautiful custom hunting rifles made out of them. As an example, I have a "sporterized" Argentine Mauser that I bought from a buddy (it had been his dad's gun, and I remember it from my childhood, hanging in their basement). That was one of the ones that were mass-produced for public consumption (Think Bannerman).

I also have an Argentine 1909, that was re-barreled to 30-06 and put in a full Mannlicher stock that was a sporting rifle built from a milsurp receiver basically. It's a gorgeous gun, but I guess by some, it would be considered to be blasphemy. I have a Krag sporter that basically looks like a milsurp saddle carbine. I can't afford a real Krag saddle carbine, but I get the joy of working that action and shooting it just like I would if it was the real McCoy. Same with my Ross model 1905 sporter.

I didn't do any of the sporterizing myself FTR. But don't sweat it daddyusmaximus. One day, whomever ends up with that gun will have a family heirloom. Yours will be the "old customized hunting rifle" of the future.

Daddyusmaximus has done the same thing that some guy did back in the 50's or 60's. He just used polymer instead of hand-inlaid wood. That's not a reflection on him. That's just what is popular/standard today.

That’s a great way to look at it. My buddy has a beautiful 1903a3 that his grandfather completely sporterized. It is REALLY well done, with a very crisp trigger and shoots great.

I inherited a 1903a3 as well, and while I would never alter mine in any way, guess which rifle shoots deer each fall?