[Crayfish]

Hey guys ... I don't check this board very often, but wondered if you could help me out. I was given a 95 Chilean Mauser (Oberndorf built) a few years ago that had a shot out barrel. I shot it to see what it would do and got a perfect sideways bullet profile on a 20yd target! Rifling was very nearly gone.

Anyway, I had it rebarreled in the original 7x57 caliber that it was in already and have since found out that it actually shoots pretty good! With the junk open sights that were on the new barrel (not the military sights, something else that the 'smith threw on) I was able to shoot a 1.5" group at 50yds, with 2 shots nearly touching. I thought about trying to scope it, but it would need the usual bolt cut / rewelding (the bolt is bent, but is still very much in the way of a scope!) and a different safety. So I'm thinking about putting a peep sight on it.

I was looking at the Lyman #57 Peep Sight but was wondering if anyone had any experience with mounting these? Do they mount on the rear or forward bridge of the receiver? If on the forward bridge, which I sort of assume, does this put them too far forward for normal hunting conditions (makes the hole appear smaller and lets in less light, etc). Also, I have seen some of you mention that some of the Chilean Mausers were rebarreled to .308Win at one point. Does this mean that this action can withstand more pressure than most 95's? I don't plan on hot-rodding, but my Speer manual says not to exceed starting loads in older Mausers.

Any and all information you guys can provide would be most helpful!!

Thanks ... Crayfish

 

[Advocate]

I've used Redfield receiver sights on Mauser rifles and they're basically the same as Lyman, just a different manufactuer. They they are designed to mount on the rear receiver bridge. I can't imageine mounting one on the forward bridge, i.e. the receiver ring. The modificaiton for this would be quite extenisve I would think.

REceiver sights on Mausers work the same as on any other rifle. YOu can remove the screw in rear aperture for a larger opening according to your individual eye sight.

If your eyes are still young enough for iron sights, then the Lyman receiver sight is a good option on this rifle. I 've used them in the past but have switched to scopes becuase I' can't see iron sights as well any more.

 

[Crayfish]

Thanks for your reply, Advocate. I didn't WANT to mount the receiver sight on the forward bridge, I just didn't know if there was room on the rear bridge and if the peeps were designed for the forward one. Apparently not, which is goodness!! I can still shoot open sights and would have no qualms hunting at woods ranges with a peep (I'm 37yrs old now).

I don't know if this gun is worth the extra money I'd have to put into moving the bolt handle and getting a new safety and then getting it drilled for scope mounts. I'll probably start with a peep sight and reshape / refinish the stock and add a recoil pad. If it turns out to be a decent gun, I'll have to look into putting more $$ into it!

Thanks ... Crayfish

 

[John Traveler]

John

Hey, Crayfish!

The previous poster was right; receiver micrometer peep sights mount on or over the REAR bridge.

I had a redfield micrometer peep sight installed on my M93 Spanish Mauser (almost identical to the M95 action) and it worked great!

On Mauser actions, the base attaches to the right side of the rear receiver, just under the bridge, with two screws.

I used to fire 1 1/2"-1 3/4" all day long using just about any surplus 7mm ammunition with that thing! Got my first deer with it, and foolishly sold it for $70 to a young man for his first hunting rifle. :shock:

 

[Advocate]

Crayfish: You're right about the cost of setting up military mausers for a scope. You can buy a decent commercial bolt action and rebarrel for the same price and have a much better barrel. It costs about $300 to get a decent trigger, bend the bolt, drill & tap, new safety, etc. I have a bunch of shot out 8mm mausers. I recently found a used German WWII mauser in a gun shop for $199.00 which had been sportserized with a fiberglass stock, bent bolt, safety, drilled & tapped inluding a Leupold base and rings and a good bore! I snapped it up.


Another scope option is the Extended Eye Relief scope and one of those B-Square mounts that fit into the rear sight base on some m-98 mausers and on some of the Swedish mausers without altering the rifle. Although the Swedish mauser mount was great, the M-98 mauser model was a piece of s**t. It was held in place by opposing screws, but the mount was made of aluminum and the steel screws stripped the threads. It would not hold a zero at all and I spent an entire day trying to get it sighted in. I may try to have this drilled & tapped since the rear sight bases on Mauser barrels have plenty of metal and with the scope mounted in front of the receiver ring, there is no need to bend the bolt and all of that. Also, you can still use stripper clips, which is kind of fun. Not sure how practical it is, but when people see you load up that way they all say "Gee that's cool", most modern shooters never having seen stripper clips or used them.

Old mausers are so much fun and are so cheap. The problem is that the iron sights are increasingly difficult for my 50+ year old eyes and the triggers are ghastly.

That being said, one of my favorite rifles is a stock M-98 mauser (Made in Yugoslavia I think) in 8x57. The only change is that I replaced the front sight with a higher, square blade so that it would not shoot so high. Even though the bore is abominable, with iron sights on the bench and handloads using 170 gr. Speer, 180 Grain Barnes X, and 200 Grain Nosler Partitions, I get 3/4 inch groups at 50 yards. This gun is so rugged, so simple, so reliable, so indestructible that I really like it. Stripper clips work like a charm with it too.

I may add a Timney trigger and Lyman receiver sight. Would rather keep iron sights on it if I can and I have noticed that receiver sights on other rifles are easier on the eyes than the blade type.

You might also want to consider using a ghost ring sight. They make them to fit into a Weaver scope base, just like a scope ring. You would drill & tap the rear bridge for the weaver base and then mount the ghost ring on the Weaver base. It's ligher than the Lyman and you don't have to remove any wood from the stock to make it fit on the right side of the receiver. The ghost ring is really cool. See London Custom Guns and there's another web site that has them. You may need to install a new higher front blade though.

There is a different discipline to using iron sights. It requires greater concentration, developes a higher level of skill and familiarity with one's rifle and the art of rifle shooting. It's hard to put into words, but if you use iron sights you know what I mean.

 

[Crayfish]

Advocate and John, Thanks for the great information. I've seen the Ghost Rings before and will certainly look into that. It sounds like it would be easier to install than the Lyman since the stock won't need to be cut out around it. If nothing else, it'll give me something to do this winter! How much adjustment do the Ghost Rings have, though? Are they as adjustable as a Lyman would be?

Anybody have any info on Chilean action strength?

Have a good weekend 8) ... Crayfish

 

[Advocate]

Ghost Rings have less adjustment than Lymans.

AS to the strength of your action, why do you ask? What do you have in mind?

 

[savageT]

One more choice for sights on the Mauser are a set of MoJo peeps front and rear. The rear one replaces the ladder on the original sight. Very neat, and it has windage and elevation adjustments.
http://www.mojosights.com/98mausers.html

 

[John Traveler]

M95 Chilean Mauser action strength

Crayfish,

That 7x57mm Chilean Mauser you have should not be loaded any hotter than factory military ball ammo.

The M93/95/96 bolt shrouds do not protect the shooter as well as the M98 does.

The M95 barrel has only the external action ring to bear against, and no internal shoulder like the M98 action.

Gas venting in case of a ruptured primer is not as good as the M98.

To summarize, factory military ball equivalent loads are safe enough. anything hotter is probably not a good idea!

:shock:

 

[Advocate]

I've seen pictures of MOJO sights before, but have never seen them in the flesh. How do they work?

 

[savageT]

I've seen pictures of MOJO sights before, but have never seen them in the flesh. How do they work?

The photos of the Swedish Mauser show them pretty well. The rear peep is relatively large (since unlike most peep sights it sits about 12 inches from the shooter's eye), and the front peep is smaller. Your eye automatically centers the rear opening with the image of the front open circle, which at the 100 yd.range just about is filled/covered with the bull. Very precise.

 

[Larry Gibson]

Crayfish

The M95 Chilean is a very fine action. No it is not a M98 but then is a M70 or a M700? Their barrels screw in just like the M95 and but against the receiver ring or recoil collar/lug. Their "gas venting" isn't much better either. The M95 was made of the same steels and was getting the same heat treatment as the M98s as they were being made at the same time. Some think the action was designed to for only a specific pressure of one cartridge which isn't true. The pressures of the cartridge was limited by the brass case technology of that period the actions were designed for other reasons that "just to contain a 45,000 psi cartridge. Whether you want to load it on the low end or up to its potential is your choice. I use the same loads that are recommended for "modern actions", my choice, in my M95 without any problems and with superb performance. It appears you have a new commercial barrel installed by a gunsmith. Start low and work up as always regardless of your choice.

Your M95 will give you a very nice rifle that you can "customize" over time to fit your fancy and needs. Yes, in the end you will have as much $ in it as you would a moderately price commercial rifle. However, if you take your time and do it right the M95 will be "your" rifle. Some think of guns as an investment and some are. However many guns are just tools that we us. They have value only to us. My M95 in new condition had already been partially sporterized when I got it. The sights were removed from the barrel and it was shortended to 22", the military stock had been shortened into a "manlicher" style and was not too badly done. A ramp front sight had been installed and it had a Williams receiver sight installed. I saw the potential of a nice little "stalking" rifle and the price was right. I forged the bolt, converted it to cock on opening and replaced the Williams with a Redfield receiver sight. I would have prefered the Lyman M57SME but the hole spacing is different and with the 57SME the stripper clip slot was blocked by the sight. I have turned down twice the $ I have into it as I got the rifle for use, not an investment. It is wonderfully accurate and very handy. One of these days I will drill and tap it for a one piece scope base, install a scope safety and mount a compact 2.5 scope and shorten the stock an inch and add a reciol pad but for now it does very well with just the receiver sight.

I would recommend the Lyman M57SME. Make sure the gunsmith aligns the rear of the sight base with the rear edge of the receiver ring. This will not interfere with bolt manipulation and will allow the use of stripper clip reloading. I have seen many Mausers, Springfields and US M1917s (Enfields) where the sight base holes were drilled and tapped with out regard to this alignment. The sight then blocks the stripper clip guides. With the 57SME the rifle will be useable imediately. You will not have to forge the bolt handle and install a new safety, they will work just fine as is. You may want to change the height of the front sight depending on what the gunsmith has installed.

Larry Gibson

 

[Crayfish]

Thanks for your tips, everyone. The MoJo sight will not work on my gun since the rear sight is a conventional sight now that the gun has been rebarreled. I had a Wilson barrel with modern taper (not the military step-taper) put on a year or so ago and modern front and rear sights. The action has been bedded and the barrel freefloated.

Larry - Thanks for your response! I assumed the gun was capable of higher pressures than my reloading manual mentioned. The Speer manual I have says not to exceed starting loads in all 93/95/96 Mausers. I am only looking to be able to have a little bit of load-tailoring room. I had seen reference to M95's being rebarreled to 308Win by the military, so I figured the limiting factor was not the strength of the action! It sounds like the Lyman 57SME mounted as you suggest will do exactly what I'm looking for. Quicker sight acquisition and hopefully it will be slightly more accurate than the sights that are on it now. I am still researching the Ghost Ring style sights and will need to decide between these two.

My near future plans are to trim down and refinish the stock, which is a sporter type of stock already ... I assume it is a military stock, though, since it has the Chilean seal and serial # pressed into the buttstock. Then I want to add a recoil pad to get rid of the steel buttplate and add one of the peep sights mentioned above. I'll play it by ear from there! That should keep me busy for a while!

Thanks for your help, everyone! ... Crayfish

 

[south308]

Mauser 1895 ...

Hey Crayfish, you will have no problem mounting a Lyman 57SMT (target turrets) in a Mauser "Chileno" 1895. Mine was mounted on the rear bridge of the action and fits almost perfectly (only needs to remove just a little of wood of the stock), the only "real" problem was that I have to forget about feeding the beauty with clips!!.

My Chilean was rechambered to 7,62X51 Nato and shooted like a dream before was stolen the 23th of december!!! :evil:

Good luck!
south308

 

[Mikey]

Mauser

Crayfish: I would not rebarrel that Chilean Mauser to 308. There was some pretty extensive discussion on that iss ue a while back and the concern was that the original 7mms were rebarrelled to the 7.62x51 military cartridge which does not carry the higher pressures of the 308 cartridge, which is loaded to sporting specifications and somewhat higher pressures. You have been well advised by the others on this forum as to the caveats of that sort of a conversion and I can add little more in the way of cautionary notes. However, I will tell you that the 7mm Mauser cartridge is a fine round. I don't thinlk it would take a back seat to the 308. It does its job just fine and is well recognized for its effectiveness.

Regarding the sights: if you have put a 'square blade' front sight on that rifle, it might help to take a small square edge Swiss file to the rear sight and modify that 'V' notch to a square notch. I did that on my Yugo 48A after mine shot high at 100 yds. First I just replaced the front sight blade as you did and although it gave me a better sight picture it still wasn't a clear as it was after I squared that rear sight notch. With that change, mine will cluster at 50 and 100 yds. Hope this helps. Mikey.

 

[Crayfish]

I hadn't checked this thread for a while........

Thanks for the additional info, Mikey and South308. I have no plans to rebarrel to 308 ... I only mentioned that to get an idea of the pressures this action is capable of handling. I just had it rebarreled with a new 7x57 barrel so I don't plan on doing it again! I won't be doing any "hot-rodding". I just wanted to find out how safe it was to exceed the starting loads in my Speer manual. I just bought 130 and 145gr bullets to start experimenting with.

I will most definitely be getting a Lyman sight for it. As Larry mentioned, the Ghost Rings are just a less versatile version of the Lyman.

Thanks again ... Crayfish