Mauser 96 6.5x55 cheap but cheerful

I was looking for an old rifle to tidy up with winter approaching as a project, initially I was looking at .303's until a good mate reminded me about my love the best caliber known to man... So I grabbed this old girl off the forums:

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everything seemed tight and worked well, a quick strip down was done and a general clean on the parts completed
The Timney trigger was loosely fitted (you couldn't put the stock on with it tightened as the trigger guard was too narrow) So a quick drill hole neatly tucked behind the floor plate fixed that issue allowing me to tighten the trigger as required to the action once the stock is together.

Next off the recoil pad was non existent but nothing is impossible with a Dremel and an i-ometer :thumbsup: A Tikka T3 pad was just the business this rifle needed.

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With a set of rings I had laying around a bit of fitting required (thanks mr Dremel) the scope I had spare was fitted!

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The safety flag on these rifles unfortunately is too tall once a scope is fitted to completely engage, the dangerous part being if its half engaged upon disengaging the safety it will fire the rifle!!!! So that had to go!

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I'm guessing this rifle was designed to shoot 140+gr's as the OAL of the round is 3.16" - pretty much a torpedo, here it is next to a 7mmRM case

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A good man off the forums sent me a bag of brass he had laying around, I picked out the PPU stuff as I've read it has the correct base size for the 6.5x55 vs the smaller size you get in the cheaper brass.

I will load up some test rounds and hopefully have a go this week at the range, I've got a mate who wants to shoot his first deer for his birthday next month so I think this will be just the ticket!

For the mauser experts out there, since I've removed the safety I've tested the rifle once cocked by hitting the action/rear of bolt knocking the gun around and it doesn't go off so I'm happy (its a cock on close rifle so will hunt uncocked). Is there a replacement rear shroud that I can buy which has no safety flag hole in it?

looks good,look forward to seeing how it pans out for you.

Excellent work, be nice to have as a spare and loaner.

I had one once with a two position safety, to clear the scope (which was also on an excellent quick detach mount) . The 2 position safety came as a kit I think, as it matched the lightened firing pin, shroud, different mag follower etc. Never actually identified who made the kit, but it was slicker than a greased eel.

Was actually a really neat rifle, lovely stock, I'm still gutted I sold it. :oh noes:

Thanks guys, looking at a walnut stock for it, I see Brownells do a bare stock. Also a rust blue or maybe a cericoat down the track.
It needs new rings and bases but the ones it has will do the job for now.

boyds do a laminate stock too.

you will also need a wheel barrow to move it.

My one liked 42.4gr of 2209 behind a 140gr PSP. I saw one where the flag was replaced with a know that stuck out to the rear rather than upwards. (Picture grinding of the "flag" and welding a flange at the rear.) Dont like to think about how well it worked but it cleared the scope OK.

it will have a long throat ive had my one for about 30 years used to shoot really well with 140amax but they fukn stopped making them didnt they so im back to finding something it likes again

Was going to head to the range this morning, I started to boresight the scope but ran out of elevation (down) trying to get it on target 25 yards! A shim was required.

I wanted to keep it "original" so I fashioned a shim from a 6.5x55 case :thumbsup:


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I loaded up 43, 44, 45gn 2209 loads, got to the range and all was sweet, but my start pressure was way too hot, The bolt lift was very firm after firing 43gn of 2209 with a 140gr SP. It shot around an inch at 75m with the over pressure loads.
I'll load up some more @ 40, 41, 42gn and head back next week some time - hopefully the groups will tighten up.

Try 2213sc with 140 grain bullets I had 7 6.5x55's at one time down to one now a Winchester M70 with a true flite 1:8" barrel all shot better with 2213sc than 2209 including one with a 19.5" barrel and a Sako 75