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1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

HellsCanyonArmory

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Mar 15, 2010
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Hey guys, my dad just picked up an old swedish 6.5x55 from an old guy in the local paper. Its in EXCELLENT shape and my dad is not sure what he wants to do with the thing. Its a 1905 model M96. I know the round is an excellent longrange/hunting caliber from what I've read on here. The local gun-smith talked my dad out of (for now) "sporterizing" the rifle as its in such nice shape.

My questions: What would YOU do with the rifle?
Are there any common problems with this rifle?
Any other information? Neither of us know much about the caliber...

Thanks in advance for the info, I've read through some search results and it seems I have only seen highly modified 6.5x55's...
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

Keep it as is! Do not sporterize! If you wanna do a mauser project, than find one that's been hacked up.

As far as problems? No problems, those are some of the finest Mauser examples.

Check if all the parts are matching, also check that brass disc in the stock, that will tell you the condition of the bore, last time its been in Swedish arsenal.

Google is your friend, there's a lot of info on Swedish mausers and history surrounding these guns.
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

I would definatly keep it as is, I have been wanting one like that for a while now but I haven't been in the states enought to find one in the last 5 years.
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

10 years ago I got a Carl Gustav 1896 Swede all matching for $100 at a gun show.
I bent the bolt and drilled and tapped for scope.
I hunted with it.
The bore is not perfect, but it shoots well.

6 years ago I got a Husqvarna 1938 Swede all matching, possibly unfired, for $135 at a gun show. I have never shot it.

3 years ago I got a Carl Gustav 1894 carbine all matching for $80 at a gun show. The bore is not great. The stock serial number may match, but it has been cut down by Bubba to the size of a BB gun stock. I have never shot it.

The Walsh book on sporterizing Mausers says that you should only sporterized Mausers with non matching serial numbers.
That unfairly penalizes Swedes.
Sweden never went to war carrying Mausers, and so has kept the serial numbers matching.
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

DO NOT CHOP THE SWEDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you have any inclination to do it, sell it to me, chop up a M98 or something, but for god sakes, dont hurt that gem, dont even drill and tap it. If thats your intention, there are a thousand other rifles out there to masacre.

Here is my baby.

1902 Swedish FSR Rifle.

smallPicture024.jpg


smallPicture27.jpg



Shoots under 1/2 MOA.
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

Buy some Norma ammunition loaded with 140 Grain SMK and shoot it. As said before DO NOT cut, chop, drill, bend, or otherwise molest this rifle. You will be sorry!

Good luck

Jerry
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

My dad is open to selling it right now... I'll swing by the gun shop later today where its at while he's trying to decide to sell it or not and snap some pictures for you guys. Where are the serial numbers all located on the rifle?

My inclination is with you guys, not to chop it up or anything. I think he's in the same boat, but he has no real use for the rifle right now. He only shoots a couple times a year when I come home and hunts maybe a few days as well with his .308 or 30-06. Stay tuned for pictures!!!

Mike
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

If the rifle has its authentic brass disc and the numbers match, it'd be a shame to "do something" to it. Go to surplusrifle.com for significant information on the Swede - photo documents how to completely strip, bolt disassembly, etc, etc. If he wants to sell it, that'd be a good place to do so as they value it as history and know relative current prices for it.

In my modest surplus stable the only thing in the same league, machining-wise, to my Swede is the Swiss k31. I'm more familiar with a Mauser action to the straight pull and the Swede is probably my favorite surplus item.
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

Oh WTF, I had a nice long post typed out and then internet problems, here's the shortened version...

Stopped and got some pictures for you guys! Looks like all the serial numbers match up though i wasn't sure how to interpret the brass tag. Everything looks authentic and the action is like glass!

My dad is either going to sell the rifle, or keep it but rest assured it won't get hacked up! Here's some pictures for you guys and I'll update the thread when he figures out what he's doing with it!

Swede5.jpg

Swede1.jpg

Swede4.jpg

Swede3.jpg

Swede2.jpg


Thanks again!
Mike
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

Ahhh, what a beauty.
The Swedes are the most precise surplus rifles I know. Even better than the 1903. With a "soft" recoiling cartridge with a real long range capability. A shame the iron sights dont work for me. Only diopters for me.

In Sweden is a saying: We use the 6,5 x 55 to shoot at russians over Finnland.

Definitely a keeper in all respects, its value will rise.
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

Very nice... if he doesn't want to keep it original then tell him to sell it to someone that will appreciate it. There are fewer and fewer oldtimers around in original condition.

Here is an idea of how to interpret that brass disk...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The one screw disc is divided into 3 sections, each of which is marked in such a way as to reveal some information about that particular rifle. The smallest "slice" of the brass disc bears the numbers 1, 2, and 3 with a triangular punch mark over one of the numbers. This indicates the condition of the bore. No punch mark is perfect. 1 means a very few dark areas in the corners of the lands and grooves. 2 indicates rust in the corners of the lands and grooves and possible light rust in the grooves. 3 indicates spots of light rust throughout the grooves, but no sharp edges; this is still acceptable. A rifle scoring lower than 3 was rebarreled.

The next slice of the little brass disc indicates the elevation aiming error when shooting the standard m/41 Swedish service load, which used a 140 grain boat-tail spitzer bullet at a MV of around 800 m/s. There are three Swedish words in this sector of the disc. "Torped" indicates the 140 grain BT spitzer bullet (there was an earlier 156 grain RN bullet), "Overslag" means over, followed by a space and then "Str." Str is the abbreviation for streck, a unit of angle, and there are 6300 streck to a circle. Streck were used in a manner similar to the way North American shooters use minutes of angle. If there is a number in the blank space between Overslag and Str. it indicates the amount the rifle shoots over in terms of streck. 1 streck equals approximately 1/10 meter at 100 meters. So a 1 in the space on the disc indicates that rifle would shoot 10 cm (or a little less than 4") above the point of aim at 100 meters.

The largest slice of the disc has an outer and an inner arc of numbers. Example: The outer arc bears numbers "6.51" followed by the numbers 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 (rifle has a punch mark over the "2"). The inner arc bears the numbers "6.46" followed by 7,8,9,0 (no punch mark over a number in the inner arc). It is my understanding that these numbers reveal the nominal bore (6.46mm) and groove (6.51mm) diameters of a new barrel. The punch mark(s) reveals the actual diameter of the particular barrel (and thus, presumably, any wear). Thus, my barrel has a groove diameter of 6.52mm. Apparently the bore diameter of my barrel measured right at 6.46mm.

If the groove diameter measures between 6.51mm and 6.53mm all was well. If the groove diameter measured 6.54mm-6.55mm the rifle was used only for training. If the groove diameter exceeded 6.56mm the rifle was rebarreled. The Swedes are very meticulous people!</div></div>
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

I've never shot a 6.5x55 so I'm excited to try it out!

I think he's going to keep it. Should be fun to see what kind of a shooter he can make it while keeping it 100% 'factory'. And the value like you say, will only increase over time.

HasGunWillTravel, where did you get that sight for your swede? My dad is really interested in picking some up, anybody got a good idea for sources?
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BigJohnson</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've never shot a 6.5x55 so I'm excited to try it out!

I think he's going to keep it. Should be fun to see what kind of a shooter he can make it while keeping it 100% 'factory'. And the value like you say, will only increase over time.

HasGunWillTravel, where did you get that sight for your swede? My dad is really interested in picking some up, anybody got a good idea for sources? </div></div>

http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewforum.php?f=33
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

Parallax - thanks for the info on the disc. While I knew the part of the disc with words was for a holdover (holdunder?), I didn't know it was measured in 'streck'. Since a circle contains 6283.19 milliradians, I presume the streck is a "rationalized" version of mils.

[edit note]BigJohnson, you asked about parts that are numbered. I might be mistaking the Swede for one of my other milsurps, but damn near every part that isn't a bolt or spring is numbered: all the wood parts, the firing pin, butt plate, rear sight ladder, ... the works. A complete strip would verify part numbers, get all remaining cosmoline and dirt out and permit checking for parts integrity.
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

I do not know how old you are but in five years you will be glad you left it original. There are enough of us here that remembers sporterizing a nice gun only to regret it later
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

Thanks for the advice/help pp. The gun is most likely going to stay the way it is, however my dad is wanting to use the gun, not put it away in a cabinet somewhere just to 'have', he's more of the 'if ya got it, use it!' type of guy. Don't even think he's shot it yet though lol
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

Once owned a mint Carl Gustav 1896 Swede and to this day, I'm sorry I sold the rifle. I couldn't bring my self to tap it for a scope so I installed a Bsquare mount, that attaches to the sight rail. With a long eye relief(handgun)scope and necked 140 gr Sierra boat tail handloads, at 300 yards it amazed me. One huge sniper rifle. Back then, as far as ammo, my concern was that metal jacket surplus would damage the barrel, but I must say, it shot surplus extremly well. Wish I still had it.

Keep it, getting hard to find mint Sweds.
 
Re: 1905 Swedish M96 6.5x55 info needed...

There were at lease 4 different thread patterns for the diopter sights, and I can not advise you if it will hurt its value one way or the other.

The sights on mine are Pramm, the patterns for the reciever vary, ever so slighty, and paid more for those sights than I did the rifle.

There are sets of diopter like sights that mount up to the existing ladder sights, without having to drill or tap the reciever, you could look into those.

If you really want to know about your swede, and I mean know everything, check out this forum.

http://forums.gunboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49