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6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser

Those m96 rifles are fantastic. As others have pointed out, yours is Swedish manufactur in 1906. (The first few years were German contract until the tooling got set up.). They are very accurate and smooth shooting rifle. The longer barrel helps with recoil and muzzle jump.
As far as rated loads, these were rated at Cup ( copper units of pressure) which is a lower (numerically)rating than Sami spec used in America. So a 48k cup rating is 53k psi. Most ammo makers handicap loads right around that mark. The Mauser actions are also proof tested at 125%, often exceeding 65kpsi.

WRONG!!!!!
At that time, in Europe, pressure was measured in Mega Pascals (MPa), not CUP!!!
Don't use large ring Mauser pressures in small ring Mausers!!
The Small Ring Mausers (Swedish Mausers) are rated at (48000 psi)!!
Where did you get 48,000 CUP!!! 53k psi is dangerous in small ring Mausers!!!

Proof load 4000-5000 Atmospheres (58,000-72,500psi)
M/41 Ball Ammo: 330MPa (47,900psi); 139grain Spitzer; 3.0g (46.3grains) of NC1220 powder!!!
muzzle velocity
M94. 720m/s (2,362ft/s)
M96. 790m/s (2,592ft/s)
M38. 765m/s (2,510ft/s)

One thing to keep in mind, these old guns were deigned for using the old smokeless powders, not the modern day IMPROVED SMOKELESS POWDERS!! BIG DIFFERENCE!!!
That is why the pressure of the M/41 ball (developed in 1941 using the improved military smokeless powders) is so low!!!
 
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Many M96 Swedish Mausers were converted to the M38 design with a curved bolt handle and shorter barrel. They are known as M38B rifles.
Yes, some M96-38s had bent bolts!! However, the B notation is for the threaded muzzle attachment for a bullet shredder!!! Look at the attached pix, A bent bolt, 1935 M96 converted to M38 with threaded muzzle!!! That is a M38B!!! Actually M96-38B!!!
However, an M38 is an M38 (no distinction in the service)!!!
 

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Yes, I forgot about threading for the bullet shredder! I bought a lot of the red wooden bullet ammo from SAMCO in the day to take apart and reload the brass. Never understood why they didn't just make crimped blank ammo.
 
What we have here, looks like a bent bolt, M96-38 Swedish Mauser!!
Without knowing if it is matching numbers, it could be a throw together rifle!! Hopefully, the stamped numbers, with lazy crown inspection stamps, have matching bolt parts, barrel, and receiver NUMBERS!!!!

What makes these old military rifles accurate is, the high carbon steel barrels were broach cut and gauged!! All parts were 100% inspected!!! And, the M96 and M94 rifles had 1 in 200mm (1:7.87in) rifle twist for the old 156grain Round nose M/94 Ball ammo!! The newer M/41 Ball Ammo has a 139grain Spitzer bullet which is slightly over stabilized! My CG-63 has a 1 in 220mm (1:8.66in) rifle twist designed for 140grain bullets at 2600fps!!! Very accurate for open target sights!!!!

By the way, Swedish Mausers with a lazy crown inspection stamp on the left side of the receiver has been Proof Load Checked!!! A lazy crown stamp on the barrel means it was changed out and inspected!!!
 
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Yes, I forgot about threading for the bullet shredder! I bought a lot of the red wooden bullet ammo from SAMCO in the day to take apart and reload the brass. Never understood why they didn't just make crimped blank ammo.
I was wrong!!! There is the M41 Sniper Rifles also called the "ARCTIC PREDATOR"!! The M41B is a 3 screw side rigid mount for the scope!!!! It doesn't have the shredder!!!
 
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Great thread; learned a lot about mine, CG 1904 mfg.

View attachment 1658152
Awesome!!! Nice wood and polished bolt!!!
GotRDid, can you shoot me a picture of the the brass stock disk????
Hopefully I can give you some specs on the inspection!!!
Here's my CG-63 M/6 (6.5x55) with the Norma 29.5 target barrel!! There is also, the M/7 (7.62) variant!!!
Believe it or not, when you look at the barrel band, the barrel is still free floating!!!
I totally agree, this is a great thread!!!
I true enjoy talking about some of the old C&R rifles!!!
 

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Large pie: 6.49mm bore gauged!! The 9 mark!! Engraving 0.256" Diameter on the bullet! 0.004" deep rifle groove cut on a 0.264 diameter!!!
Small pie: 1 mark Clean bore with very little rust or pitting
Overslag: No hold over!! No number, hold dead on range with M/41 Ball ammo!!!
Torpedam - Torpedo [shaped] (Boat Tail Spitzer Bullet)!! The 139 grain spitzer bullet in the M/41 Ball!!!

1904 M96 Serial Number Range: 141639-151888. 10,249 long guns produced!!!
 
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Geez! All this excitement about the CG 63 and I just gave mine to a nice kid I know. I’ll send him a link to this thread.
Yeah, I know!!!
Some Swedish Mausers have more value than the CG63!!!!!
Most CG63 were shot out when they were mass imported!!! A lot of Clones came in too!!!
I got mine before that!! Shiny Bright Bore!!! All correct stamping and marks, including the tell tale "C" over year manufactured stamp and the "RUNE" stamp (Proof Test) next to the serial number on left side receiver!!! It has a clear "PAT 326977" (1963 Patent Pending) molded in the glass bedding of the lug!!!

I pick up a 1908 M96 All Matching Number for $125.00 30 years ago!!!
I dug out so much cosmoline!! 2 different layer with a carbon layer between them!!!!!! Still have that small ring Mauser!!! I had 5 at one time!!!
 
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As a fan of Swede Mausers I will jump in and recommend that, as has been said above, you don't overload the early actions. They seem to like slower powders like H4831 but will work well with either 4895 or 4064. I use Lapua brass, which is the correct head size rather than Remington or Winchester, mainly because Lapua lasted way longer than either of the US brands for me. A mid range charge of H4831SC, a couple of grains under max, 142 HPBT Sierra, BR-2 primer gives me very good accuracy out of my M96's and M38's. I also have 2 Model 700's that I had match chambered in 6.5 x 55 using blueprinted actions and Bartlein 5R 1: 8.5 twist barrels. They both shoot very well with loads safe for the older rifles so I never tried loading up. Jim
 
Thanks a bunch guys learnt more than I intended to..
The barrel is 291/2", with a T on the front site for the boattails from what I gather..
Going to start him off with H4831 and the Hornady 140's, and will keep him on the low end side, deer will never know the difference...Seems 2450 fps ish will be good enough..
 
Thanks a bunch guys learnt more than I intended to..
The barrel is 291/2", with a T on the front site for the boattails from what I gather..
Going to start him off with H4831 and the Hornady 140's, and will keep him on the low end side, deer will never know the difference...Seems 2450 fps ish will be good enough..

BE SAFE PREACHER WITH THIS ANTIQUE!!! Start at the middle of the powder load range and work down carefully!!! You don't want to just achieve full engraving of the bullet near peak pressure!! You want the bullet near the muzzle at peak pressure!!! You have to approach the low end charge just like approaching the high end charge!!! Especially, in that old, small ring, long barrel M96!!! Monitor the recoil as you reduce your charge!!! You might be surprised with that heavy military rifle!!!

Good luck Preacher!!! HAPPY HUNTING!!! I believe, you're going to make your neighbor happy too!!

BILL
aim small, HIT BIG!!!
 
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Congrats on a very Nice rifle! Those guns were beautifully made. I had one years ago, said 1912 on the receiver if I recall. Very fun to shoot, recoil very mild.
I had some of the blanks, and some of the wooden practice rounds if I recall. I made a new front sight
for mine, and several customers guns. I can't remember wether it was a higher or lower they needed?
 

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