8mm Mauser - Rebarrel?

[Monday shooter40]

A few weeks ago, a friend gave me a Mauser to get sighted in. It’s been “in his safe” for 15 years and he knows not much about the rifle’s history before he got it from his father in law. It’s Marked Mod.98 and the serial number looks to be F2003?( it’s a little rubbed off)Allegedly chambered in 8mm Mauser. Also the barrel is not marked with a chambering, so I am trusting his knowledge of the rifle. I cleaned a mountain of stuff out from the bore with some C4 and patches. Long story short, I can’t get the rifle to shoot. It won’t keep rounds inside a 18” target. I’ve checked everything I know how. Checked the stock and recoil lug area for cracks or something amiss. Two different scopes on it. I’ve tried 198gr and 170gr projectiles. I don’t own a bore scope. I’m really suspecting this barrel is either shot out, or perhaps rusted or pitted or otherwise not up to snuff inside. I’m trying not to make this post a mile long, but I’ve been through this rifle inside and out.

I am not very familiar with Mausers and I am to the point of telling him this rifle needs to go see a professional gunsmith. I know a re-barrel won’t be “cheap” and he will probably not invest the money into the rifle.

Does anybody have any advice or know of anything I should look over before I throw in the towel on this old rifle?

 

[Sniperhandle]

Crowns are usually worn on a well used Mauser, That's the first place I would look. Also check the bedding, And action screws for tightness since that is a replacement stock.

 

[DGP4]

That looks like the original barrel. Chances are good it is shot out or close to it. A bore scope would show that the condition is and isn't expensive to buy on amazon. Doing the crown is a good idea, again very cheap remedy if it works. My experience with milsurp rifles is that there is probably a ton of rust/carbon schmutz in the barrel that will take forever to remove. The options are few if the barrel is bad. You can re-barrel it, but it won't be cheap, or sell it on GB and invest in a new rifle. I'd probably re-barrel it, but I am in the minority on this.

 

[Jonnyofalltrades]

I have found that "fresh" pitting can be really good at picking up copper fouling when you first clean it up.
I've had good luck with cleaning down to bare steel again and then doing a one-shot-and-clean routine for 10 rounds or so.
Certainly cheaper than a rebarrel.

 

[Monday shooter40]

After the OP, I ordered a borescope. I really should be using one on my comp rifles anyways. I will update later this week when it comes in.

I am urging him to rebarrel in 280 AI. Or 30-06. Factory ammo offerings in 8mm aren’t that good. But then again this isn’t my rifle, I’m just trying to help a friend who doesn’t have the experience or resources.

 

[DGP4]

If you friend does a re-barrel, consider good old 7X57 Mauser. Fantastic caliber with much better ballistics than the 8MM Mauser and gentle on the shoulder.

 

[TaperPin]

With the cost of ammo so high, and replacement barrels so low, the sooner the barrel is replaced the better.

 

[Dimner]

If it cannot be kept in an 18" target, I would immediately do a chamber casting with Cerro safe or a pound casting. Even a worn out barrel and pitted and all that should, with a scope, stay within 10". Does the fired brass that comes out of the chamber look the same as the stuff going in? Any chance it was rechambered to 8mm/30-06?

 

[Dimner]

Or perhaps it's 9.3×62mm,

 

[Riesel]

Or perhaps it's 9.3×62mm,

18", I'm kind of thinking the same thing. Was a time, way back when, you could order a 100.00 Adams and Bennet barrel from Midway USA that was short chambered and you finished reaming the last few thousand by hand. Heck, that's how I got my start. Midway had many barrels to choose from and they made decent hunting rifles.

 

[akajun]

Yes that’s a large ring military Mauser 98, with a military stepped barrel most likely in 8mm but some were opened to 8mm-06. Easy way to tell is if a 3006 will chamber in it. But, If your interested
I have a NOS 30-06 stepped miltary barrel for it that would drop right in Iirc it’s Venezuelan still in cosmoline. Instillation is not hard , screw off, screw on, check headspace and adjust necessary with a pull through reamer .

 

[Monday shooter40]

If it cannot be kept in an 18" target, I would immediately do a chamber casting with Cerro safe or a pound casting. Even a worn out barrel and pitted and all that should, with a scope, stay within 10". Does the fired brass that comes out of the chamber look the same as the stuff going in? Any chance it was rechambered to 8mm/30-06?

My headspace comparator says that I am within .004” between factory ammo and fired brass. Brass comes out 100% normal. Everything about the action runs fairly well for what it is. Feeds extracts and ejects properly. Every time. I went through the scope bases, pulled his scope off, put my scope on, took his rings off, put my rings on. I don’t know if the stock was meant for this action, somebody bedded the recoil lug area at some point in its life and they didn’t do that bad of a job and it still really solid. When I go to put the action back in the stock, it fits really nicely. I can’t find any cracks or anything wrong with the stock that would cause me to think that the action was moving around in it .

One caveat, I forgot to mention in the OP was that most of the flyers tended to be always to the right……

 

[Ggmac]

Is your friend a vet ?

 

[Monday shooter40]

Is your friend a vet ?

No

 

[jonbearman]

Can you take a measurement of the fired neck inside and out. The fired case looks bigger after firing but it could be an optical illusion.

 

[Monday shooter40]

.346 loaded round

.358 fired

 

[shortgrass]

During its life in service, it may have 'swallowed' thousands of rounds of corrosive ammunition. Which can make a sewer pipe out of the interior of the barrel.

 

[akajun]

Are the bullets keyholing?
Did you do the drop a loaded round point down the muzzle test?

 

[Ggmac]

See if there’s a pressure point in the stock , old school but can hurt accuracy. Remove barreled action and inspect fore end for extra wood or something glued in the barrel channel near the tip .

 

[pintopete]

I’d bet corrosive ammo, and neglect. Corrosion in a rifle like that is very common. Probably hard to avoid, especially if it had field use. There are new stepped 8x57 OEM Yugoslav barrels available for about $100. Just would have to pay a smith to install it. 8x57 chambering is no slouch. Changing calibers will likely cost more.