I just was given a Spanish Mauser and need some help identifying it. It's a 1917 Oviedo 1893. I was told it's a 7.65 X 53 but I can't find any caliber markings on it. I will post the pictures I have and can take more if needed. Any help would be great and thanks in advance!!
The numbers don't match. The thing that concerns me is mostly that the bolt numbers don't match the receiver numbers - so the bolt may well have been swapped. If that is the case, the head-space may be off. I'd have it checked before firing for safety (and to keep all of YOUR parts original).
Another thing - your rifle is loaded with cosmoline (a preservative grease). That is typical for stored service rifles. You need to strip it down completely and clean the daylights out of it - to include the interior of the bolt body and mainspring inside of it. A spray can of carburetor cleaner works well for that - but be sure to lightly oil it afterwards. The cleaner removes all of the oil and grease, and the metal needs protection or it will rust. If not removed the firing pin and main spring will become sluggish and may fail to fire. Also, if left inside of the bolt the old cosmoline can become packed into the interior of the bolt and keep the firing pin from operating.
As far as caliber, I suspect that it may well be 7mm Mauser. Most Spanish military Mausers were in that caliber, except for rifles built for export to South America. The 7mm Mauser is an outstanding caliber, generally powerful enough for big game hunting and moderate in recoil. The '93s are sweet rifles. They are not as strong as the later '98 Mausers, don't have the 'cock-on-opening feature of the '98s, and don't have the 3rd locking lug on the bolt - but they are still terrific firearms.
Jim, thanks for the info and the welcome! I'm definitely going to take it to a gunsmith and have it checked out before I take it to the range. I'm thinking I'll have them do a chamber casting as well to be on the safe side. I sure like the looks of the gun. I'm sure it will look a lot better with a good clean up.
Again, thanks
Ray - your rifle doesn't look like it needs much more of a cleaning than to get rid of the cosmoline. The metal and wood look great. The wood might use a light rub down with linseed oil to keep it from drying out too much. I'm partial to those Spanish '93s - that was my first 'hi-power' rifle back in about 1965. Bought it with lawn-mowing money - a whopping $15 that I saved up over the summer. Back then Western Surplus Store in Hawthorne California sold those Mausers and .303 Enfield rifles (packed into wooden barrels) - your choice $15. The ammo was also sold from huge wooden barrels at a penny each.
The German 98k Mausers sold for about $30 and the '03 Springfields were about $50. They had Arasakas - but hardly ever had ammo for them so nobody bought them. They had bayonets for all of them for about $2 each. You had to be 18 to buy a rifle, so I used to drag my Mom there to pay for guns I bought. Between the $5 Army field jackets, the WW1 and WW2 $1 ammo cartridge belts and the like, Mom used to hate my lugging home "that Army junk". That "Army junk" is worth a lot of money these days!
There were 91/93/95 Mausers used by the Spanish Civil Guard chambered for the .308 CETME. Could this be one of these? The .308 CETME round has the same physical dimensions as the .308 WCF and 7.62x51 NATO but is loaded to much lower pressures.
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