I bought this 1926-vintage 7X64 Mauser sporter on Gunbroker. It was mentioned that the gun was rescued from a fire, but when I received the gun, several of the springs were softened. I have placed it back at auction to recover my investment, but I wonder if it is possible to re heat treat the action, barrel and bolt for continued use. It's a shame really, as the gun was quite elegant in its time.



Here is the gunbroker auction: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=447096657

They can be re-heat treated but I have no idea of the cost or even where. Probably New England Custom Guns could refer you to someone or they may do it, I don't know. Maybe Turnbull? He does some exquisite case hardening so I would think he is quite knowledgeable about heat treating.

I'm no blacksmith or gunsmith but from working on machinery over the years have heated a lot of metal and that thing looks as if it got quite hot.

It was made by the hand of man and, therefore, the hand of man can fix it to how it was.

The big questions are (a) is the game (fixing it) worth the candle (the price) and (b) will it be safe to use if it is fixed? AFAIK (and that's not very far) there is no way (absent destructive testing) to figure out the heating regime it went through to get to the point it's at and therefore no way to definitively know what kind of heat-treatment fixing might suffice to make it safe.

It might be most useful as an exemplar to use for making a new one, for the very-advanced home gunsmith/machinist. But that's my $0.02.

I would talk to one of the heat treating outfits,before parting it out.It's a positive sign that not all the springs were ruined, and that the front scope mount didn't come unsoldered.If the barrel is still bright, you might still have a chance.Thin parts, like small springs, might get to the critical temp.,and the heavier parts not.Spalling on the steel parts isn't a good sign,though.
Mike

The only practical & sensible thing to do is to make this into functional yet ugly paper weight.

There are plenty of classic sporting rifles to be bought in America. This one cost less than new assembled in Portugal "Winchester">>>>

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While not as nice as Oberndorf Type Afrika it isn't much less than type B sporter and for well under $1000. I hope that will help you.

I redid a pre 64 Model 70 for a friend a couple of years ago. It was a lot of time but it's my hobby. I put a new barrel on it & cleaned it up & took it to Phoenix Heat Treating Co. in Phoenix Az. They are a very big Co. that can do any kind of heat treating. Had them do the bolt & action to 40 Rockwell on the C scale. They charged $100 for set up and & 60 cents a pound. The rifle looks & shoots fine. Bluing came out good. I you can polish it your self it is doable at a reasonable price. I also put new springs in it. The extractor was soft so I put a new one in. The rifle was free so for $500 he got a nice new pre 64.

The Oberndorf serial number is 24482 and it has the crown over B and crown over U proofs on the left side of the front receiver ring. A Mauser expert dated the action to circa 1905. I wonder what happened between then and 1926 (besides WW1) when the barrel was proofed. The serial number on the magazine, the bolt and the rest of the parts is 57822 (22 on the small parts). Does this mean that this is a parts gun or did Mauser serial actions and other parts separately?

Before WW1 everione wanting to build a Mauser M98 actioned rifle had to buy an action from Mauser, Oberndorf first. the Mauser patents were still valid, so more than 70% of the Commercial production was sold as "actions only" or barreled actions then. Mauser always numbered all Action parts matching, the full Serial number appearing under the receiver ring and on the back of the magazine.Rather often the Suhl or Zella-Mehlis gunmakers who then built their own rifles, with their own serial numbers added above the wood,did not care about matching Mauser numbers. But my guess here: 57822 is the real Mauser Serial number, dating the action to 1912. Apparently it remained in stock at a Suhl gunmaker until after WW1, when it was completed and barreled for the then new 7x64 Brenneke cartridge. 24482 may well be a 1920s Schmidt & Habermann, Suhl, TM Esha,serial number. S & H built all the "Original Wilhelm Brenneke, Leipzig" bolt actions for old W.B.

The early M98s used a low carbon case hardening steel, think 1018, if the steel was softened but not burnt it should be able to be re-cased.

V/R

Mike

I sold this to a fellow who shared the same opinion as most of you that it could be re heat treated. He even thought the barrel and the rest of the gun could be salvaged. Most springs would need replacement. I didn't lose any money and the buyer may get a good rifle for a small price plus his time. I'll read more carefully next time.