Over the years I have either owned & shot quite a few of this sweet shooting rifles.
For me at least the 6.5×55 Swede Round is a real gem. In that it is easy on the shoulder recoil wise. But it is one hard hitting and very deep penetrating round.
(The Swedes even use it for Moose hunting!)
Swedish Mauser
| Gevär m/96 (Model 1896 Rifle) | |
|---|---|
6,5 mm Gevär m/1896. Pattern, approved 20 March 1896.
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| Type | Bolt-action rifle |
| Place of origin | German Empire Sweden |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1895–1995 |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | Winter War, Continuation War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Paul Mauser |
| Designed | 1893–1896 |
| Manufacturer | Waffenfabrik Mauser AG Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori Husqvarna Vapenfabriks AB |
| Produced | 1895 to 1948 |
| No. built | 750,000 of which 127,000 were m/94 carbines, 535,000 m/96 long rifles and 88,000 m/38 short rifles (converted m/38’s not included)[1] |
| Variants | m/38 short rifle, m/41 sniper rifle, m/94 carbine. |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | Rifle: 4 kg (8.8 lb) carbine: 3.4 kg (7.5 lb) |
| Length | m/1896: 1,260 mm (50 in) m/1938: 1,120 mm (44 in) m/1894: 950 mm (37 in) |
| Barrel length | m/1896: 739 mm (29.1 in) m/1938: 610 mm (24 in) m/1894: 450 mm (18 in) |
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| Cartridge | 6.5×55mm |
| Action | Bolt action |
| Muzzle velocity | original round nose bullet rifle: 725 m/s (2,380 ft/s) carbine: 655 m/s (2,150 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 600 m (656 yd) (m/1938) with iron sights 800 m (875 yd) with telescopic sight |
| Feed system | 5-round stripper clip, internal magazine |
| Sights | Square post front, U notch rear iron sights or telescopic sight |
“Swedish Mausers” are a family of bolt-action rifles based on an improved variant of Mauser‘s earlier Model 1893, but using the 6.5×55mm cartridge, and incorporating unique design elements as requested by Sweden.[2] These are the m/94 (Model 1894) carbine, m/96 (Model 1896) long rifle, m/38 (Model 1938) short rifle and m/41 (Model 1941) sniper rifle.[3] In 1898 production began at Carl Gustafs stads Gevärsfaktori in Eskilstuna, Sweden.
All Swedish Mausers were chambered for the 6.5×55mm cartridge, and all Swedish-made actions were proof-tested with a single 6.5×55mm proof round developing approximately 455 MPa (65,992 psi) piezo pressure (55,000 CUP).[4][5] Swedish Mausers were manufactured by Waffenfabrik Mauser AG in Oberndorf a/N in Germany and in Sweden by Carl Gustafs stads Gevärsfaktori and Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Aktiebolag. All Swedish Mausers, whether built in Germany or Sweden, were fabricated using a Swedish-supplied high grade tool steel alloyed with nickel, copper, and vanadium, a product then noted for its strength and corrosion resistance.
These rifles, like other pre-M 98 system Mauser rifles, lack the third safety locking lug at the rear of the bolt and feature “cock-on-closing” (similar to the contemporary Lee–Enfield
M/1892 Swedish Mauser
Contents
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m/1892 Rifle and Carbine[edit]
Submitted for Swedish trials were the M/1892 rifle and carbine based on elements of the m/1889 Belgian, m/1890 Turkish, and m/1891 Argentine Mauser rifles. One rifle is chambered in 8×58mmR Danish Krag caliber. One example exists in the Museum at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, Maryland, US.[6]
m/1894 Carbine[edit]
6,5 mm Karbin m/1894 (m/1894-14 with bayonet mount)
The m/1894 carbine was adopted in 1894 with the first 12,000 carbines being manufactured by Waffenfabrik Mauser in Oberndorf am Neckar, Germany. This series of carbines were all manufactured in 1895, and a very few spare receivers dated 1895 were received from Mauser Oberndorf’s manufacturers Ludwig Loewe and DWM. Some of these spare receivers have been found built as complete m/1896 rifles with serial numbers falling into the regular m/1896 rifle ranges. It is speculated that these were replacement receivers that were later given the same serial number as the replaced receivers, though this is not yet confirmed due to the extremely small number discovered so far.
Production in Sweden under license commenced in 1898. (The preparatory production development at Carl Gustafs stads Gevärsfaktori found a place in history by being the event that caused Carl Edvard Johansson to invent gauge blocks.) Swedish production continued sporadically until 1918. Very limited numbers were later produced with receiver dates of 1929 and more so 1932. The highest 1918 serial number noted is 111,002. The m/94 carbines have a unique serial number sequence beginning with 1. The highest number so far noted is 113,150 dated 1932. There have been no carbines noted with receiver dates of 1902, 1905, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1913. It may be surmised that carbines produced from the end of regular production in 1918 until 1932 numbered about 2,150.
Mauser produced 12,000 m/1894 carbines between 1894 and 1896 and Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori 115,000 m/1894 carbines between 1895 and 1933, giving a total of 127,000 m/1894 carbines.[7]
Some carbines were lost from regular use by conversion to sub-caliber targeting & practice devices for artillery pieces. Many other carbines have been lost due to conversion to m/63 target rifles.
Sub variants
m/1894-14 carbines have a steel nose piece, not dissimilar to the No.1 Mk3 Lee–Enfield, with a protruding stud under the muzzle for the bayonet ring. There were two bayonets intended for the 94-14 carbine. The most prevalent was the m/1914 long bayonet. The second minor bayonet was the very long bladed m/1915 navy bayonet with the edge facing upwards.
m/1894-67: This was an 1894 carbine modified to accept the m/1867 Yataghan blade saber bayonet. The modification involved a slot machined on the nose cap and a stud sleeve attached to the barrel. Numbers modified are unknown. Possibly only 100 or less. Several have shown up in the United States and one is known in the Netherlands.
Skolskjutningskarbin, (literally “school shooting carbine”): This carbine was manufactured for Swedish civilian schools for student training. All of these school carbines carry the receiver date of 1901. This model deviates from the standard m/1894 carbine in several ways. The serial number is prefixed with S and runs S.1 to S.1161 and possibly a few more. The serial number appears as S.500 on the left side-rail of the receiver. The bolt handle is the same straight handle of the m/1896 rifle. The sling swivels are on the bottom of the stock just as on the m/1896 rifle. There is no bayonet attachment. Many of these carbines have been found rebuilt as standard m/1894-14 carbines and in one case as a Carl Gustaf m/63 target rifle (CG63).
Kammarkarbin: also known as “gallery carbine”. Unique serial numbers prefixed by K. Total number produced is unknown, with the highest reported serial number being K.193 currently in a private collection in the United States. One has been reported in Switzerland. Carbine K.91 is in the Carl Gustaf factory museum in Sweden. Other differences from the standard m/1894 carbine include the stock being dyed black. The rifling rate of twist is about 4 times faster than the m/1894 carbine due to the unique bullet and much slower velocity of the special cartridge intended for this carbine. The only two receiver dates noted so far are 1898 and 1901.
1894/96 Fortress Carbine: Another variant produced in unknown numbers and unknown years of production. This carbine is very similar to the standard m/1894 except in the manner of sling attachment. This carbine uses a sling attachment identical to the skolskjutningskarbin as the sling swivels are on the bottom of the stock instead of the side. The lower sling swivel is placed much further up the buttstock nearer the triggerguard than the m/1896 rifle.
Weapons Officers Carbines: These standard m/1894 carbines were hand-built by weapons officers as part of their training. Instead of having serial numbers, the name of the weapons officer is the identifying “serial” mark. Most of the parts are marked with the two letters of the officer’s name and in some cases with a + sign. These carbines are among the most valuable of collectible m/1894 carbines.
The m/1894 carbine is still used today by the Royal Guards at Stockholm Palace.
m/1896 Long Rifle[edit]
Carl Gustav M96 rifle, bayonet, 2 different bayonet frogs and Swedish Cartridge Belt.
The Model 1896 rifle in 6.5×55mm (6,5 mm Gevär m/96) was adopted in 1896 for infantry use, replacing the Model 1867–1889 Remington rolling block rifle in 8×58mmR Danish Krag. Swedish production (under license) started in 1898 at Carl Gustafs, but additional rifles were produced by Mauser during 1899 and 1900 because of delays in shipping additional production machinery from Germany to Sweden.[8]
Standard production at Carl Gustafs continued until 1925, but approximately 18,000 m/96 rifles were manufactured by Husqvarna Vapenfabriks AB during World War II for civilian marksmanship training.[9]
Mauser produced 40,000 m/1896 long rifles between 1899 and 1900, Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori 475,000 m/1896 between 1896 and 1932 and Husqvarna Vapenfabriks AB 20,000 m/1896 between 1942 and 1944. Giving a total of 535,000 m/96 long rifles.[10]
