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Old February 11, 2012, 03:07 PM   #12
Jimro
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Join Date: October 18, 2006
Posts: 7,097
Quote:
All Swedish Mausers mfrd BEFORE WWI, were mfrd with Swedish steel,
considered to be of the highest quality. The downside, if there is one,
is that the M96 only has two lugs, instead of the three lugs of the
M98k Mausers. Yes there are other differences, but that is the only
one I know of that has any bearing on the strength of the action.
Ironically, nobody questions Rem M700s with their two-lug design.
The m96 actions are STRONG enough, but what they lack is the better gas handling characteristics of the m98. In a proper m98 action the third safety lug does NOT engage the lug recess, all the force of the cartridge is held by the first two lugs, same as in the m96.

The biggest difference is the size of the gas holes in the bolt body, they are MUCH larger in the m98, and the "gas flange" on the safety housing at the rear of the bolt which prevents gas from riding along the bolt body and back into the shooters eyes. This isn't to say that any rifle should be shot without shooting glasses, just that an m98 will handle a ruptured case much better than an m96 or earlier model rifle.

So the reason for those low pressure rounds isn't action strength, it is not to stress the brass to failure. The Swede M96s have been rebarreled into some pretty "strong" cartridges like the 8x57 IS (or JS if you prefer).

The Swede Mausers were proofed at 66k psi IIRC, so it isn't that they can't handle modern standard pressure ammunition but that they haven't been proofed with a modern proofing round which is usually a bit north of 80K IIRC (it's been years since I looked at European proofing standards).

Jimro
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