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HJ857 · January 18, 2013, 03:40 PM

I just was given a sporter Mauser. All indications is that it's a Spanish 1916. The only marking is the circle cross stamp on the bottom of the trigger guard and matching serial numbers and a few stamps on the bottom of the receiver that I can't find any references for.

First off, it's a 7x57 chamber and it doesn't shoot at all. I spent three days running patches and brushes down the bore and removed somewhere around 8 pounds of crap and still going.

However the only rounds I can find locally are the 140 gain Remington PSP's. I've tested in twice with different scopes at 25 yards and am getting, at best, a four inch pattern. If my math is right, that's around 16 MOA.

I've seen posted on various internet sites that this chamber is best suited for a bullet in the 173 grain range. So first question - does anyone have a guess on how much difference a 173 grain round will make?

I'm willing to put some money into the rifle, I like the way it feels and looks, but not sure it's worth it. What's your feeling on whether a new barrel is worth the cost and what kind of accuracy could be expected from a rifle of this class?

January 18, 2013, 03:40 PM	#1
HJ857 Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2007 Posts: 447	Spanish Mauser advice? I just was given a sporter Mauser. All indications is that it's a Spanish 1916. The only marking is the circle cross stamp on the bottom of the trigger guard and matching serial numbers and a few stamps on the bottom of the receiver that I can't find any references for. First off, it's a 7x57 chamber and it doesn't shoot at all. I spent three days running patches and brushes down the bore and removed somewhere around 8 pounds of crap and still going. However the only rounds I can find locally are the 140 gain Remington PSP's. I've tested in twice with different scopes at 25 yards and am getting, at best, a four inch pattern. If my math is right, that's around 16 MOA. I've seen posted on various internet sites that this chamber is best suited for a bullet in the 173 grain range. So first question - does anyone have a guess on how much difference a 173 grain round will make? I'm willing to put some money into the rifle, I like the way it feels and looks, but not sure it's worth it. What's your feeling on whether a new barrel is worth the cost and what kind of accuracy could be expected from a rifle of this class?