The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Thinking of buying a 7.62 Spainish Mauser

Ignition Override · March 17, 2011, 11:38 PM

According to the newspaper article link somewhere, a guy at a range in PA was killed while shooting one of the original 7mm Spanish Mausers which had been converted to '.308'. I read the article.
This Might have been manufactured before 1900.

The article did not state whether his ammo was .comm. .308, NATO 7.62 or reloads. Have you contacted people on Surplusrifle or Gunboards' Mauser forums?

A seller last year at a Southaven MS show either was ignorant of the converted (classic 7mm to NATO 7.62) design limit issues, or did not care.
When I asked this guy about it, he seemed not to know, but a Second seller from Fayette County who was behind him looked at me and slowly shook his head. I went over and thanked the other, more responsible seller.

My Mauser buddies seem to believe that the pre-1900 actions have the weakest steel chambers etc if I understand correctly.

As to whether rifles built years after 1910 (or so) are strong enough for .308 or NATO 7.62, I'm not sure.
On a side note, numerous sources claim that the (later?) Spanish M43 Mauser is not nearly as strong an action as in the M44 (8mm Mauser).

Some of these rifles were converted to the post-WW2 Spanish FR8 (7.62x51) carbine, and with the stronger M44 chambers designed for 8mm Mauser, using either .308 or 7.62x51 NATO should be fine in the FR8, but maybe not in the (M43) FR7.

March 17, 2011, 11:38 PM	#10
Ignition Override Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2008 Location: About 20 nm from the Big Muddy Posts: 2,887	According to the newspaper article link somewhere, a guy at a range in PA was killed while shooting one of the original 7mm Spanish Mausers which had been converted to '.308'. I read the article. This Might have been manufactured before 1900. The article did not state whether his ammo was .comm. .308, NATO 7.62 or reloads. Have you contacted people on Surplusrifle or Gunboards' Mauser forums? A seller last year at a Southaven MS show either was ignorant of the converted (classic 7mm to NATO 7.62) design limit issues, or did not care. When I asked this guy about it, he seemed not to know, but a Second seller from Fayette County who was behind him looked at me and slowly shook his head. I went over and thanked the other, more responsible seller. My Mauser buddies seem to believe that the pre-1900 actions have the weakest steel chambers etc if I understand correctly. As to whether rifles built years after 1910 (or so) are strong enough for .308 or NATO 7.62, I'm not sure. On a side note, numerous sources claim that the (later?) Spanish M43 Mauser is not nearly as strong an action as in the M44 (8mm Mauser). Some of these rifles were converted to the post-WW2 Spanish FR8 (7.62x51) carbine, and with the stronger M44 chambers designed for 8mm Mauser, using either .308 or 7.62x51 NATO should be fine in the FR8, but maybe not in the (M43) FR7. Last edited by Ignition Override; March 17, 2011 at 11:57 PM.