Fantasy Swedish Mauser Carbine

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butlersrangers
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Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:35 pm
Location: Below the Bridge, Michigan

Fantasy Swedish Mauser Carbine

Post by butlersrangers »

Recently, I purchased an 'altered' model 1894 Swedish carbine, (that was manufactured in 1904 at Carl Gustafs Stads), with the intention of doing a military restoration.
I was attracted by the metal condition and all matching numbers.

I blundered by paying too much for it ($225) and failing to see some messed-up and incorrect parts.
I also did not appreciate how scarce and expensive Swedish carbine wood had become.
The original stock had been sanded too much and was cut too short, to bother with attempting a forearm splice.

I have not, to date, been able to locate the early style of Swedish carbine 'nose cap', (without the bayonet-bar), that I would like.

Well, regretting my impetuous purchase, I at least took the 'sportered' carbine to the Range. At 50 yards, two quick 3-shot groups printed about 16 inches high.
Buba had screwed with the trigger and the now 'single stage' trigger was heavy and unpredictable. I believe this contributed to the size of the fired groups.
I also discovered that the magazine-follower and spring were not Swedish Mauser parts.

For very reasonable money, I was able to get a replacement trigger & sear, a Swedish follower and spring, a taller front sight-blade and a stock sling-buckle & screws, from vendors on eBay.

The carbine was ugly, so I thought about ways of making it .... well .... prettier.
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butlersrangers
Posts: 9827
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:35 pm
Location: Below the Bridge, Michigan

Re: Fantasy Swedish Mauser Carbine

Post by butlersrangers »

While trying to come up with ideas to make this Swedish carbine 'ruin' a bit more attractive, I noticed that a U.S. Krag barrel-band nicely matched the Mauser barrel contour.

Since the Swedish carbine stock had been reduced to 'utility use only', I decided to re-shape the forearm into something along the lines of a Krag cavalry carbine.

This little beast now has an excellent two-stage trigger, a properly functioning magazine, and a taller and better shaped front sight-blade.

Today, I finished shaping the forearm-tip so that a Krag barrel-band fits.

I stripped the glossy Lin-Speed Finish and stain, using small scotch-bite pads wet with "Kleen Kutter - Refinisher".
Once the ugly finish 'softened-up', I carefully scraped the finish from the wood, using a steel straight-edge and following wood contours.

There are a couple of wood-screw holes to fill, a bit of final shaping, and some raw wood to 'match-stain', prior to putting on some hand-rubbed coats of linseed oil.

This fantasy carbine, that Sweden 'should have built' for their "Camel Corps", is about ready for a "Range" trial.

It should do well, since everything performs better with a Krag Part!

Since I was a Kid, I've had a soft spot for the little Swedish model 1894/14 carbines. I think they are 'Foxy'.

Pictured with the 'Fantasy Carbine' is a model 1894/14, that I restored from a 'sporter' about 40 years ago, when loose stocks and now rare parts showed up on tables at gun shows.

The compact Swedish carbines are accurate little "shoulder cannons"!
The extra wood and metal on an original model 94/14 carbine serves a purpose in providing additional mass and helping to tame 'recoil'.
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FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: Fantasy Swedish Mauser Carbine

Post by FredC »

Welll, if the top carbine is correct, I like the looks of the bottom one better. I guess the advantage of not knowing what is correct.
I bought a Swedish Mauser carbine when I was caretaking a ranch in Kerrville. It was easy to tie to the sissy bar on the Harley Sportster and allowed me to hunt deer from the road once inside the ranch gate. Mine must have had a sporter stock because I remember none of that hardware near the butt. No barrel band either. If did have a scope, the mount holes were not really correct and I did something to fix that. It did knock over the hill country deer with authority. I wounded one but it was a bad shot almost straight down through fairly heavy brush. If I remember correctly the barrel was 17.5 inches long with a fairly large counterbore at the muzzle. Effective barrel length was a little less than 17 inches which made it pretty loud with factory ammo or similar reloads. It was one of 2 guns that I have ever sold. A friend bought it a the pawn shop and took all the handloads apart because he did not know who loaded them. Dies were homemade super precision neck size only and the charges were all weighed. Oh well.

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butlersrangers
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Re: Fantasy Swedish Mauser Carbine

Post by butlersrangers »

'FredC' - I think most of the Swedish carbines were imported into the U.S. in the 1950's and early 1960's.

The carbine barrels were originally 17 1/2 inches long. At the time they were imported, U.S. laws required rifle barrels to be, at least, 18 inches long.

A 'smooth-bore collar' was welded to the barrel muzzle, so that the Swedish carbines had 18 inch barrels and could be legally imported.
The workmanship on these barrel-extensions varied greatly.
When you look in the muzzle of one of these carbine barrels, you will see about 1/2 inch of smooth-bore, before the rifling starts.

(At a later date, 16 inch rifle barrels became legal in the U.S.)

When I was 11 years old, I saved up the money to buy a .22 caliber rifle at our local "Monkey Wards". In the gun rack was a nice Swedish model 1894/14 carbine for the same price as the .22, ($21). I wanted to buy the surplus Mauser, but my Dad said "No".

He wisely pointed out that the 6.5 mm Swedish ammo cost almost $4.00 for 20 rounds and we had no place to shoot a high-power rifle.
At the time, .22 caliber RF ammo was a penny a round and we could shoot it at our friend's farm, 20 miles away.

That little carbine was still in the gun rack at the same price, when I was 16 and the Montgomery Wards' store relocated to a shopping mall.
I didn't buy it.
I could afford the carbine, but I couldn't afford to shoot it. My Dad's practicality had rubbed off on me .... Dang!

FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: Fantasy Swedish Mauser Carbine

Post by FredC »

I understand on the price of ammo. When I bought mine all that was available was Norma. I remember it being pricey. So I built my own reloading dies and fitted them to a small arbor press. i was loading my dad's '06 with his 310 nut cracker tool and a new RCBS loading set up was out of the question. I remember sitting a bullet in the guide and it would take about 5 minutes for the air to go past it and fall by its own weight to the case mouth. Obviously I would use the press to push them in but everything was built close tolerance. That tool is still around but it has been a couple of years since I have seen it.

Do not knock practicality, that is why you have money in the pocket today to buy stuff. I know people that live large and have no money for hobbies. You should say, thanks Dad.
Last edited by FredC on Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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butlersrangers
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Re: Fantasy Swedish Mauser Carbine

Post by butlersrangers »

When I was a teen and even into my 20's, reloading equipment was very expensive.

My first reloading was around age 17, with a "Lee-Loader" hand-tool in '.303 British caliber'.

I didn't have a reloading press until I was in my 30's. Dies and equipment were costly.

Richard Lee turned the Reloading Industry on its head!

FredC
Posts: 1991
Joined: Fri May 31, 2013 4:38 pm
Location: Dewees Texas

Re: Fantasy Swedish Mauser Carbine

Post by FredC »

You look at the quality on loading dies today and I cannot figure out how them make them so cheap. Fit and finish is superb now. The only gripe I have is the threads are made to gauge specs and on 7/8 threads that is pretty loose.
I guess the number of people loading multiple calibers has increased greatly in the last 50 years so a lot more dies are being made than the old days. Production quantity has a lot to do with pricing.

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King carp
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Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2019 4:43 am

Re: Fantasy Swedish Mauser Carbine

Post by King carp »

I think that both those swede's looks nice. Lightweight with a potent efficient cartridge. Nicely done! Kind of like some of the current rifles being touted as the " new way" to hunt. Lightweight. carbon fibre stock, potent efficient cartridge, 6.5 creedmore. But a whole lot less money! I started with a lee hand loader. At first it was a little scary hitting a primed, charged cartridge with a rawhide mallet. It was time consuming but taught me not to waste ammo. I still have my .45 acp set from the seventies. Kind of funny but by me there is a lot of reloading equipment for sale on the local websites. I think with the lack of components availible have some people are getting out of the reloading hobby. Or maybe they just no longer have the time.

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butlersrangers
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Re: Fantasy Swedish Mauser Carbine

Post by butlersrangers »

NO! King Carp ... I don't care what you say .... I'm not putting a folding bipod on the Swedish Kamel Karbine!

Hmmm .... but ... maybe a folding Mosin Bayonet! :o

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King carp
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Re: Fantasy Swedish Mauser Carbine

Post by King carp »

:lol: Nice, and the folding bayo makes a good monopod anyway.

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