Re-Barreling a 96 7x57 Mauser

Hi Team

I have a lovely Orange Free State DWM 7x57 Mauser. I bought it off a member here, put a Boyd’s stock on it, scoped it, suppressed it and along with the Timney trigger already on it, it shot really well.

Unfortunately the barrel is toast. A combination of having many shots put through it over 125 odd years and some recent neglect. I lent it to one of my boys for a year or so and he did not look after the barrel. Through a combination of lack of cleaning, poor storage, getting it wet and generally being rough as guts a trip to the range and a borescope revealed it all.

I want to rebarrel it as it and the caliber are a joy to shoot and it is very effective on deer.

The gunsmith who I use, Allen Carr does not work on Fridays so I thought I’d pose the question on the forum as there are plenty of knowledgeable buggers on here.

What would be the ‘right’ barrel to use? Any old second hand one? Another stepped military barrel? Or a new one (and what would I go for?

Cheers

Gilly

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You could probably get a Lothar -Walther pre contoured short chambered barrel for that action and take it back to "original".

How bad is it ? I have been finding that using a polishing bore paste can make a really dramatic life restoring difference with barrels pronounced dead, turning 3-4 inch groups into 1 inch or less. Polish and recrown might be the kiss of life. I havent done it yet but from what I read the next step is lead lapping

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Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

How bad is it ? I have been finding that using a polishing bore paste can make a really dramatic life restoring difference with barrels pronounced dead, turning 3-4 inch groups into 1 inch or less. Polish and recrown might be the kiss of life. I havent done it yet but from what I read the next step is lead lapping

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We have used bore paste but the rifling is buggered.
Thought about a recrown too but due to the state of the rifling it will probably be futile.
I haven’t heard of lead lapping

That would be a nice little number
Someone on here recently had a more original one of those M96 7x57.
Much jealous
It's already been sporterised so maybe keep an eye out for a pre loved remington 708 barrel and get it rechambered

To what extent given the demise of the current barrel are you prepared to sacrifice keeping the blued appearance for corrosion resistance? I've put stainless on all my Mausers and for me it was the right decision for all of them. The actions and bottom metal I have no trouble giving the odd wipe down with breakfree; the barrels I am now able to pretty much just leave alone. Coating the barrel could always be applied retrospectively if the mixed metal appearance started to bug you after a while?

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Originally Posted by Puffin

To what extent given the demise of the current barrel are you prepared to sacrifice keeping the blued appearance for corrosion resistance? I've put stainless on all my Mausers and for me it was the right decision for all of them. The actions and bottom metal I have no trouble giving the odd wipe down with breakfree; the barrels I am now able to pretty much just leave alone. Coating the barrel could always be applied retrospectively if the mixed metal appearance started to bug you after a while?

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Happy with stainless. It’s the bullet performance that counts.

Good to see the old girl still going, did you keep the other stock with the stipple checkering?

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Originally Posted by nor-west

Good to see the old girl still going, did you keep the other stock with the stipple checkering?

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Yup sure did. She’s a lovely old girl and I don’t want to retire her just yet.

just do it...case size of origonal means plenty of options... .257weatherby painted on a coating that looked like a deep blueing job to stainless rifle some time back....
find a barrel that works and just do it.looking at stock n suppressor,she sure isnt origonal so slight change in cartridge isnt really a huge deal.

Just give Trueflite a call and they can probably give you an estimate over the phone.
At least then you have a starting point re dollars.

Nb they don't list 7x57 but do list 7M08 and 7x61 as chamberings they can do.

https://www.truefliteriflebarrels.co.nz/

You cant rebarrel these to high powered cartridges. Pressure limit is 45 CUP. So you have things like : 7x57, 6.5x55, .250-3000, .300 Savage and stuff like that.

I have the same rifle- a custom stocked one rebarrelled in .250-3000, it was in the first batch of Leowe & Co Mausers sent to the Boers in 1896.

Tru flite have .250-3000 reamer, but dont seem to have a 7x57. I was was thinking of rechambering mine to .257 Roberts, or rebarreling to 7x57 as well.

If I could get what I really wanted I would rebarrel it in 9.3x57. Then I could be happy.

trueflight barrel will roughly cost a grand to put on, if its less it wont be much less(I dont like rebarreling things with a barrel worth more than the complete rifle)

cant say enough about how good their work is its like art especially compared to the latest threading job I had done somewhere else
I personlly would just use it for what it is (a lend out gun) and just not worry about getting supreme accuracy

id rebarrel a lot more things if I were a rich man but yea Im still working on that

@gilly pm'd