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Posted: 6/30/2024 6:23:33 PM EDT
I have an 1895 Oberndorf carbine that was listed as a M94 Swedish Mauser carbine. It does not have the 94/14 upgrades. It is numbers matching except for the bolt and appears correct otherwise Swedish proof marks everywhere you’d expect them.  Beautiful bore.

First time out shot terrible. Not even on paper at 25 yards. Fired cases appeared to have significant neck expansion.  I need to slug the bore and verify the chamber before ever taking it out again but it appears this carbine is actually 7x57 not 6.5x55.  A 6.5 unfired projectile will freely drop through the bore. 7x57 chambers fine and the bore at the muzzle mics the same as a 7mm Mauser.

First thought was I bought someone’s Spanish or Chilean rifle they dressed up to pass off as Swedish. Don’t think it’s Chilean 1895 as the receiver doesn’t have the notch behind the bolt handle. Doubt it’s Spanish because apparently Oberndorf only made trials guns for them and it’d be worth more sold as such.

Did anyone ever convert Swedes to 7mm?  I’ve read that there was a time when 6.5x55 was very hard to find.  I wouldn’t think it’d be cost effective to ream a bore and cut new rifling but then again the Chileans did that with some of their 1895s. This carbine is not import marked and doesn’t have the barrel extension to pass the original SBR length requirement so there’s no telling when / how it entered the country. Attachment Attached File
Attachment Attached File

From left to right: 6.5x55, case fired from carbine, 7x57
Attachment Attached File


If anyone has any ideas I’m all ears.
Link Posted: 6/30/2024 7:46:37 PM EDT
[#1]
May have solved the mystery via google.
Attachment Attached File
Attachment Attached File
Link Posted: 7/1/2024 10:19:28 AM EDT
[#2]
Neat! It's always fun figuring out a rifle's history.
Link Posted: 7/1/2024 11:37:02 AM EDT
[#3]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By surplusnut:
Neat! It's always fun figuring out a rifle's history.
View Quote


Took a much deeper dive into this after posting. Apparently when Interarms was buying Mausers from Sweden in the 1950s they contracted with Madsen in Denmark to convert 2000-3000 (apparently all carbines) to 7x57 to sell to El Salvador. When El Salvador surplused them decades later there were supposedly only around 100 and their condition was poor. It would seem that some never went to South America because they seem to pop up in decent condition here and there in random places around the world.

Interarms is long gone but I reached out to DISA in Denmark which is the successor company to Madsen to see if they have any records. Doubtful I’ll get anything from them but if they do I’d be nice to have more than just a cool story.
Link Posted: 7/1/2024 12:06:12 PM EDT
[#4]
Love those carbines. May have to get one some day. I like my Swede short rifle and it is the most accurate of all my surplus rifles. The "striped" woodgrain in the stock on it doesn't hurt either.
Link Posted: 7/28/2024 8:01:01 PM EDT
[#5]
Update
Ran a box of 7x57 S&B through it and it didn’t blow up. Actually shot pretty good once I quit flinching with each shot.  There was definitely a pucker factor the first few times.
Link Posted: 7/29/2024 12:50:23 AM EDT
[Last Edit: mordecai] [#6]
I have one of those 7x57 M94's also.
Got it maybe 10 years ago.
Never shot it.
Link Posted: 7/29/2024 2:41:25 AM EDT
[#7]
That's pretty neat, OP.  One time I bought a Jap rifle @ the Houston gunshow.  Next time my brother was going shooting w/ our cousin, I sent the rifle w/ him & some 6.5mm Jap I had lying around.

Turns out this Jap rifle was a 7.7mm.

My brother never test fires my guns for me anymore for some reason.  
Link Posted: 7/29/2024 8:39:23 AM EDT
[#8]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By mordecai:
I have one of those 7x57 M94's also.
Got it maybe 10 years ago.
Never shot it.
View Quote


Neat. With all the research I did on the topic I only ever found references to a handful still being around.  Does yours still have the brass stock disk?  Seems like the conversion was done on former signal corps carbines.
Link Posted: 8/2/2024 4:40:19 PM EDT
[#9]
Link Posted: 8/2/2024 6:38:24 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Procat] [#10]
@mordecai
Ours may have spent time in the same warehouse / armory at some point.
Attachment Attached File
Link Posted: 8/4/2024 4:23:38 PM EDT
[#11]
Pretty cool.
I had to put a red ziptie on it to remember its odd-caliber as its not marked anywhere.
You fire yours?
Link Posted: 8/4/2024 8:31:05 PM EDT
[#12]
Yes I ran a box of factory ammo through it
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