Regarding the "mystery hole" in the bayonet lug: It is a variant of the rifle stacking hooks seen on some other rifles of the time, e.g. the Lebel 1886. You use the cleaning rod (which actually doesn't work as a cleaning rod, it's an original Mauser rod for 8mm, presumably because of the problems of tooling up in time), and pull it through the hole, stacking up rifles alternatingly left/right, and Tadaa!, you have an impromptu field rifle stand. Source: Am current user of Gevär m96/38 in active military service, Royal Guard, King's Company (Livgardet, Livkompaniet).
Enda skälet till att du använder det är att du är i kungliga högvakten(I1 eller K1), vilket gör det till ett ceremoniellt gevär, men va fan bajonetten är allt som behövs :o Only reason you use that is because you belong to the royal high guard(I1 or K1) and it is an ceremoniel weapon, but what the fuck the bayonet is all you need :o
The monopod also looks like the "wheel is on wrong, as if it's supposed to be a snow rest for ski infantry. It also wouldn't surprise me if both uses (hedge stacking and snow rest monopod) was intended but the snow rest was discontinued quickly due to impracticality in the field and not really needed by the troops. I was one of the last few home guard youths who were allowed to use the m/96 before some paranoid politicians decided it was diplomatically questionable to let 15-18yo teenagers train orientation, radio operation, outdoorsman skills and marksmanship with obsolete service rifles still in semi-active use while in army field uniforms led by passionate home guard officers born around the end of ww2 XD They swapped the mausers for Anchüts .22LR sporting rifles...
@@SonsOfLorgar .22 is a lot cheaper to shoot, and dosent require large heavy ranges. and for first time or young shooters, less chance of flinch. Not as much fun as the Big Boys though.
@@51WCDodgenew .22LR is not cheaper than using the surplus ammo in cold war storage since ww2 to last 800'000 soldiers for up to a year that has not been in use with regular forces aside from a company of royal guard dragoons since 1970...
My dad still carried one of these during his mandatory military service in 1983. He served in a logistical support role in an armored regiment so I guess the Army figured people performing that role didn't need more modern weapons. He also qualified on the pistol range with a model 1907 Husqvarna pistol chambered for 9mm Browning Long because the more modern m/40 pistols had been pulled from service due to safety issues, so the old 1907 was brought back for a few years until the Army bought Glocks to replace them.
Benny G sounds odd, are you sure it wasn't one of the carbines or short rifles? Those are specifically meant for logistical support troops rather than the full length M96 rifle which is a pure infantry rifle.
@@noth606 It may have been an m/96 converted into an m/38 short rifle during WWII. My dad couldn't recall all the details but he could remember that it had a straight bolt handle (some m/38s still had that) and the receiver was manufactured in 1906.
They did remain in inventory into the 90's and used by Hemvärnet to about that time (though mostly replaced by the Ak-4). Don't think I saw any in use when I did my military service in -94, and definitely none in use during my time in Hemvärnet 10 years later.
The 1907 did a short comeback in the late 80's early 90's when we started having problems with our m/40's catastrophically breaking due to hard use and stout ammo. It was just a temporary measure until we could get enough Glock 17 (Pistol 88) to replace them all.
Man I love the 96 Mauser! I bought my first one at the age of 11 years old saved up a year for it cost me $89.00 and the bayonet was free, it was a different time... A better time.
Got my M96 from Turners Outdoorsman back in the the early 1990s for $79.99. I was in Turners Outdoorsman a month ago and saw a M96 built in 1913 in the used gun rack. The price was $899.99.
Wow, i am amazed... I bought mine for $50 in 2018, but this was i Sweden. What I see these rifles are getting harder and harder to find in decent shape. One might wonder how many got exported....
My humble opinion....best caliber and best Mauser for the time of WWI. Well made and a favorite of the military surplus shooters. Thank you for covering the neutrals.
Two additions: 1) You did not mention the middle position of the safety. This locks the trigger but allows you to work the bolt. This is handy for safely and quickly unloading the magazine by working the bolt. You don't need to chamber fully, just pick up the new round then pull back to eject. 2) The hole in the bayonet mount is used for stacking. You pass a cleaning rod through three or more rifles. It is clunky to have the rod as a big horizontal item, and slow to un-hook, but it works. My first milsurp is an M96. I got interested in them from you, Forgotten Weapons, and Bloke on the Range. Thanks for all the info!!
I bought my 1896 Carl Gustaf in 1984 for $79 bucks, it was wrapped in wax paper and twine but the stock was dark and relatively un-dinged. It had so much cosmoline on it that it took almost 3 hours to clean, but once it was, I was very impressed by its condition, and all the numbers matched. There were hardly any tooling marks on the action, and the bolt cycled smooth as glass. I ended up attaching an M-1 Garand canvas sling to aid in shooting but recoil wasn't that bad, and the 6.5mm shot vary flat, even with mil surplus ammo. So I had it for a few years before I was convinced to sell it for $350 and 35 years of sellers remorse...
Mine is also a 1908 with bayonet and all the leather gear, including cartridge belt/magazine pouches. Great rifle. Still an absolute tack driver out to 1200 yards.
I have the one my great grandfather built in 1925 during his service in the Swedish army. Complete with bayonet and (broken) leather strap. It's a treasured posession of the family for sure.
Fantastic series, I look foreward to every episode. I don't get to everyone of them currently, my 1896 is 95 years old and I still use it for competition shooting, it's still very accurate.
One of my favorite rifles and definitely my favorite Mauser of all time. Bought that Swede at a gun show in 1995 for $115 the stock was sporterized but all metal is in pristine condition and the gun shoots 1 inch groups at 100 yards. I also picked up a 1889 Schmidt Rubin 7.5 from an antique shop for $175 also fun to shoot. These old Mauser’s become addicting. Everyone I bring out to the range ends up shooting my old Mausers more than my modern scoped rifles. I always find that amusing.
Amazing video, entertaining and very informative! At 13:00 i remember my grandfather (He served at the P4 regiment in Skövde in the late 1940's) mention in passing that it wasn't actually a big deal if that notch was dirty or even caked up, because of the angle of the round doohickey at the bottom bayonet it'll kinda "scrapes" enough dirt out of that notch that it can go over the notch, and the spring is heavy enough that it pushes most of any remaining dirt out of the notch itself when the bayonet locks in. He was explaining cleaning the rifle when i was a kid, this was about 25 years ago so i might be misremembering the details but i remember him talking about the bayonet itself and attaching it to the rifle. I actually got that rifle on my wall now, although it's deactivated now.
No way!! After discovering your channel I found the urge to buy a WW1 piece. This is what I ended up with a very very clean example as well. And now months later you make this. I’m in heaven!
After hearing Mae's comment at the end of the video, regarding a pistol grip I remember the second M96 I purchased. It had come from a private gun club in Sweden as I'm told (still has the clubs inventory tag on the front sling mount) and in addition to the very nice target peep sight there was installed by an armorer a pistol grip. This screws onto the bottom of the stock and as I understand it was the only type used by the armorers to aid with accuracy. A modification rarely used but for this rifle it makes sense. I have photos if your interested in seeing it. Thanks for a wonderful video. Be well.
The m96 Mauser gevär ( gevär = a fire arm that is fired from the shoulder) was the weapon of chose here in Sweden up till the 1990 for the sports shooters. It was cheap to come by and it has a great precision. Carl Gustav factory even made a model 63 which looks like a hunting rifle, equipped with diopter sight, semi pistol grip and some other things that made it an excellent rifle. I own one and it is made 1900 by Husqvarna model 96 and modified to an m1963. (it is for sale).
2001 when I was 16 I was a member of FBU ungdom (the swedish army's youth organisation). We still used the m96 and "mine" was produced 1899. It worked fine but I was able to switch to a m38 which I preferred. A few years later they discontinued to use the rifle. Apparently a couple of rifles exploded and at least one eye injury accord.
"You can't lose the manual if it's bolted to the gun." That's a challenge Othais. That's definitely a challenge that at least one swedish or finnish soldier has taken you up on. Never underestimate a soldier's ability to lose random things.
Maybe someone has already mentioned this in the comments but as for the longer finger grooves. Sweden had a conscript army as you mentioned and people come in different sizes. So to fit most soliders and also with winter gear (gloves) that could be the reason for the longer and quite deep groves. Also the thumb cut for loading would be sized to work with gloves on.
Thank you for posting this, I inherited a Swedish made Mauser from my Grandfather, as well as many other Mausers. I am attempting to learn how to best care for them, I enjoy the history of them thoroughly.
Plus Animation was especially spectacular. It helps me learn how the bolt action triggers and safety works. Just all around great video You guys were enjoyed to listen to and I appreciated the hard work you did on the history of this thing.
I did my military service in the Swedish artillery in 1977/78. We were trained on several weapons: Artillery pieces, of course; kpist 45b (Swedish K), AK4 (FN FAL), ksp 58, Mauser 96 and more.
No mention of the absolutely crazy service life of these guns? I always found it impressive that these rifles were so high quality that the sniper version (which was just regular rifles they added scopes to) where still in use with the military until 1995 and as far as I understand where used by police into the 2000s. Weapons with manufacture markings dating back to 1899 still serving their nation 100 years after coming off the production line. Amazing.
SMLEs were used as sniper rifles by the British Army into the 1990s and is still in use by the Bangladesh police force to this day. The 7.62 TKIV 85 in use by the Finnish Defence Force uses the Mosin-Nagant receiver (sometimes even old ones from back when it was the standard issue service rifle), making the Moist Nugget the longest serving service rifle still in official use today. Some of these rifles have much longer lives than we might expect.
It seems absurd, but there was a logic to it which makes the story of Swedish military Mausers all the more interesting. Keeping the Mausers around solved an economic problem in the 1970s where Sweden wanted to buy a lot of expensive Stridsvagn 103 tanks to counter the Soviet Union rolling over them with their famous armored hordes, but couldn't quite afford to do that. So they had the idea that they could save a fortune on infantry rifles if they handed out expendable Mausers to many conscripts in peacetime, keeping many of the more valuable AK4 rifles safely in depot where they wouldn't be beaten up in the field or worn out on the range. In theory, if a proper war broke out, they would hand out the mint-condition AK4s to everyone and the Swedish Army would be a marvel of Modernity. Of course, odds are that if Sweden had mobilized during the Cold War, a lot of its men would have ended up in the front lines with ancient Mausers because the best-laid plans of parsimonious ministers usually don't go as intended. Still, if you got to go to war with a relic of the last century, you could do much worse.
@@Enetso L42's. Those L42's were made in the 60 and 70s. The overall idea/system is more than a hundred years old, but the action isn't. Swedish Mauser on the hand, they really could be using a 1898 made, converted m41b.
I am surprised you did not mention the recoil. The 6.5mm in such a large rifle is a very easy shoot, as well as being very flat shooting. I have an 1896 Oberndorf edition as well as the later M41B sniper. They shoot beautifully. My late wife was tiny and yet she found this as easy to shoot as 5.56mm. What a wonderful rifle.
I have an M94 carbine, (1915 Carl Gustof, and an M38 short Rifle, (1942 Husqvarna) They both put the bullets exactly where you point them. Nice recoil also.
Neat. I bought one of those 1898 Carl Gustafs a decade ago. I had no idea it was that rare. I wanted one of the German made Swedes but it amused me that such a "modern" gun was legally an antique and didn't need any paperwork, so I bought it. It is an amazing shooter too.
I've used the bayonet hole as a bolt take down. its a perfect fit for the firing pin. You can also make a mauser tipi with it by passing the cleaning rod through it and for 2 other similar sized mausers; provided they have the hardware to accept the rod.
The multiple types of wood being tested for stocks is pretty interesting. I wonder if it was mostly trial and error determining the optimal species of wood or if a lot of destructive testing was involved?
That's a good question, I have seen a lot of variation and in person have seen rifles with walnut, elm, and beech. I personally have a 1900 Carl Gustaf produced m96 with a beech stock, so I'd like to read up more on the choice of stock wood and if mine is a replacement or original
That sort of information would have been fairly common and well understood expert knowledge of the time. We are still talking a time when a lot of wooden boats are being built, and so "industrial" carpentry would have been far more common than it is today. The characteristics of what woods, and how long they would have needed to been seasoned, in what conditions, what sort of prices, and what sort of industrial practices would have been something a subject matter expert would have been able to reference easily. For example, a certain wood might have the tensile strength, but maybe would need more specific finishing, or maybe was harder on the milling equipment, or another wood might be cheaper, but need to seasoned longer for stability. Its my understanding that the socket design on the lee enfield type rifles comes in part from the type of woods they would be able to get, and in what quantity.
I got a 1907 with bayonet, sling and 17 notches cut into the right side of the stock behind trigger running back, you can see them as you shoulder it to fire, interesting and a great fun shooter
Hi there The hole in the front lug is for stacking the guns in the armory. You simply use the cleaning rod and push it true 5 rifles then they stack together in the armory. // m96 owner from Sweden
I love my 96. I have harvested 20+ deer with it over the years. The only modification I did to it was buy a 100 yard front site for it. I still have the original 300-meter front site put up for safe keeping.
I really liked your video. I am often thinking about aquire vintage or contemporary 6.5 x 55 Swede mostly because I get a laugh and appreciate that there is a good number of the vintage ones available in lh. Of course I am South paw. I was happiest man alive when Bergara came out with LH 6.5 creedmoor.
A good Mauser to have if you only have one Mauser rifle. I have seven. If you like the 6.5x55mm in the Mauser you will absolutely love in in a semi-auto AG42B Ljungman.
Yes,yes,yes. The Ljungman is my favourite semi auto and I also had 3 96s and 1 m38 . The Ljungman, so accurate and easy recoil when you do the whole mag quickly.
About the bayonet lug hole: I've seen original pictures of rifles linked together standing up with the cleaning rod from one of the rifles being used to run through the bayonet lug holes. I can look for the picture
There's no proof it was designed for that, though. Someone may have came up with the idea, but only as a field expedient idea. The method of stacking seems clumsy and not fast at disassembling. Still no solid evidence that is why it's there. We see all sorts of photos of things being used in the field in ways they were not meant to be. Good catch, though.
@@videodistro while I sort of agree that it might not be the original purpose for it, why do you think pulling out a rod is a slow method of taking the stack apart? Each man grab his rifle so it doesn't fall, then yank out the rod. Done.
I tried turning up a stacked rifle period photo but could not. I had reservations about that being purpose build because of the need to use a loose component, which would be extremely odd for stacking compared to most everything else. I even wondered if they meant to have an optional swivel in place.
The day has finally come! Swede mausers are my favorite milsurp rifles, I have a full set of an M94, M38, and M96. My M96 is a 1916 Carl Gustav with Finnish acceptance stamps, and the muzzle isn't threaded. I only wish the sights were easier to see for my poor eyesight!
They make a taller front sight leaf to zero at 100yrds instead of the normal 300 yrds.for those interested. They usually group very very well. Mae shot well for free standing.
The music starting at 14:48 is "Porilaisten Marssi", the honorary march of the Finnish defence forces and also Estonian forces (not Swedish). The hole in the forward barrelband was only ever used for keeping guns standing up by attaching several guns with a cleaning rod thru the hole. There is nothing in military manuals about it, atleast not in the one from 1951 that i have looked thru (where "Gevär M/96" was still included). I have to repeat myself (since i write this in every "swedish mauser" video), be careful with what you shoot thru it. It was never made/tested for modern-pressure ammunition (that didnt exist yet). Also the barrel might be as small as 6,45 mm. That combined with modern high-pressure ammunition could result in serious injury. Also you could try to find a M96 diopter-sight for it and be amazed at the accuracy. And if you want to experiment there are modern cock-on-open kits too.
So very true and regarding the ammo for this, that is VERY IMPORTANT indeed. So much so that sgthl´s comment should be a "sticky"! Those bayonets are a dime and a dozen here in Sweden and really cleverly made!
benjamin donaldson with a point blank at 300 yards the natural phenomenon without correcting the front sight height is that the rifle shoots high at anything less than 300 yards or meters.
@@stjairni2246 and I said she knows the gun, what are you saying? You're repeating what I said. Read my comment before stating the obvious like a prat.
benjamin donaldson Have you ever shot one of these rifles at anything less than 100 yards or meters? Though Mae is undoubtedly a good shot , her results were quite predictable. Did you read my comment before your ego misfired?
The hole near the bayonet was used when weapons were placed in racks of 10 a steel rod ran through the line of them and locked for security. Also when in the field when not in use squads would run cleaning rod through them as improvised rack.
Someone, in another M96 video suggested that that hole behind the bayonet lug was so you could slide the cleaning rod through and connect multiple rifles in a stacking teepee type configuration
I wonder what kind of trees were most used in stock production because mine was made 1899 and its like dark cherry red as apposed to being yellow like the one guys have
Yup, I have one too, saved it from being "bubba'd". Mine is a 1900 with what I think is a Finnish-produced replacement beech stock, simply because it's rougher and chunkier than a regular m96 stock and has a couple repairs and minor snow damage to boot (and several minor parts came from other guns). I wouldn't part with it for anything. It provides a nice contrast to my all original 1902 m96 in its near- perfect condition walnut stock.
love my m96 made in 1915 just dont understand why you only show the first and third settings of the safety and not the second that allows the bolt to be opened
I'm pretty sure those Mausers where gifted to Finland during the winter war. In either case post war Sweden forgave the debts Finland had accumulated which where quite substantial.
Great video! The Model 96 is one of my very favorite rifles of all time.
Are we ever going to see a shoot with it?
Mine too!
@@theluftwaffle1 He's already done 2 videos on it.
You the man!
You have to try Ljungman ag42b! Same caliber DI semi auto
Othias (at 19:42): “...you cant lose the manual if its bolted to the gun...” every grunt ever: “challenge accepted.”
lose it, eat it, or breed it.
"Hey I snapped this thing out of the stock of everyone's rifle, wanna use them as chips in poker?"
Hold my beer, Sergeant
Lol, same with the instructions on the AT4, another Swedish international success.
laughs in 11B
Regarding the "mystery hole" in the bayonet lug: It is a variant of the rifle stacking hooks seen on some other rifles of the time, e.g. the Lebel 1886.
You use the cleaning rod (which actually doesn't work as a cleaning rod, it's an original Mauser rod for 8mm, presumably because of the problems of tooling up in time), and pull it through the hole, stacking up rifles alternatingly left/right, and Tadaa!, you have an impromptu field rifle stand.
Source: Am current user of Gevär m96/38 in active military service, Royal Guard, King's Company (Livgardet, Livkompaniet).
Othias does say that when he's explaining the bayonet, he just couldn't confirm it through sources.
Enda skälet till att du använder det är att du är i kungliga högvakten(I1 eller K1), vilket gör det till ett ceremoniellt gevär, men va fan bajonetten är allt som behövs :o
Only reason you use that is because you belong to the royal high guard(I1 or K1) and it is an ceremoniel weapon, but what the fuck the bayonet is all you need :o
The monopod also looks like the "wheel is on wrong, as if it's supposed to be a snow rest for ski infantry.
It also wouldn't surprise me if both uses (hedge stacking and snow rest monopod) was intended but the snow rest was discontinued quickly due to impracticality in the field and not really needed by the troops.
I was one of the last few home guard youths who were allowed to use the m/96 before some paranoid politicians decided it was diplomatically questionable to let 15-18yo teenagers train orientation, radio operation, outdoorsman skills and marksmanship with obsolete service rifles still in semi-active use while in army field uniforms led by passionate home guard officers born around the end of ww2 XD
They swapped the mausers for Anchüts .22LR sporting rifles...
@@SonsOfLorgar .22 is a lot cheaper to shoot, and dosent require large heavy ranges. and for first time or young shooters, less chance of flinch. Not as much fun as the Big Boys though.
@@51WCDodgenew .22LR is not cheaper than using the surplus ammo in cold war storage since ww2 to last 800'000 soldiers for up to a year that has not been in use with regular forces aside from a company of royal guard dragoons since 1970...
My dad still carried one of these during his mandatory military service in 1983. He served in a logistical support role in an armored regiment so I guess the Army figured people performing that role didn't need more modern weapons. He also qualified on the pistol range with a model 1907 Husqvarna pistol chambered for 9mm Browning Long because the more modern m/40 pistols had been pulled from service due to safety issues, so the old 1907 was brought back for a few years until the Army bought Glocks to replace them.
Benny G sounds odd, are you sure it wasn't one of the carbines or short rifles? Those are specifically meant for logistical support troops rather than the full length M96 rifle which is a pure infantry rifle.
@@noth606 It may have been an m/96 converted into an m/38 short rifle during WWII. My dad couldn't recall all the details but he could remember that it had a straight bolt handle (some m/38s still had that) and the receiver was manufactured in 1906.
I love the 1907
They did remain in inventory into the 90's and used by Hemvärnet to about that time (though mostly replaced by the Ak-4). Don't think I saw any in use when I did my military service in -94, and definitely none in use during my time in Hemvärnet 10 years later.
The 1907 did a short comeback in the late 80's early 90's when we started having problems with our m/40's catastrophically breaking due to hard use and stout ammo. It was just a temporary measure until we could get enough Glock 17 (Pistol 88) to replace them all.
Thanks!
That is about the prettiest rifle I have ever seen. Absolutely gorgeous.
Man I love the 96 Mauser! I bought my first one at the age of 11 years old saved up a year for it cost me $89.00 and the bayonet was free, it was a different time... A better time.
Lucky, the cheapest thing I got when I was 11 was a mosin nagant at a gun show going for $270
Got my M96 from Turners Outdoorsman back in the the early 1990s for $79.99. I was in Turners Outdoorsman a month ago and saw a M96 built in 1913 in the used gun rack. The price was $899.99.
Wow, i am amazed... I bought mine for $50 in 2018, but this was i Sweden. What I see these rifles are getting harder and harder to find in decent shape. One might wonder how many got exported....
@@Silverdunk well you could have done worse Spanish Mauser in 308 cendney I have no idea how to spell it but every one I have seen were crap
@@F15ElectricEagle I got another one at that time 92 I think. Great rifles love to got a p08 in the 70"s they couldn't give away lol
My humble opinion....best caliber and best Mauser for the time of WWI. Well made and a favorite of the military surplus shooters. Thank you for covering the neutrals.
Two additions: 1) You did not mention the middle position of the safety. This locks the trigger but allows you to work the bolt. This is handy for safely and quickly unloading the magazine by working the bolt. You don't need to chamber fully, just pick up the new round then pull back to eject. 2) The hole in the bayonet mount is used for stacking. You pass a cleaning rod through three or more rifles. It is clunky to have the rod as a big horizontal item, and slow to un-hook, but it works.
My first milsurp is an M96. I got interested in them from you, Forgotten Weapons, and Bloke on the Range. Thanks for all the info!!
A brilliant rifle for a brilliant cartridge. Love the 6.5 x 55.
I bought my 1896 Carl Gustaf in 1984 for $79 bucks, it was wrapped in wax paper and twine but the stock was dark and relatively un-dinged. It had so much cosmoline on it that it took almost 3 hours to clean, but once it was, I was very impressed by its condition, and all the numbers matched. There were hardly any tooling marks on the action, and the bolt cycled smooth as glass. I ended up attaching an M-1 Garand canvas sling to aid in shooting but recoil wasn't that bad, and the 6.5mm shot vary flat, even with mil surplus ammo. So I had it for a few years before I was convinced to sell it for $350 and 35 years of sellers remorse...
My grandfather had a 1908 year production of this rifle. Bayonet and everything.
Mine is also a 1908 with bayonet and all the leather gear, including cartridge belt/magazine pouches. Great rifle. Still an absolute tack driver out to 1200 yards.
I have the one my great grandfather built in 1925 during his service in the Swedish army. Complete with bayonet and (broken) leather strap. It's a treasured posession of the family for sure.
Doby Pilgrim uhh... you shoot flat irons on an old Gustav at 1200 yards?
Mine is from 1910 with all matching serial numbers. I love it.
I have a 1900 year production with bayonet
Fantastic series, I look foreward to every episode. I don't get to everyone of them currently, my 1896 is 95 years old and I still use it for competition shooting, it's still very accurate.
One of my favorite rifles and definitely my favorite Mauser of all time. Bought that Swede at a gun show in 1995 for $115 the stock was sporterized but all metal is in pristine condition and the gun shoots 1 inch groups at 100 yards. I also picked up a 1889 Schmidt Rubin 7.5 from an antique shop for $175 also fun to shoot. These old Mauser’s become addicting. Everyone I bring out to the range ends up shooting my old Mausers more than my modern scoped rifles. I always find that amusing.
YES! I've been wanting to see this one for years.
My favorite milsurp. I bought one in 2001 and loved it ever since.
Mauser actions are quite possibly the finest in the world, even today. Remarkable.
Amazing video, entertaining and very informative! At 13:00 i remember my grandfather (He served at the P4 regiment in Skövde in the late 1940's) mention in passing that it wasn't actually a big deal if that notch was dirty or even caked up, because of the angle of the round doohickey at the bottom bayonet it'll kinda "scrapes" enough dirt out of that notch that it can go over the notch, and the spring is heavy enough that it pushes most of any remaining dirt out of the notch itself when the bayonet locks in. He was explaining cleaning the rifle when i was a kid, this was about 25 years ago so i might be misremembering the details but i remember him talking about the bayonet itself and attaching it to the rifle. I actually got that rifle on my wall now, although it's deactivated now.
Two long awaited episodes on the m/94 and m/96. Thank you.
Why not a word about the famed Swedish steel?
I agree Swedish steel was famous, but what did Mauser use in Berlin at the DWM factory, imported Swedish steel?
Dr StrangeLove-reportedly, yes: the Swedes required the Germans to use Swedish steel.
No way!! After discovering your channel I found the urge to buy a WW1 piece. This is what I ended up with a very very clean example as well. And now months later you make this. I’m in heaven!
After hearing Mae's comment at the end of the video, regarding a pistol grip I remember the second M96 I purchased. It had come from a private gun club in Sweden as I'm told (still has the clubs inventory tag on the front sling mount) and in addition to the very nice target peep sight there was installed by an armorer a pistol grip. This screws onto the bottom of the stock and as I understand it was the only type used by the armorers to aid with accuracy. A modification rarely used but for this rifle it makes sense. I have photos if your interested in seeing it. Thanks for a wonderful video. Be well.
The m96 Mauser gevär ( gevär = a fire arm that is fired from the shoulder) was the weapon of chose here in Sweden up till the 1990 for the sports shooters. It was cheap to come by and it has a great precision. Carl Gustav factory even made a model 63 which looks like a hunting rifle, equipped with diopter sight, semi pistol grip and some other things that made it an excellent rifle. I own one and it is made 1900 by Husqvarna model 96 and modified to an m1963. (it is for sale).
2001 when I was 16 I was a member of FBU ungdom (the swedish army's youth organisation). We still used the m96 and "mine" was produced 1899. It worked fine but I was able to switch to a m38 which I preferred.
A few years later they discontinued to use the rifle. Apparently a couple of rifles exploded and at least one eye injury accord.
"You can't lose the manual if it's bolted to the gun." That's a challenge Othais. That's definitely a challenge that at least one swedish or finnish soldier has taken you up on.
Never underestimate a soldier's ability to lose random things.
The first Mauser I ever fired was a 1912 production 1896 Swede, very accurate and pleasant shooting rifle.
Maybe someone has already mentioned this in the comments but as for the longer finger grooves. Sweden had a conscript army as you mentioned and people come in different sizes. So to fit most soliders and also with winter gear (gloves) that could be the reason for the longer and quite deep groves. Also the thumb cut for loading would be sized to work with gloves on.
I've been hunting for one of these for my Mauser collection. Great video y'all!
Ohh Swedish Mauser... 😍 Lovely rifle.
This video will be watched over and over again... and over again 😊👍
Thank you for posting this, I inherited a Swedish made Mauser from my Grandfather, as well as many other Mausers. I am attempting to learn how to best care for them, I enjoy the history of them thoroughly.
Plus Animation was especially spectacular. It helps me learn how the bolt action triggers and safety works. Just all around great video You guys were enjoyed to listen to and I appreciated the hard work you did on the history of this thing.
I did my military service in the Swedish artillery in 1977/78. We were trained on several weapons: Artillery pieces, of course; kpist 45b (Swedish K), AK4 (FN FAL), ksp 58, Mauser 96 and more.
Had a distant relative carry one when he was called up to service in 1940. In his words "I looked at the Germans and they looked back at me"
Man, Sweden does good on their firearms.
*their.
Any M96 I've ever had my hands on has been beautiful and a sweet shooter and very impressive, mechanically. Got to have one some day!! Thanks!!
You both are GREAT!! you put so much into your videos, #1 source for history details on MilSurps!! Thanks!! Great Job!!!!
No mention of the absolutely crazy service life of these guns? I always found it impressive that these rifles were so high quality that the sniper version (which was just regular rifles they added scopes to) where still in use with the military until 1995 and as far as I understand where used by police into the 2000s. Weapons with manufacture markings dating back to 1899 still serving their nation 100 years after coming off the production line. Amazing.
SMLEs were used as sniper rifles by the British Army into the 1990s and is still in use by the Bangladesh police force to this day. The 7.62 TKIV 85 in use by the Finnish Defence Force uses the Mosin-Nagant receiver (sometimes even old ones from back when it was the standard issue service rifle), making the Moist Nugget the longest serving service rifle still in official use today. Some of these rifles have much longer lives than we might expect.
It seems absurd, but there was a logic to it which makes the story of Swedish military Mausers all the more interesting. Keeping the Mausers around solved an economic problem in the 1970s where Sweden wanted to buy a lot of expensive Stridsvagn 103 tanks to counter the Soviet Union rolling over them with their famous armored hordes, but couldn't quite afford to do that. So they had the idea that they could save a fortune on infantry rifles if they handed out expendable Mausers to many conscripts in peacetime, keeping many of the more valuable AK4 rifles safely in depot where they wouldn't be beaten up in the field or worn out on the range. In theory, if a proper war broke out, they would hand out the mint-condition AK4s to everyone and the Swedish Army would be a marvel of Modernity. Of course, odds are that if Sweden had mobilized during the Cold War, a lot of its men would have ended up in the front lines with ancient Mausers because the best-laid plans of parsimonious ministers usually don't go as intended. Still, if you got to go to war with a relic of the last century, you could do much worse.
This series is on the Great War period.
@@Enetso L42's. Those L42's were made in the 60 and 70s. The overall idea/system is more than a hundred years old, but the action isn't. Swedish Mauser on the hand, they really could be using a 1898 made, converted m41b.
Thank you for the most comprehensive m/96 video I've seen.
Anybody else not getting notifications when C and Rsenal uploads a new video?? I have had to look to for it on its release day for that last 2 months.
I've been getting them late, like a day or 2 after they drop.
I love your channel its ridiculously in-depth and well researched keep up the good work 👍
Excellent work as always team. Thank you for yet another superb presentation.
FINALLY got me one of these. 100% all-matching, pristine bore, nice stock. I love it. Now to work up a load for it...
I am surprised you did not mention the recoil. The 6.5mm in such a large rifle is a very easy shoot, as well as being very flat shooting. I have an 1896 Oberndorf edition as well as the later M41B sniper. They shoot beautifully. My late wife was tiny and yet she found this as easy to shoot as 5.56mm. What a wonderful rifle.
I'm surprised they didnt mention the special swedish steel used to make these
a slow process with cadmium and nickel
Been looking for more information about my m96 for a while, thankfully this was a great video!
I like the straight grip on a bolt action rifle. Love it. Had a Remington 870 with a straight stock I use to love as well.
I have an M94 carbine, (1915 Carl Gustof, and an M38 short Rifle, (1942 Husqvarna) They both put the bullets exactly where you point them. Nice recoil also.
Neat. I bought one of those 1898 Carl Gustafs a decade ago. I had no idea it was that rare. I wanted one of the German made Swedes but it amused me that such a "modern" gun was legally an antique and didn't need any paperwork, so I bought it. It is an amazing shooter too.
Another great companion video and next I hope you talk about the FSR M96s and the WWII Husqvarna. Looking forward to the M38 video.
That music you play att THE showing is a finish song and is called Björneborgarnas March. Thanks for a Bert Good Chanel. Leif.
The shooting sequence was so satisfying for some reason. The sound and recoil of the 6.5 seem so calming/zen. Weird.
I've used the bayonet hole as a bolt take down. its a perfect fit for the firing pin. You can also make a mauser tipi with it by passing the cleaning rod through it and for 2 other similar sized mausers; provided they have the hardware to accept the rod.
I have one of these made in 1908, threaded. One of my most favorite rifles!
That Maeversation was extra warm, lol.
20:23 Isnt that the symbol to signify above 30, not below?
Yes. I noticed that to. It is actually saying "greater than 30"!
shhhhhhhhhh
The multiple types of wood being tested for stocks is pretty interesting. I wonder if it was mostly trial and error determining the optimal species of wood or if a lot of destructive testing was involved?
I know that wood had a lot of graphs determining tensile and compressive strength depending grain orientation and species that date from this period
That's a good question, I have seen a lot of variation and in person have seen rifles with walnut, elm, and beech. I personally have a 1900 Carl Gustaf produced m96 with a beech stock, so I'd like to read up more on the choice of stock wood and if mine is a replacement or original
By WW II some countries started using laminated wood and stocks made of sections of wood glued together.
That sort of information would have been fairly common and well understood expert knowledge of the time. We are still talking a time when a lot of wooden boats are being built, and so "industrial" carpentry would have been far more common than it is today. The characteristics of what woods, and how long they would have needed to been seasoned, in what conditions, what sort of prices, and what sort of industrial practices would have been something a subject matter expert would have been able to reference easily. For example, a certain wood might have the tensile strength, but maybe would need more specific finishing, or maybe was harder on the milling equipment, or another wood might be cheaper, but need to seasoned longer for stability. Its my understanding that the socket design on the lee enfield type rifles comes in part from the type of woods they would be able to get, and in what quantity.
Outstanding channel!! Can't say enough thanks for the education.
I remember seeing one a while ago at my local gun shop, decided against picking it up because i couldn't find much about it, kicking my self now.
Glad to see you guys back.
Mae should try the AG m/42. It could be what she wants. Just mind the thumb.
I like the fact that it's accurate and the recoil is very mild!
I got a 1907 with bayonet, sling and 17 notches cut into the right side of the stock behind trigger running back, you can see them as you shoulder it to fire, interesting and a great fun shooter
Love my Husqvarna M38, it's much smoother than my other Mauser models.
How the Show back since and lights after the owner of the gun got it back. Love the work
Hi there
The hole in the front lug is for stacking the guns in the armory. You simply use the cleaning rod and push it true 5 rifles then they stack together in the armory.
// m96 owner from Sweden
I love my 96. I have harvested 20+ deer with it over the years. The only modification I did to it was buy a 100 yard front site for it. I still have the original 300-meter front site put up for safe keeping.
Love my 96. Have the back and leather frog for it as well. I really need to pull it from my safe and liberate some powder soon.
•bayonet..sorry, typo.
somewhere i heard that the hole in the end cap was for stacking one cleaning rod
s946.photobucket.com/user/KABRG/media/DSC_0319_zps300f9470.jpg.html
There are pictures of that but no proof that's what they were originally intended for.
I really liked your video. I am often thinking about aquire vintage or contemporary 6.5 x 55 Swede mostly because I get a laugh and appreciate that there is a good number of the vintage ones available in lh. Of course I am South paw. I was happiest man alive when Bergara came out with LH 6.5 creedmoor.
A good Mauser to have if you only have one Mauser rifle. I have seven. If you like the 6.5x55mm in the Mauser you will absolutely love in in a semi-auto AG42B Ljungman.
Or the upgraded versions of the BAR used by the Swedes, only thing wrong with that gun is the lack of a top mounted magazine.
Yes,yes,yes. The Ljungman is my favourite semi auto and I also had 3 96s and 1 m38 . The Ljungman, so accurate and easy recoil when you do the whole mag quickly.
About the bayonet lug hole: I've seen original pictures of rifles linked together standing up with the cleaning rod from one of the rifles being used to run through the bayonet lug holes. I can look for the picture
Jim Steel This is correct according to my research. Well said
Yep... I’ve seen that too. From memory, I think it was a way of storing in the field instead of lying in the dirt while troops were resting etc.
There's no proof it was designed for that, though. Someone may have came up with the idea, but only as a field expedient idea. The method of stacking seems clumsy and not fast at disassembling. Still no solid evidence that is why it's there. We see all sorts of photos of things being used in the field in ways they were not meant to be. Good catch, though.
@@videodistro while I sort of agree that it might not be the original purpose for it, why do you think pulling out a rod is a slow method of taking the stack apart? Each man grab his rifle so it doesn't fall, then yank out the rod. Done.
I tried turning up a stacked rifle period photo but could not. I had reservations about that being purpose build because of the need to use a loose component, which would be extremely odd for stacking compared to most everything else.
I even wondered if they meant to have an optional swivel in place.
Got one of these not long ago myself. Excellent condition produced in 1908.
”Pasila, Porilaisten marssi” :D
Excellent video, once again :)
One of my favorite mil surp. And my favorite round. So mild and accurate. I hand load my own.
Loved the shot of the GI using his Harley like a cavalry horse was used in WWI.
Great review, very informative!
I have two of these models of Swedish mauser bayonets. really funky little guys
I wish someone would dive this deep into the plethora of sporting rifles. Starting with the first smokeless.
Nice grouping!
Perhaps the best shooting military Mausers made and very easy to get good accuracy from with reloads even with the huge "jump" to the lands
The day has finally come! Swede mausers are my favorite milsurp rifles, I have a full set of an M94, M38, and M96. My M96 is a 1916 Carl Gustav with Finnish acceptance stamps, and the muzzle isn't threaded. I only wish the sights were easier to see for my poor eyesight!
Love mine, had 2 but sold one. Kept the best one.
Excellent video as always. Any chance of covering the 1895 Chilean Mauser?
20:30 you say under 30 and over 30 but the graphic on screen shows over 30 and 30+.
AMAZING!!! I love it!!
They make a taller front sight leaf to zero at 100yrds instead of the normal 300 yrds.for those interested. They usually group very very well. Mae shot well for free standing.
The music starting at 14:48 is "Porilaisten Marssi", the honorary march of the Finnish defence forces and also Estonian forces (not Swedish). The hole in the forward barrelband was only ever used for keeping guns standing up by attaching several guns with a cleaning rod thru the hole. There is nothing in military manuals about it, atleast not in the one from 1951 that i have looked thru (where "Gevär M/96" was still included). I have to repeat myself (since i write this in every "swedish mauser" video), be careful with what you shoot thru it. It was never made/tested for modern-pressure ammunition (that didnt exist yet). Also the barrel might be as small as 6,45 mm. That combined with modern high-pressure ammunition could result in serious injury. Also you could try to find a M96 diopter-sight for it and be amazed at the accuracy. And if you want to experiment there are modern cock-on-open kits too.
So very true and regarding the ammo for this, that is VERY IMPORTANT indeed. So much so that sgthl´s comment should be a "sticky"! Those bayonets are a dime and a dozen here in Sweden and really cleverly made!
Great to to a Woman who love these Rilfes and can shoot
Great Video both of you.
I just bought one and cannot wait to shoot it.
I love how may works that bolt
Have a Carl Gustav 1900 m96/38 with a butler creek stock, and all i have to say is that Mae is absolutely right on the semi-pistol grip
All head shots at 70 yards........"no I've never seen this gun before" lol Gorgeous rifle.
benjamin donaldson with a point blank at 300 yards the natural phenomenon without correcting the front sight height is that the rifle shoots high at anything less than 300 yards or meters.
I bet she also says "What's poker? Will you teach me?" while batting her eyes. :-P
@@stjairni2246 and I said she knows the gun, what are you saying? You're repeating what I said. Read my comment before stating the obvious like a prat.
@@aussiebloke609 lol I'd never bet Mae. On the range or at the table.
benjamin donaldson Have you ever shot one of these rifles at anything less than 100 yards or meters? Though Mae is undoubtedly a good shot , her results were quite predictable. Did you read my comment before your ego misfired?
The hole near the bayonet was used when weapons were placed in racks of 10 a steel rod ran through the line of them and locked for security. Also when in the field when not in use squads would run cleaning rod through them as improvised rack.
This is the greatest Monday.
The best mauser model ever made
20:07 You're talking about beväringen, right? I've never heard them called "linden".
Someone, in another M96 video suggested that that hole behind the bayonet lug was so you could slide the cleaning rod through and connect multiple rifles in a stacking teepee type configuration
I wonder what kind of trees were most used in stock production because mine was made 1899 and its like dark cherry red as apposed to being yellow like the one guys have
I love my M96, i didn’t realize until this video that mine was made in 1898. It was one the first 3000, serial number in the 2000s.
I’m lucky enough to have a Finned Marked M96. It looks like the 96 they used has been sanded.
I'm in need of one of those to accompany my Finn marked m94 Carbine!
Yup, I have one too, saved it from being "bubba'd". Mine is a 1900 with what I think is a Finnish-produced replacement beech stock, simply because it's rougher and chunkier than a regular m96 stock and has a couple repairs and minor snow damage to boot (and several minor parts came from other guns). I wouldn't part with it for anything. It provides a nice contrast to my all original 1902 m96 in its near- perfect condition walnut stock.
Nice video.
love my m96 made in 1915 just dont understand why you only show the first and third settings of the safety and not the second that allows the bolt to be opened
I'm pretty sure those Mausers where gifted to Finland during the winter war.
In either case post war Sweden forgave the debts Finland had accumulated which where quite substantial.