[Verhoositz]

This is my first post after finding this site on a Google search for 1889 Belgian Mausers. As a shooter, hunter for 40+ years & with 13 years in the firearms industry in the '70's & '80's I don't know anything about these guns, but I'm becoming very interested all of a sudden.

I have just inherited a Hopkins & Allen 1889 barreled action w/ matching bolt that needs parts. The rifle is in new & unfired condition internally - mirror bright chamber, no primer burns/marks on the bolt face, bolt lugs unmarked etc.. The inside of the barrel wiped almost clean on a couple wet patches and the lands appear sharp and bright. Externally there is some light corrosion everywhere that appears to be cleanable with an emory cloth or steel wool, but no pitting or dents /dings anywhere on the metal work. The stamped proof marks & secondary parts marks, H&A branding, matching SR #'s on bolt, receiver & barrel are all clean and legible. There is some light screwdriver buggery on the bolt's wing over safety's screw, otherwise no other metal "damage" anywhere. The trigger has some blueing left on the upper side flats, and appears original but the 2 step lump I'm familiar with on WW II era '98 Mausers is missing, with a looong uninterupted trigger pull.

However I need to find the following parts to make this gun complete: a firing pin, a barrel jacket & sights, all the bottom metal and trigger guard & a stock w/ all the fittings. Please don't laugh as I know this may be impossible, I'll have to see what can be had as time is no object until my own passing.

I came by the gun from a would be step father figure who passed away earlier this year. The family "tale" of it's acquisition as a battlefield pickup on Iwo Jima during the invasion stretchs my imagination. I really think it came most likely as winnings from a domino or card game at the Fire House, where the old gentleman had been for many years, or as a tall tale to shut up two inqusitive teenaged boys. He never spoke of his years from 1939 to 1946 in the Marine Corps spent in the Pacific, or his 4 1st Day invasion experiences while I lived with his family. I know personally that the old gentleman never fired another gun from 1959 to his death in March 2008, but talked occasionally of "fixing this one up".

I last saw this gun in about 1963, stored in a closet until 2 weeks ago, and knew nothing about it until the last several weeks. Surprisingly it was always described as an Arisaka, which tickled my gunsmith immensely. I'd really like to restore it to a shootable condition, whether it ever gets shot is another issue in it's unfired condition. Whatever happens, it will never be sold, but passed along to my extended "family" or my own sons.

Any help, advice or directions would be greatly appreciated
Ron

 

[The Great Billdildoe]

Only a barreled action w/partial bolt. Is this a long rifle or a shortened to carbine variant ?. Either way finding a stock set for either is tough , especially for a long rifle.
If you had to put it in shooting shape I'd say you will have to most likely find another rifle like it and buy it and swap around the parts. Be warned though that belgian 89 rifles and most carbines can be pricey even if mismatched.

 

[John Wall]

Hi Ron,
I have three incomplete Hopkins and Allen project rifles, each much more complete than yours, and one lacks only a single barrel band. In ten years of looking, I have not found a single loose part for sale, other than two FN-made bolts. The only way to complete one of these rifles is to buy another incomplete rifle which still has the parts you need. But even these are exceedingly rare. I would bet that your rifle is such a donor rifle, and was parted out years ago. If you want put together a real H&A or FN '89 parts, it's hopeless.
Regards,
John

 

[Verhoositz]

Well I had expected this to be a difficult task, especially as it is the long barreled "rifle" model. Yes, after reading this forum earlier today I also suspected that one or more semi complete or beater donors would be required along with a sustained dedicated effort to find and harvest what I need.

I do have a couple questions though, are there any aftermarket sources of new or restored parts available for this gun? My 'smith seems to believe that the firing pin and mebbe the bottom metal could still be found, then at least the gun could be semi sporterized, the barrel bob'd to a more useable length, and with enough made to fit parts scavenged from other similar models for this one to made into a shooter if I wanted to go that direction. The body of the firing pin is what's broken just inside of the cocking piece, and all the other parts inside the bolt are clean and dry, again with zero wear exhibited. If thats what happens I still have not figured out sights for it though, as I would want irons of some sort, but the idea of d&t some sort of rear sight set up on the thin barrel seems at best to be unworkable ... and I do not want under any circumastances to d&t the receiver for a scope with the straight bolt handle and wing safety issues to be addressed. Got into a '98 conversion work up in the late '60s when I first started shooting, took my beating when I put a pencil to the deal and sold the unfinished rifle to another dreamer and started buying new guns a little after Ruger 77's came out.

Along with the gun, I also received a piece of killer looking birdseye maple that has been roughed into a rifle stock shape, thank god with no inletting as the work was done by an 8th grade cousin sometime in the early '60's for a wood shop class with the idea of eventually fitting this gun into it. It'll make a spectacular stock for something...but a modern short action like a SAKO AV II 308 length round or a Kimber WSM length receiver would be a better fit with space to spare, after the 13 year old cousin's hard work on the would be stock left it a teeny tad short for the '89's receiver...and I've been dreaming of building a 6.5x284 SAKO or a 6.5 WSM. I've been bitten by the 6.5 bug and had already started looking at Allan's Armory's site and a few other places a year or so ago for an all original 'scandahoovian Swede to go along with the Tikka T3 Swede that has just about killed my life long love affair with a 270.

Anyway, it was my idea of the complete restoration, and not the family's ... but I gotta have a firing pin or it's a moot issue of making this thing shoot anything but cobwebs like it has all it's life that I know about. If this one was a parted out donor .... it was done sometime in the mid /late 1950's or earlier to a new and unfired rifle ?!?! based on what I'm seeing inside of it ... but then mebbe the busted firing pin was the issue even 50-60 years ago.
Thanks guys...keep it coming.
Ron

 

[windage]

Seems the Belgian mausers may be among the rarest, dispite the quarter million that were made. I rarely see one on the auctions in any condition.
I took a math class once where the professor pointed out the answer didn't have to be correct, only relevant. I think that's what you'll have to do here.
I'd look for an M88 barrel jacket and a M91 Argentine for the rest. Not sure what stock would be closer to a fit. Might have to "Finn" an M 88 forearm to an Argentine butt stock/ action.
At least you have a "hobby".
Good luck.

 

[TP]

Verhoositz, what you seem to be leaning toward is a "sporterization" rather than a restoration so I am moving this thread to a more appropriate forum. Thanks for posting, hope you will change your mind and hold out for correct parts even though they are practically non-existent.

 

[Verhoositz]

It was & is my intention to restore the 1889 H&A Mauser I have as close to original as possible, however long or impossible that takes. It was the owners stated desire when I first learned of the existence of the rifle in 1959 or 1960 to convert it to a sporterized shooter. That owner is now deceased and the gun has passed to me. My comments about the possiblity of using "made to fit" parts scaveneged from other similar rifles to turn this gun into a shooter was from my gunsmith as a potentail possibility. I saw this gun, in its obvious unfired condition as an excellent platform for restoration and not a good candidate for sporterization, meantime pending the discovery of seemingly non existant parts it will return to the closet as a failed dream.

As you alluded to, the non existance of appropriate parts deem this project most likely doomed from the start, and may have been doomed when the man I received the gun from acquired it himself some 50+ years ago, as I informed my family contact last night after I made the last post on this Forum.

By your actions and attempt at reading something other than what my stated intentions were into my posts, please consider me an observer who will review any and all of the GunBoard Forum's as an outsider, with nothing more to contribute concerning this matter.

I will forward your comments and conclusions to my extended family, where the gun came from.
Ron

 

[WILDCATT]

H &A mauser.

I am puzzled.what is this a mauser 1889???if so you can get part from Numrick=866-686-7424
I just looked them up.seems like it is a 88 commision rifle a picture would help.
if its an 88 Numrick has parts.and ther are a bunch of 88s floating around I have 2.
The 88 have separate bolt heads and take enblock clips.think stocks would need to be made as they would be sporters.