[DustyBottoms]

Finally I got my first Oberndorf today. Its a 1900. Everything matches except for the firing pin which does not have a number. I haven't bought a Swede in a couple weeks, I was getting withdrawals. Just wanted to share.

 

[buffdog]

You got a better one than you think. This rifle is one of 5000 rifles that were made for the FSR after the 40,000 rifles were made for the Swedish Contract.

This rifle has a four digit serial number under 5000. Someone, a while ago, turned up a record at the Mauser Factory of an additional 5000 Oberndorf rifles with a 1900 date that were made for Sweden. It is believed that these rifles were ordered by the Civilian Skytte OS, the forerunner to the FSR for Civilian use, as Sweden was rearming at the time and there were not enough rifles for civilian target shooters.

The original 5000 did not have a hole or provisions for a stock disk. Apparently these disks were added when the rifles went through an Arsenal Inspection, and when bought or given to the Military. Very few of them are found with an intact stock without the hole for the disk. So far, I think we have only found four original rifles without the stock disk hole.

Here are two of my 1900 Oberndorf rifles, one with a disk hole, and one without a disk hole. If you take the barrel and receiver out of the stock, you should find serial numbers on the handguard and barrel channel. Also, take the trigger guard out of the stock and see if there is a crown stamped in the flat wood between the front of the magazine cut out and the front action screw hole.

Also check for markings stamped on the bottom of the wood at the wrist back of the trigger guard.
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[DustyBottoms]

If you take the barrel and receiver out of the stock, you should find serial numbers on the handguard and barrel channel. Also, take the trigger guard out of the stock and see if there is a crown stamped in the flat wood between the front of the magazine cout out and the front action screw hole.

Very cool. The stock numbers do match. The stock also has the crown stamp near the magazine cut-out. Behind the trigger guard on the wrist of the stock it does have 3 cartouches so it has been inspected/reworked a couple times. All of the crowns on the metal parts do have the "sagging" bottom on them. The firing pin has a tilted Husqvarna crown stamped on it. I've been looking for a long time to buy an Oberndorf M96, I'm glad I found an unusual one!

 

[buffdog]

Great rifle. Looks like the firing pin had to be replaced but that is really not earth-shattering. The big thing is that you seem to have the original Mauser stock, and not a replacement one. A very nice find.

 

[DustyBottoms]

Thanks, I really like the rifle. While down in my Dad's basement (who is a HUGE packrat) we stumbled upon a couple boxes of swede rifles he forgot about. There were four Oberndorfs in there and he let me buy one of them. This is the one I picked out. He also has a 1898 CG M96 with the serial # of 12 I believe, Ill try to get some pics of it soon.

 

[cruffel]

A couple of boxes? You need to stay very close to your Dad!! 1898 #12 WOW!

 

[DustyBottoms]

Years ago my Dad had a friend who was a gunsmith. He bought tons of swede's and cut them up into deer rifles :barf:. When he got a new shipment in he would let my Dad pick through and save them from their terrible fate. He let him take lots of stocks too before he threw them in the trash. I'll see if I can get some pics of that 1898 tomorrow.

 

[buffdog]

How about checking those other three OB Mausers for four digit serial numbers under 5000?

You might check for rifles with names on them instead of serial numbers, or rifles with a combination Letter/serial number on them.

Also, any dates after 1920 too.

And just think, your Father saved a $500 1900 Mauser OB m/96 from becoming a $150 Sporter.
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[DustyBottoms]

The other Oberndorfs don't have the 5000 or under #'s.

There were quite a few to go through, I didn't see any with names on them. I would have remembered those.

I never think to look for years newer than 1920. I always go for the earliest ones. I'll check them out.

One of them has really unique wood grain, not tiger stripe, just different. I told him I wanted that one also. I'm not a good judge on the different types of wood so I'm not sure what it is.

It makes me sick when I think of all the great guns that have been cut into pieces to make bubba's dream deer rifle. It's a shame.

 

[buffdog]

Any date past 1926 is a good one on Carl Gustaf rifles and scarce as Carl Gustafs ceased mass production in 1925. Also, there is a difference in wood stocks. Some 1914-1918 models had Elm stocks. There was also Maple and Mahogany stocks, and these are very desireable and bring a premium. A stock that has good grain or figure is also more desireable than a plain figured one.

For examples and more information on stocks and the Swedes, go to "House of Karlina" at the website below.
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dutchman.rebooty.com

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[eastbank]

don,t be to hard on bubba about the high end converions he did, remember the time in which it was done. in the late 50,s early 60,s i was making 60-80 dollars a week and after paying for room and board and keeping a junker full of gas i didn,t have much to spend on guns, so i bought surplus rifles and bubbafied them, 303 mk,3-4,s were 12-16 dollars, swedes 94-96,s 18-29 dollars, mausers 93-95-98,s were 15-34 dollars, springfields 03-03A3,s were 24-39 dollars. i had a gunsmith who would bend the bolt,D&T and alter the safety for a 20 dollar bill, i supplied the hacksaw,BLO and custom wood work(not to custom). a 94 win was 79 dollars, a rem 721-722 was 100 dollars and a win model 70 was 129 dollars, a bubbafied rifle set up for a scope and cut down was 50-60 dollars and made sense at the time, and who knew the supply would dry up.as bad as it seems now it has helped the collector by limiting the amount of good not bubbaed rifles available. here is a very nice s-27 all parts match that are there,that was cut down for a lighter hunting rifle. i am going to try and restore it. eastbank.

 

[flatwins]

My dad turned a 1917 Enfield into a sporter back in the 60s. As Eastbank said, it was the thing to do at the time but my dad now wishes he'd have left it alone.