This Swedish M96 Mauser long rifle was made by Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori in 1911, as stamped on the receiver ring beneath the crowned monogram, and is chambered in 6.5×55 Swedish. It carries serial 2937xx, with the buttplate and bolt knob matching, while the trigger guard and both barrel bands carry other numbers. Imported by Century Arms of St. Albans, VT, it retains its cleaning rod, bayonet lug and brass stock disc. The disc reads 6.460, the bore diameter in millimeters, and its överslag field reads 0 Str., the sight correction recorded in streck. The bore is a mirror with sharp rifling. The orange-brown stock shows handling dings, scratches and small gouges, and the bluing is thinning with edge wear and light freckling. It comes with an M1896-pattern bayonet marked E.J.AB., a steel scabbard and a brown leather sling.
The Model 1896 rifle in 6.5x55mm was adopted by Sweden in 1896 to replace the Remington rolling block, built to a design by Paul Mauser. Waffenfabrik Mauser in Oberndorf supplied 40,000 of the early long rifles, and licensed production began at Carl Gustafs stads gevärsfaktori in Eskilstuna in 1898. Carl Gustafs went on to make about 475,000 m/96 long rifles, and Husqvarna added roughly 20,000 during World War II. The rifles were made from a Swedish high-grade steel alloyed with nickel, copper and vanadium. Between 1938 and 1940 Carl Gustafs converted 55,080 long rifles into m/38 short rifles, a conversion collectors often call the m/96-38 although it never had an official designation. This 1911 rifle remains in the original full-length m/96 configuration.
Specifications
Manufacturer: Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori
Importer: Century Arms, St. Albans, VT
Country of origin: Sweden
Year: 1911
Model: M96 long rifle
Action: Bolt action
Caliber: 6.5×55 Swedish
Serial: 2937xx
Matching: Buttplate and bolt knob match; trigger guard and barrel bands carry other numbers
Stock: Orange-brown wood with handling dings, scratches and small gouges
Finish: Blued, thinning with edge wear and light freckling
Bore: Mirror bore
Rifling: Sharp
Stock disc: Bore 6.460 mm; Överslag 0 Str.
Features: Crowned monogram on receiver ring, brass stock disc, bayonet lug, cleaning rod
Included: M1896-pattern bayonet marked E.J.AB., steel scabbard, brown leather sling
