Anyone know anything about these? Found one at the local toy store on Sat. It has an 18" barrel, which is supposed to be original. The seller had it listed as a 7x57, but that didn't seem right. Just looking for some early info, before the 'smith gets time to do a chamber cast.

There were several south american carbines of which the Venezulean is chambered in 7x57. So the caliber could be correct.

I hope so, the 'smith didn't think it looked like it, though -- took a cartridge in the caliber, and the bullet didn't seem to fit in the end of the barrel -- oh well, I'll be happy w. it regardless, and I guess I'll wait a couple days until the chamber cast gets done.

Your "smith" tried to stick a jacketed bullet in the muzzle and it didn't seem to fit? Methinks he doesn't know what the hell he's doing. What I think he should have done was use a lead sinker or fairly soft cast bullet and slug the barrel. Ain't no way in hell a .284" jacketed bullet gonna just slide intio that barrel. The lands get in the way.
methinks I'd be finding me another gunsmith.
Paul B.

Some of those SA mausers were 7.65x53mm too, although most of the ones I have collected have been 7x57mm. Collecting the little "Police Carbines" is some of the most fun, rewarding, and painful collecting I have done.

LLS

quote:

Originally posted by Paul B:
Your "smith" tried to stick a jacketed bullet in the muzzle and it didn't seem to fit? Methinks he doesn't know what the hell he's doing. What I think he should have done was use a lead sinker or fairly soft cast bullet and slug the barrel. Ain't no way in hell a .284" jacketed bullet gonna just slide intio that barrel. The lands get in the way.
methinks I'd be finding me another gunsmith.
Paul B.

ok, ok, we are dumb fools.

But when a friend wanted to sell me two Mausers, which he said would be 7 x 57, the first thing to check for caliber was to stick an inverted cartridge in the muzzle.

First it beats putting a finger inside there ;-)

Second, it QUICKLY showed, that they weren´t 8 mm´s of any sort ... and deleteing 6.5 mm´s was easy too!

NO, we didn´t stop at that evaluation.

And: they BOTH really are 7 mm´s ( Brazilian 08 "langes Gewehr 98" and M 34 CZ 7 mm ) and the bullet went in VERY DIFFERENT DEPTH!!!

H

Sticking a bullet in the muzzle is a rough gauge of muzzle wear from cleaning rod use. In the proper caliber a bullet can go all the way in to the neck of the case (bad), or have much of the bullet's ogive stop outside the muzzle (good.) If it goes all the way in and rattles around, the bore might be of a larger caliber.