I would define "safe" as the SAAMI max average pressure for the original chambering, a 7x57 for the Colombian, I believe, which is 46,000 CUP. However, thousands of Mausers have been converted to higher pressure rounds and seem to be working just fine.
Posts: 8169 | Location: humboldt | Registered: 10 April 2002
a very large number of those rifles were converted to .30-06.....apparantly someone considered them capable of at least that.
A friend used them for magnums a lot.....but that's just one guy!
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Posts: 28849 | Location: western Nebraska | Registered: 27 May 2003
Mr. De Haas in his book "Bolt Action Rifles" articulates a standard I favor. If the gun was made before 1920 or 1930 to be extra safe, restrict it to the cartridges of the era. 7x57. 6.5 Swede. 8x57. Or comparable. .250 Savage. .257 Roberts. Etc. If made after 1930 anything goes. (Except if it is last ditch war time junk...)
As a rule if you take the wood off and look hard at the receiver under the front ring where the barrel screws in you can find a proof date. I have FN's in '06 and .280 and no concerns.luck
Originally posted by iiranger: Mr. De Haas in his book "Bolt Action Rifles" articulates a standard I favor. If the gun was made before 1920 or 1930 to be extra safe, restrict it to the cartridges of the era. 7x57. 6.5 Swede. 8x57. Or comparable. .250 Savage. .257 Roberts. Etc. If made after 1930 anything goes. (Except if it is last ditch war time junk...)
As a rule if you take the wood off and look hard at the receiver under the front ring where the barrel screws in you can find a proof date. I have FN's in '06 and .280 and no concerns.luck
On many FNs you can find a Brinell ball imprint on the right hand side of the recoil lug.
Posts: 13978 | Location: http://www.tarawaontheweb.org/tarawa2.jpg | Registered: 03 December 2008