The 7x57 Mauser, your thoughts.

[Treeman]

Today, after many years, I bought a 7x57 Mauser, a Bruno, im shocking first look condition. The rifle is in good condition, but was stored bolt open in the roof it appears, the dust is very thick. The rifle has some rust or blacking on barrel under the silencer and the barrel can not be seen down, the dust fluff is thick. a quick blow through revealed a good barrel with a thick layer of dried oil gunk in it - I am taking a chance, I think its saveable - I actually believe it has nothing wrong with it - just the dirtiest rifle I have ever seen.

[Tripodmvr]

Leaving a silencer on a rifle is not a good idea. Different metals cause electrical charge differences and rust. Hope this one is not bad.

[oafpatroll]

Hope is that being in the roof it was dry and relatively warm. Be interested to see what comes out of the cleanup. I've a sift spot for Brnos and the 7x57 is a classic.

[Ds J]

Congratulations- said to be a magnificent calibre.

How does the ballistics differ from the .30-7?

[Krazong]

I own one of the early rifles chambered for 7x57, manufactured by DWM in 1893.
Love it!!!!
Still a great shooter.  Fantastic caliber and great all-rounder.

[Treeman]

I own one of the early rifles chambered for 7x57, manufactured by DWM in 1893.
Love it!!!!
Still a great shooter.  Fantastic caliber and great all-rounder.

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Do you reload for it ? Tell me your mix ?

[Treeman]

So I got the 7x57, got home to clean the barrel and to my horror junks of rust came out the barrel. When I bought it I could see the barrel was stupid dirty, but like that oiled barrel dirty, the kinda dirty barrel you love to buy cheap cause you just know that a good clean is going to be a whole new rifle - bought many of them before.
Turns out rifle was stored for 3 years in its bag after last shooting, I assume it was a range session and it was shot hot bagged and stored. The barrel is fkd ! Truly the worst barrel I have ever seen.
What a let down, I am so pissed off.
IMG-20241209-WA0013 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

[Treeman]

Refer back to post one to see how this started. I am now brushing and bore polishing, bore past and various dark practices being brought to the fore.
Coke, vinegar, peroxide all going down that barrel, I am gonna get it to give me some use.
Does a bad barrel shoot better with a soft bullet or a hard bullet ? I am thinking a hard bullet, like a mono make jump that pitting better ?
I have some light weight SST bullets, will start there and see if I can get a hunt usable group.

[janfred]

My wife had a .303 where the barrel looked considerably worse for the last third of the length. It was stored barrel up in a cupboard for around 30 odd years.

It shot just as well as my rifle with a pristine barrel. We were using Sierra 174gr Matchking with S355. Just a hair over 1 MOA for 10 shots.

A friend of mine won the WP Bisley championship with a .308 target rifle with a pitted barrel. And he only cleans the barrel every 500 or 600 shots.

[big5ifty]

You're going to have to shoot copper jackets or paper patched lead.

If you shoot plain cast or powder coat, you'll need a lot of vinegar and peroxide.

There is probably still more in the barrel that will clear up from shooting, so send a few copper jackets downrange, then clean again.

[Treeman]

I think that after some rounds are put through it and it gets cleaned again it will be a whole different kind of clean - shooting really does do it own thing after a good clean and I believe the only real clean up is after a extreme clean to shoot it hot and clean again.
 Then its clean enough to start again.

It must how ever be noted that this barrel is more of a refurbishment, I need to polish and buff those rust pits and peaks so that everything is rounded edged. It must look more like rolling hills and valleys  than mountain peaks and cliff edged valleys.

I have done the barrel 4 -5 perhaps 6 times now and shot it using some odds and ends cases I got with rifle, 15 X, 10 Y and a few 3 and 4 brand cases. All brands loaded to same spec.

A 15 shot group ended up cigarette box size group and I suspect a lot of this was the different age, use of cases in that brand group.
I got a few match box groups with the smaller batch's of cases. Then the last 2 cases came with the rifle loaded ammo included. I shot those newer cases as a 2 shot group and got touching holes.

I am working the barrel again tonight - kinda excited to see what it delivers with carefully loaded ammo.

[Treeman]

My wife had a .303 where the barrel looked considerably worse for the last third of the length. It was stored barrel up in a cupboard for around 30 odd years.

It shot just as well as my rifle with a pristine barrel. We were using Sierra 174gr Matchking with S355. Just a hair over 1 MOA for 10 shots.

A friend of mine won the WP Bisley championship with a .308 target rifle with a pitted barrel. And he only cleans the barrel every 500 or 600 shots.

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I have heard of many such cases, but never owned a working, accurate Frankenstein myself.