![]() ![]() I am considering buying a M38 I have seen in a local gunshop. It is a Carl Gustafs with a 1916 date on the receiver and a 643,XXX serial number. It has a bent bolt with matching last three serial numbers. The numbers on the other parts also match. Everything looks good, except there are a couple of things I don't understand. I can’t reconcile the date with the SN. Apr 09, 2008 Swedish Mauser M96 Serial Number 379 If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. What the Swedish Mauser could have been. Mauser in 8x58mmR Danish Krag, the standard military rifle caliber in Sweden before the 6.5x55mm. Swedish rifle trials of 1892. Mauser in 8x58mmR Danish Krag, the standard military rifle caliber in Sweden before the 6.5x55mm. Swedish rifle trials of 1892. I’ve read posts indicating people know from a serial number, when it was made, but I cannot find the entire list and it seems a 1916 CG should be a much lower number. Since it is a CG, which I understand indicates it was originally an M96, is it possible the bent bolt with matching number is the original? Thanks, I’d appreciate any insights you can give me. All M96s were originally made with straight bolt handles. 1916 CG production ran from 371495 to 401598. An M38 with number 643xxx, made by Carl Gustaf, should be a rebuild of an M96. P.82 of 'Crown Jewels' by Dana Jones shows photos of a rifle similar to the one you describe. That rifle has a bent bolt handle, serial No. 657xxx and is dated to 1935. So the only anomaly in your description is the 1916 date. But, reading 'between the lines' in the CG literature, I observe a certain vagueness as to what was re-used, what was made new, and what may have been remarked. Factories often worked quite pragmatically with what they found in the spares bins. One must avoid binary statements like 'always/never' when considering such recycling activities, and not fall into the collector's self-imposed trap of only regarding one unique configuration as 'correct' and thus acceptable. Perhaps you could post a good close-up photo of the receiver marking? I went back and took another look. Here are two pictures. One of the date and one with the serial number. The date stamped on the receiver is 1916. The serial number, however, is overstamped. You can see other numbers underneath the 643281. All the parts that have SNs on them have 281. Anybody know what's happening here? Did the Swedes overstamp SNs when they cut down M96s into M38s? Did they then apply matching parts to the receiver? Not all the parts have SNs. Trigger guard and butt plate do not have SNs. I did not find one on the barrel, but may not have looked in the right place. Thanks for your help. Hi Reg, You will certainly love the Swedish Mauser. Anther really cool thing about them is their bayonets. The design IMO was drastically way ahead of it’s time and much more well made than any other bayonets out there. I plan on doing a video of them to give some more detail that what I wrote. If you can find a Swedish Mauser with matching numbers, that will be better in the long run.
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