On the topic of strange and arcane calibers, I have a Mauser 98 built (very nicely) into a post-war sporter. The receiver has "6.5x57" engraved on it, but the mismatched barrel (obviously a military take-off, stepped contour and all) is chambered in 7mm Mauser (7x57).

This barrel swap was apparently done in the US after the rifle was brought over, presumably so that its owner could actually obtain ammunition (in the 1970s) rather than just look at the rifle and dream.

The rifle is a good shooter in 7mm Mauser. There's a lot to like about it, and I have a period-appropriate scope on it so the look is right.

But.

The barrel annoys me. Visually it's a flaw. Technically it doesn't match the engraving on the receiver. The thing to do, then, would be to re-barrel it in the original chambering, 6.5x57, which is a classic European sporting cartridge dating back to 1894. Brass is readily formed from 7x57 or I can buy it with proper headstamps online. 6.5mm bullets are piled up in heaps in the market just now. Dies can be had with no fuss. I have plenty of IMR4350 on hand.

But I would be buying a barrel and paying a guy to do the work, to get a rifle back whose performance wouldn't be significantly changed from that of 7x57, especially with the short shots I take back east.

What do y'all say?

-AaronB

"Every dog has got to scratch its own fleas."

Now, if it was me that was making that decision I would trade it off for a good .30-30 and every night kneel down before I got into bed and thank God I wasn't involved with all those other weird calibers.

Except maybe the 7.62x54R

and the 480 Achilles

and the .243 Winchester ...

oh ... never mind what I said.

--
Ele era velho.
Ele era corajoso.
Ele era feio.

HA! The 'short' list ain't really all that short but it's on there. It's really a lovely cartridge.

Odd that it is the receiver that's marked....

You know, trading it off for a good .30-30 would be a reasonable option except I already have leverguns I like in both .30-30 Win and .30-30 Ackley Improved.

Now a local shop has a vintage M94 rifle (not carbine) on the rack in .32 Winchester Special...

...which I would be getting in order to avoid having a rifle in some weird chambering. Like 6.5x57.

The more I think about this the less sense I make to myself.

-AaronB

The caliber is marked on the receiver along with a lot of engraver's chicken scratch. While the engraver was working his burin, I guess he decided to put the caliber on it too.

-AaronB