Hey Guys,

Just got me a Spanish M43 Mauser in 8mm x 57mm (7.92x57). The rifle says "Fabrica de Armas La Coruna" on the crest. It also has 1949 stamped on it.

Rifle looks good. Can't wait to get out to the range and try it out. Any info or comments will be appreciated. Thanks!!!

" la coruna" is the factory and 1949 is year made.. From what I understand these are the Spanish versions of k 98 s in the same caliber. If it is anything like my k 98 was you will love it! I don't know if it is your first Mauser But if it is it will definitely get you wanting more!

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1917 SMLE no.1 mk.III-1956 fr-8- Swedish m-96 1901- Mosin Nagant m-91-30 - Nagant 1895 pistol- Smith and Wesson model 10- Taurus .38 special-Colt Ar-15- Glock 22- Springfield Armory 1911 Rangemaster- Springfeild Armory M-1 Garand

I like mine.


It doesn't have the quality of a German one but, they're OK.

Al

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“Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”- Benjamin Franklin

Does the bolt match? These bolts are more commonly straight. From the photo yours looks partially bent. Looks in great condition, metal and wood both. Yes these are great fun to shoot. How's the bore? These are the rifles that Spain used to create the FR 8.

My friend likes his. It's a 1945 Coruna. It does look crude compared to my Vz.24 or a German K98 though.

Good eye . I have the original bolt. I put a bent bolt in it because I hate it when I get a bolt knob stuck in the middle of my back.

Al

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“Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”- Benjamin Franklin

Mine also went through what looks like a factory refurb. The side sling attachments have been removed (front ground off of the band, the rear one removed from the stock and the slot filled) and the stock was refinished with that strange varnish I have seen on many Spanish rifles.

Al

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“Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”- Benjamin Franklin

The bolt does not match but it does have a straight handle. This is not my first Mauser but it is my first K98 type Mauser.

I can't wait to get out to the range with it. I'll get a pic up soon. Thanks!!!

nice! mine is matching with the guardia civil crest on it. congrats

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"I love the smell of cosmoline in the morning"

Am I limited to shooting only surplus ammo out of this rifle or can I buy regular factory ammo and use it? Thanks!

Regular factory ammo (from America anyway) is actually quite a bit weaker than surplus ammo. This is because they must lawyer proof themselves in case someone fires their ammo out of a 1888 rifle that has not been S converted. You can shoot surplus or factory ammo, though the anemic factory ammo may be so weak that you get backed out primers. It's a 98 action and will handle full 8x57JS pressures just fine.

Great!!! Can't wait to get out to the range. Here's a pic of the Spanish M43.



Here's a pic of my Spanish M1916, chambered in 308W. Will it be OK to shoot factory 308's out of this rifle as well?

shoot 7.62 nato through your 1916, there are some threads addressing this issue, there is some controversy over this. the 1916 is a small ring mauser action designed for 7x57 mauser then converted to 7.62nato. commercial 308win has a higher cup pressure and could potentially cause a problems so just to be safe shoot ammo it was designed for. FR-8 on the other hand is a different story since its a large ring mauser and took the 8mm mauser beast cartridge

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"I love the smell of cosmoline in the morning"

I have this exact rifle with 1945 stamped on it. Im wanting to replace the barrel. Its an 8mm currently and i want to leave it an 8mm. I read that the m43's are basically identical to the 98's. Can i order a barrel from a 98 and have that installed? I can not seem to find a m43 replacement barrel.

Here are some pics of my gun. Not to hijack, but will that work??

Wow, you have the better looking brother to my friend's 1945 La Coruna, and the serial numbers are not far off. I do find it strange that these two guns look like the metal was sanded at one point. May I see closeup pictures of the bolt? I want to see the workmanship on it.

Why would you want to rebarrel it? Is the bore that bad? Even a gun with a good bore can shoot surprisingly well. It will also be expensive to rebarrel it unless you plan on doing it entirely by yourself. The barreled action is more or less a copy of the K98. It's the stock that differs really. The barrel threads are standard large ring Mauser, so a K98 barrel should work. Keep in mind that the front and rear sights are soldered to the barrel.