M96 Mauser Restoration - "Swedish" Waffenfabrik AG - Carl Gustav - 1900 - Bolt Action Rifle

Part 1 - Teardown and Inventory
The Model 1896 rifle in 6.5×55mm (6,5 mm Gevär m/96) was adopted in 1896 for infantry use, replacing the Model 1867–1889 Remington rolling block rifle in 8×58mmR Danish Krag. Swedish production (under license) started in 1898 at Carl Gustafs, but additional rifles were produced by Mauser during 1899 and 1900 because of delays in shipping additional production machinery from Germany to Sweden.[8]

Standard production at Carl Gustafs continued until 1925, but approximately 18,000 m/96 rifles were manufactured by Husqvarna Vapenfabriks AB during World War II for civilian marksmanship training.[9]

Mauser produced 40,000 m/1896 long rifles between 1899 and 1900, Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori 475,000 m/1896 between 1896 and 1932 and Husqvarna Vapenfabriks AB 20,000 m/1896 between 1942 and 1944. Giving a total of 535,000 m/96 long rifles.[1]

The m/96 rifle used a triangular front sight post and a rear tangent sight with a V-shaped notch. When folded down the rear sight is graduated from 300 to 600 m (328 to 656 yd), in 100 m (109 yd) increments. When flipped up the rear sight is graduated from 700 to 2,000 m (766 to 2,187 yd). The iron sights line was matched for the trajectory of 6.5×55mm m/94 ball service ammunition loaded with a round-nosed (B-projectile) bullet. A rifleman never used the flipped up position on his own - it was only used for simultaneous fire at ranks of enemies.[7]

From 1941 onwards the introduction of 6.5×55mm m/94 ball ammunition loaded with a boat-tailed spitzer(D-projectile) bullet necessitated adapting the iron sight lines with a new m/41 rectangular post and altering the rear sight element was altered to have a U-shaped notch and match the flatter trajectory of the new service round.[1]