I recieved a Mauser Rifle from a friend over the christmas holidays. I went to a gun smith to have it checked over and double check the caliber. My friend told me it was a 7mm. I had a little knowledge and new that Mauser depending on what contry ordered them may have been fitted for different rounds. To make a long story short and to ask for advice can any one tell me if there are replacement barrels for a Mauser 7 X 57? When I went to the gun smith with this to test fire and check out he told me the rifle had excessive head space and not to shoot. He told me that if we replaced the barrel that this should take care of it but thought it would not be worth it. I went to the dallas safarie club gun show today to look and see if there where any barrels i could come up with for a minimal price and then found that there where numerous issues such as if it was a small ring or large? Now for my question and hopefully someone can tell me at my level (Lack of Knowledge). The only markings I could find where stamps on the barrel, Chamber and also written inside the stock 20 260? Also on top of the chamber under the scope mounts was an insignia (warn off)and a name Farm Oviedo Dearmes (again not sure, warn)and a date I think was either 1925 or 1825 it was all pretty warn? The only thing i could find in a reference manaual was this rifle could have been a Czech made rifle for Nicaragua.
If you can tell me if I am wasting my time or maybe this could be a project and where I could find replacement parts?

Thanks

There are a LOT of different possiblities. Mausers made up a good deal of the world's aresnals in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Any pictures you could post would be helpful. It could possibly be a Fabrique de Armes 1927 made for Paraguay?

I think I found it after some snooping. Follow the link, there's one on gunbroker.com

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=63342298

I am not the authority when it comes to old mausers but you might be able to find a surplus barrel and have it fitted or you always have a custom barrel fitted.

I guess my question is what do you want to do with it after you put another barrel on it? If you want to hunt with it unless you just use the action and have a custom gun built around it, the accuracy and dependability will not be close to a new gun. It will also cost a bunch more to do this than the cost of a new gun.

There are quite a few folks on here that know a lot more than I do about gunsmithing and hopefully they will chime in but unless there is a compelling reason to start working on it I think you would be far better off with another, newer gun.

Most of the time it doesn't pay when it comes to rebarreling or rechambering Curio and Relic guns. Almost all inherent value is lost when these rifles are functionally altered. BigGuy's right, it'd probably cost more to rebarrel/rechamber than it would to just buy a new gun. You could certainly fix it up with replacement parts and use it as a plinker. I get my C&R parts from ebay or www.tngunparts.com

I apprciate the replys and advice. I guess it will just be a relic unless I stubble across something to do the changes.

Thanks again