One of the true gems of the surplus world is the Swedish Mauser. These rifles combine old-world craftsmanship with modern ballistics. I bought this one during the COVID lockdowns of 2020, and in the years since, I have shot it for fun on the range, in competition, and taken it hunting. Here are all the many reasons why you should buy one.Reviews @ TFB: TFB Review: Gen 5 Glock 34 MOS – Am I a Glock Guy Now? TFB Review: Vectronix Vector X - Premium Laser Rangefinder Binocular TFB 1,000 Round Review: PSA Sabre 15 (Duty Grade Or Don't-y Grade?) TFB Review: America's New Battle Rifle - The SIG Spear in 6.8x51mm TFB Review: Springfield Armory 1911 TRP AOS 4.25” Carry Contour 9mmDisclaimers: There are no disclaimers for this article. This is a surplus rifle purchased on a different continent than where it was made.HistoryOthers have delved into the history of these guns and are far more qualified to do so. At the end of the 1800s, the Mauser rifle was taking over the world of military and civilian rifles. The turn-bolt action could handle high pressures, and the controlled-feed action offered reliable feeding in bad conditions. Back in this era most of the cartridges were what we call “full power” rounds these days, like the 7.92x57mm or .30-06, or dangerous game and safari rounds like the 9.3x62.The Swedes had a different approach. They opted for the 6.5x55 cartridge instead of the heavier, harder-kicking options. Ballistically, it is a very close twin to the 6.5 Creedmoor but with a longer case. This smaller-diameter bullet provided a superb ballistic coefficient with low recoil, but it still performs well on target thanks to a healthy sectional density.There are several books that delve into the history of these guns, and they are worth a read if you find that kind of content interesting. Like most infantry rifles of the late 1800s, the Model 1896 Swedish Mauser started life as a full-length gun with a 29-inch barrel firing a round-nose bullet. Pointed spitzer bullets came online after that initial adoption, improving the ballistic characteristics further. Experience among the belligerents in World War 1 and other conflicts, and the decline of horse cavalry, led to shorter barrels on infantry arms. Rather than a carbine for cavalry troops and a massive, halberd-length infantry rifle with an extended bayonet for use against those horses, armies moved to a shorter rifle that was standard across most troops. The Swedish followed this pattern too, shortening the m/96 rifle to a 25-inch barrel to create the Model 1938. Some m/38 rifles were built in that configuration from the factory, while others were made from cut-down m/96 rifles. The m/41 sniper model kept the long barrel of the m/96 but added a 4-power scope.This particular rifle was made in 1941, and started life as an m/38 rather than being adapted into one later. During the COVID-era lockdowns, I was perusing GunBroker and came across this gun. It was being sold by a local guy and was in great shape, apart from being drilled for scope bases. I wanted a shooter rather than a collector piece, and being able to add a scope was not a downside, so I scooped it up. The build quality of these guns sets them apart from many other military rifles of the era. No corners are cut, even on a gun made during the war years (even though Sweden was not really involved in the hostilities). The bolt and magazine follower are chromed and very slick. The trigger has a two-stage pull averaging a little over four pounds.The only possible negative of the design is the “cock-on-close” bolt design. Most shooters today are more familiar with bolts that cock as the bolt opens. The Swedish Mauser goes about this the opposite way, cocking the firing pin on the closing action of the bolt. This works just as well as cocking on opening, but feels odd if you are not used to it. On The RangeWhile I do enjoy collecting guns, all of mine are shooters. This Mauser is no exception. I have used this m/38 for regular recreational shooting, in competition, and hunting. Every time I take it out it puts a smile on my face. For regular old shooting for fun, the Swede is hard to beat. The recoil is soft, ammo is cheap as this kind of thing goes, and it's easy to reload for. It's especially fun when shooting long range because it performs so much like a 6.5 Creedmoor. Even with the 2.75x Redfield scope that usually lives on this gun, coarse corrections like holding just over the target on the upwind side produce hits more often than it feels like it should. Out to around 400 yards it is hard to miss with this m/38. Just two accurate, affordable 6.5mm rifles This gun has been on a few elk hunts as well. After an experience hunting in thick fog where scopes were completely useless and I was reduced to hunting with the M38 Mosin carbine that I left under my back seat because it was the only gun we had with iron sights, I usually try to keep something better on hand. The Swede has filled that role on a number of my hunts. Unlike most other milsurp rifles, it did not feel like a handicap to grab that gun when nature called and my actual hunting rifle was not conveniently accessible. There are several new production ammunition types on the market. This gun averages about 1.5 to 2.0 MOA with most loads. Average velocities with 140-grain bullets are in the 2,600 FPS range, just about like a 6.5 Creedmoor. This particular gun seems to like S&B ammo the best out of the factory options. As for handloads, they all shoot well enough. I bought a bunch of Speer Hot-Cor 6.5mm bullets at a fire sale price, and they shoot well enough for any task this gun would perform. The use of a scope on the gun like this is polarizing. When the scope mounting holes were drilled, this was just a cheap rifle that could be used for hunting. In the years since, it has become more valuable as a piece of history than as a functional hunting tool. At any rate, the holes are already in the receiver, so why not use them sometimes? A modern, full-featured scope would feel wrong on this one, so I keep it old school. An old Redfield 2.75x scope on Weaver QD rings feels kind of era-correct, and can detach from the gun if I want to use the irons. It is in no way clone correct to this gun, but looking through it, the scope picture feels right for a gun of this era. The glass quality is good enough, and the zero holds well. It gets the job done as a poor man’s quasi-m/41 sniper rifle. In CompetitionI took my m/38 to a local CMP vintage military rifle match. In the days leading up to it, I tested some loads and tried to figure out what sight setting to use. The entire match is fired at 200 yards. Here is a 200-yard target with a ten-round group from the m/38 (and some bonus shots from another project gun), all in the ten-ring. The gun is mechanically capable of a perfect score, but am I? My performance in the match was not impressive, and my lack of practice with tasks like reloading from a stripper clip during rapid fire stages was very apparent. But during slow-fire prone stages, the good manners of the Swede were on full display. It does not kick much, and the nice trigger pull was very helpful.These matches require the use of the original iron sights. If the Swedes had put an aperture rear sight on this gun, it would have been the ultimate rifle, but instead, it has the tangent sights that were common in this era. I have never liked those as much and do not shoot them as well, but this gun had to be handicapped in some way, or it would have been too much of a ringer. Some of the vintage rifles at the CMP match ConclusionThe Swedish Mauser is one of the best, if not the best, surplus rifles available. They’re accurate, classy, and fun to shoot. And, somehow, these are selling at prices that are a bargain by current standards. The m/38 and its siblings stand head and shoulders above contemporaries like Mosin Nagants.