Gentlemen,

today I had the opportunity to visit a friend who is a master gunsmith in retirement who specialises on old rifles.

One rifle was an original Mauser 98 with a Kurz-system (civil Mauser) with the caliber marking
6,5 x 54
Description:
Serial number (matching in barrel, system, mag. floorplate, flag safety and flag safety carrier - wrong name,I know, in German it is called "Schlösschen") is 912xx, the bolt is stamped with the last four digits of the serial number and the approval stamp B and U with the crown. The barrel is marked "Robert Triebel, Kaufbeuren", I think a dealer stamping. The magazine floorplate is locked with a rotating handle, the trigger is the common Mauser set trigger.
Wood is nice, but plain, and the butt pad is not original, ventilated and pretty ugly.
The front sling swivel and the front sight are attached with rings over the barrel.

We put a 6,5x54 Mannlicher Schönauer case first in the chamber, but the case was rattling in the chamber.
The next test was an original RWS 6,5x54 Mannlicher Schönauer cartridge with the long 160grs soft point bullet. Chambering this cartridge it was not possible to close the bolt (I tried only cautiously).

At home I checked the RWS-book "Wiederladen" for chamber dimensions of the two calibers (6,5x54 Mannlicher Schönauer and 6,5x54 Mauser)and found out that:
- chamber pressure in the Mauser-version is lower than the Mannlicher Schönauer
- the throat of the Mauser is shorter
- the case dimensions and shoulder angles are different
- the Schönauer uses .264"-bullets, the Mauser .261"

I would like to ask some questions to the experts regarding preparation of ammunition:
If I can locate a 6,5x54 Mauser (RCBS or CH4) reloading die, on which parent cases I should do the forming?
6,5x57

Would you try .264" bullets with cautious loads or would you swage down .264" bullets to diameter .261"?

best regards
Rolf