Mystery Mexican Mauser Firing Pin Assembly

[@marktroxler6798]

In the early 1900's Mexico and the United States weren't on the best of terms. There had been cross border criminal incursions, raids by Pancho Villa and his rebels, the Zimmerman telegram, etc. In the 1930's the Mexican government had become more stabilized, and wanted to be on better terms with the USA both for better trade agreements, and for mutual military stability. In one of several efforts to better relations between our two countries, when Mexico's arsenal was designing the model 1936 Mauser for their army, they chose a cocking piece that looked similar to the ones used on both the 1903 Springfield and the Krag Jorgensen. They also made the stock configuration and the barrel bands look somewhat like to the 1903 rifle. Their efforts probably paid off because, even though they had very little participation, Mexico was one of the allied countries that fought along with America during world war two, and benefited economically because of this. My theory about your oddball Mauser parts is that they may have come from the Fabrica National de Arms as prototype parts from when they were developing the 1936 Mauser. These look more like rejected ideas than the product of Bubba's rusty hacksaw of doom.. Unlike the earlier models 1902 and 1910 Mexican Mauser's, which were traditional case hardened mild steel, the 1936 was a small ring type 98 model that was made from heat treated 4140 chrome-moly steel, and is fully as strong as modern sporting bolt actions.

[@myersarmsllc]

Interesting idea, but it sounds like there are others like it. Regarding the composition of the 1936 receivers, have you seen any documented evidence for this? I have seen lots of claims regarding this topic, but not seen any documentation or analysis. The 1936's I've handled and worked on act just like their predecessors when drilling and tapping, welding, and machining. I haven't done an OES test on one yet, might have to do that just to see.

[@marktroxler6798]

@@myersarmsllc Though I've read on several occasions, both in print and on websites that the 1936 Mexican Mauser receiver were made from heat treated CM steel, your request for source documentation to verify this has lead me on a bit of a search. It turns out that the sources for this information have been someone that heard it from somebody, who heard it from somebody else. It took some digging, but I discovered that after producing 40,000 units of the model 1910 Mauser, production on the 1910 was halted, and production of 50,000 units of the model 1936 began "using receivers made for the model 1910". I stand corrected. It appears that both the model 1910 and the 1936 were made of case hardened steel similar to AISI-1035.

[@alex7x57]

Those are off the Mexican Mauser M1936. They copied the M1903 striker design, and I suspect they did it for ease of manufacture and maintenance by allowing the tip of the striker to be a smaller bit of metal, less expensive to make and easier to harden.

[@myersarmsllc]

Really? So only the 1903 and 1910 used the standard firing pin arrangement and the 1936 and 1954 used this style? I appreciate you commenting!

[@TroyFairweather]

Collar looks model 70

[@myersarmsllc]

Sorta, but it isn't... I'll have to look I know there were some different variants.