James B

I was at a gun and knife show today and got to looking at a bolt action 20 guage shotgun. It appears to be a Mauser action and military stock. Did Mauser or some other military brand make shotguns or would this perhaps be a home made version using a military action? Any of you gunsmith type people have any ideas? Thanks

No I didn't buy a gun but came home with a Marbles Knife and a Helle Knife as well. SEE DOE DUMPER!!! I can pass up a gun. (once in a while)

NO Rebel Hog, I couldn't pass on the knives.How was your trip to Smokey Mountain?

Doe Dumper

I knew you wouldnt come home empty handed

Swampdog

Have not seen shotguns like that ,But I have a couple of old J.C. Higgens Bolt shotguns.Even got a .12 ga.bolt ( just the bolt with everything in it.)If anybody needs one.

Charley

Many shotuns built onsurplus Mauser actions over the years, often for European trade, and often 20 or 28 bore. Not uncommon at all. At least one importer/wholesaler (SARCO) has 28 bore barrels for Mauser actioned shotguns.

Be careful with those.I don't have the model numbers on hand, but Sears had a recall on some of these about 15 years ago. Had problems with the bolt breaking and blowing back, if I remember correctly. Do a search on JC Higgins shotgun recalls, and you should be able to find model numbers.

jmfa1957

A friend of mine told me of an old Mauser actioned shotgun that his dad had back in North Dakota. Evidently a number of these were made post WWI with surplus Mauser 98 actions.

Don't know how valuable they are or how well they work, but they must not have been a total failure. Mossberg made bolt action shotguns a while back. My cousins and I used to hunt squirrels with one on their property in Minnesota back in the 1970s. Not as convenient as a pump but it never malfunctioned on us either.

jcchartboy

I have been watching, collecting, and admiring bolt action shotguns for a number of years. I have yet to see a truelly valuable "action" outside of the Browning A-bolt bolt action.

James B

My first gun was a Stevens/Savage bolt action 20 Ga. I didn't think the Mauser action shotgun would have any value other than as a user. I was curios as to if they were made that way for some military. Thanks for the replys. My brothers first gun was a bolt action 410 with a tubular magazine. I think it is a mossberg but I can't remember for sure.

eldeguello

Mauser never made such a contraption, but I believe the GECO outfit in Germany made some military Mausers into shotguns. So did some private gunsmiths. I believe most of these conversions were made after WWI, not WWII, so the receivers should reflect pre-WWII manufacture dates.

These have thereputation of being horrible clunkers, if not actually dangerous - many has the front lugs ground off the bolt, and were locked shut only by the safety lug on the rear of the bolt!

Bolt-action shotguns made for Sears, Monkey EWards, Westrn Auto, and the Savage-Stevens, Marlin, etc., lines aren't built on old Mausers at all, but on actions specifically designed to use shotgun shells. These are safe and effective enogh, but have horrid weight/balance and handling characteristics.

Rebel Hog

Spent over 4hrs at the knife factory in Sevierville, but did not see one Grohman Knife. Bought a bunch of other knives!They had the Carolina SSX-Tool knives with 10
tools and knife blades on sale for $1.99 each, and I bought 10.. X-mas gifts for my hunting friends!I wanted the Meteor Blade Custom Knife it was $999.00, but I would have had to kill my wife in public.

James B

RH. I know what you mean. Lucky for me that my wife was working the day of the gun show.One of these days I will make it down to Smokey Mountain. My wife likes to hunt and helps cut up the meat and field dress the game and fillet the fish. However she can see no reason for a couple hundred knives.