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Santa Barbara Mauser

Santa Barbara Mauser Rifle Review

Santa Barbara Mausers were rifles built around the Mauser 98-actions and manufactured from the early 30s up until the 60s by the Empresa Nacional Santa Barbara de Industrias Militares, S.A. in La Coruna, Spain. The after-war actions were mostly sold to various gun manufacturers around the world such as the Parker Hale or Golden State Arms to be used as a basis for building custom rifles. Numerous SB actions also ended up in the hands of smaller gunsmiths or hobbyists.

The production was also carried out for some time in Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales with the markings on the receivers changing accordingly to the acronym CETME. The older models of Santa Barbara Mauser with stripper clip guide were known as the M43 and were based on the K98k action, sharing the same components. The post-war actions, however, were produced for commercial use and thus came without the stripper clip guide. The B distance between the receiver holes on the newer models is the same as that found on Zastava M70 and Remington 798 which also use Mauser 98 action design.

The bolt body of SB Mauser features three locking lugs, two at the front and one at the rear end of the bolt. Together, they lock up safely with the action's housing. Trigger guards were made either out of aluminum alloy or steel, depending on the manufacturer and year of production. The receiver looks like one of the FN commercial actions for the most part, with one of the differences being the missing thumb cut on the left receiver wall. Triggers normally came factory pre-set, although they had the option to be adjusted later by the users or gunsmiths. The bolt release lever was positioned on the left side of the receiver. Post-war versions had the switch safety positioned on the right side of the bolt shroud.

Up until today, the actions of Santa Barbara Mausers have a mixed reputation. There have been claims made in the past that certain models had some structural issues because of the improperly hardened receiver metal used during the manufacturing process. Supposedly, various rifles facing such flaws were recalled, thus it should be quite difficult to stumble upon one today.

Santa Barbara Mauser

Figure 1: Santa Barbara Mauser, chambered for 243. Win. (Source: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/125065241_santa-barbara-model-1000-243win-bolt-rifle-used)

Santa Barbara Mauser Calibers

The rifle is chambered for the following calibers:

.22-250 Rem.
.243 Win.
6mm Rem.
6.5x55
.270 Win.
7x57
7x64
.308 Win.
.30-06 Spr.

Santa Barbara Mauser receivers came with four holes for mounting purposes, two on the front and two on the rear mounting surface. The 97 mm B distance between the holes on the receiver is the same as that found on Zastava M70 and Remington 798 which also use Mauser 98 action design.

Santa Barbara action

Figure 2. Santa Barbara action chambered for 7x57 (Source: https://www.gunauction.com/buy/8986639)

The mounting surface of Santa Barbara Mauser

A: 21.9 mm

B: 97 mm

C: 12.7 mm

BHU: 4 mm

Ø: 6-48

R1: R14/30°

R2: R18

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Santa Barbara Mauser

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Santa Barbara Mauser

The necessary condition for rifles to have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable is that the mounting surfaces of these rifles match in every dimension. Rifles that have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Santa Barbara Mauser are the following:

H&R Mauser Model 340
Herters XK3
Herter's Zastava J9
Husqvarna 5000
Interarms Mark X
JC Higgins Model 50
JC Higgins Model 51

Voere Kufstein 2165

JC Higgins Model 51-L
Parker Hale 1200
Zastava M70
Remington 798
Early models Ruger M77

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Santa Barbara Mauser

For two-piece scope mounts to be interchangeable, the mounting surfaces of the rifles must match in every dimension except the action length which can vary. This is because the distance between the two pieces of the mount is not fixed. Rifles that have two-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Santa Barbara Mauser are the following:

H&R Mauser Model 340
Herters XK3
Herter's Zastava J9
Husqvarna 5000
Interarms Mark X
JC Higgins Model 50
JC Higgins Model 51
JC Higgins Model 51-L
Parker Hale 1200

Zastava M70

Remington 798

Best Scope Mounts for Santa Barbara Mauser

Fixed Scope Mounts for Santa Barbara Mauser

This steel two-piece MAKfix scope mount is made in Germany and comes with a 30-year warranty. It is a suitable choice for your Santa Barbara Mauser.

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Santa Barbara Mauser

If you are looking for a detachable repeatable mounting solution, we recommend this EAW pivot mount for Santa Barbara Mauser. It is made of high-quality steel and comes with a 30-year warranty.

Picatinny Rails for Santa Barbara Mauser

Picatinny rails are one of the best mounting solutions when it comes to variability. They have equidistant slots all over the surface allowing the device to be mounted wherever the user finds it fitting. This steel Picatinny rail made by the Croatian manufacturer Rusan is a suitable choice for your Santa Barbara Mauser.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the scope mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu

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Recknagel 25.4 mm Tip-Off Mount for Mauser K98 (Without Bulb)

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Santa Barbara Mauser

Santa Barbara Mauser Rifle Review

Santa Barbara Mauser Calibers

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Santa Barbara Mauser

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Santa Barbara Mauser

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Santa Barbara Mauser

Best Scope Mounts for Santa Barbara Mauser

Fixed Scope Mounts for Santa Barbara Mauser

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Santa Barbara Mauser

Picatinny Rails for Santa Barbara Mauser

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

Recknagel 25.4 mm Tip-Off Mount for Mauser K98 (Without Bulb)

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Santa Barbara Mauser

Santa Barbara Mauser Rifle Review

Santa Barbara Mauser Calibers

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Santa Barbara Mauser

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Santa Barbara Mauser

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Santa Barbara Mauser

Best Scope Mounts for Santa Barbara Mauser

Fixed Scope Mounts for Santa Barbara Mauser

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Santa Barbara Mauser

Picatinny Rails for Santa Barbara Mauser

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

Recknagel 25.4 mm Tip-Off Mount for Mauser K98 (Without Bulb)

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