I've fired it a couple of times. It really hammers !
The 6.5x55 cartridge is a classic. The bullet and case are very well balanced. Many fine rifles are still chambered for it.
The early Swedish Mausers were built in Germany and then production switched to Sweden; all were built with extremely high quality Swedish steel. Among the many different flavors of Mausers, the Swedish 1896 model has always been considered one of the highest quality.
Concerning the threaded muzzle, I suggest one of the after-market metal thread protectors. They are the same as the outside barrel diameter, blued, and look good. You can keep the plastic one, just in case you sell the rifle some day.