Which Mauser? How much?

[wsjones]

I want an 8mm military surplus Mauser, with a bayonet & scabbard.  Why?  Beats me, except that I don't have one and it seems a shame not to if you're a gun nut.  I have an 1895 Chilean 7x57 that cost me $80 back in 1985, including the bayonet, but now it appears things have gotten pricier.  But it's not a 98 or variant and I want one.

Anyway, I'd like some help narrowing the field some.  I'm not a collector but would like something that's true military surplus from anywhere from WWI through WWII.  Pristine and collectible aren't requirements, although I would like something original and not cobbed together.  I won't shoot it a lot because there are too many other guns to shoot, but I do want something functional and for which I can reload.

A friend bought one of the Mitchell's M48's a couple years ago and I was impressed with the quality and condition of the rifle and accessories (yeah I know, it's not a 98 and lots of folks don't like Mitchell's but it was and is a very nice piece that looks cool and shoots great).  Is it worth it to consider the K98's they're advertising now?  Or are there other sources of good quality, matching number K98's that might be a better choice?

What about other 8mm Mausers manufactured under contract somewhere else?  What are the choices?  Advantages?  Downfalls?  Sources and prices?  Any I should avoid?

Thanks in advance.  -WSJones

[Brithunter]

About the best option I can think of is the Turkish contract rifles. Relatively inexpensive and a lot of them are very accurate just check for a decent bore.

[Mikey]

WSjones:  there are no real downsides to any of the 8mm Mausers.  Even if you intend to reload I would suggest you stick with WWII era rifles so as not to possibly find one with the smaller .318 diameter bore.  Many of the WWII and pre-war suprlus rifles in the .323 diameter are excellent shooters.

OK, you have the K98s, the Chech/Yugo VZ-24s, VZ-24/47 and VZ-24/52 (47 and 52 refer to the year of factory rebuild) and the Turkish M38.  You also have the Mitchells Mausers.  All these rifles are 98 actions.  The Yugo M48 and M48A are 98 Mauser actions, just the intermediate length action, that's all.  The Chech/Yugo VZ 98s have the straight bolts while the others have the bent bolt.  I have examples of each and find that I really like the M48 and M48A.  Mine shoot very accurately.

I would check with Mid-South Supply, one of our sponsors.  They may well carry a selection of 98s.  HTH.  Mikey.

[wsjones]

Any experiences with firearms and/or "collector packages" from Samco?  I was looking at their deal on the M24/47 with bayonet & accessories for $200, which seems reasonable.  I haven't called them yet to ask a few questions but intend to. In the meantime, does anyone have experiences to share?  Thoughts?  Warnings?  Thanks.  -WSJones

[Mikey]

WSjones:  I've got a couple.  One is a 24/52 - reworked at Preduze44 (Factory 44) in 1952.  They were usually rebarrelled, possibly new bolts and stocks.  Numbers usually match on the reworks.  Its a full size military Mauser and shoots like a bear.  Accurate with my eyes.  Lieks the heavy 196-200gn slugs.  I say the same thing about my M48A, which was new or unissued when I bought it.  This is also a '98' - the M48 actions are about 1/4" shorter in length than the K98 Mauser of WWII and the VZ-24/47 and /52, but it is a for sure military Mauser and I think it handles better and is just a bit lighter than even the K98 I have. 

$200 is a good price for a decent quality Vz-24/47, but I think a few more $ might really worth a Mitchells.  I've seen a couple on the ranges when I go play 'Crazy 8s' and they look good.  Nice wood, good metal.  Shoot good.  Like new.  With accessorites.  Put a square Swede front sight blade, square out your rear 'V' and see how she hits at 2, 3 and 400 yds. 

With Mil-surp ammo, you can have a ball.  What more could ya ask for?  Mikey.

[wsjones]

Thanks for the advice.  As for the selection. at least for the moment, I made it last night.  Stopped by a friend's last night who has several and I got to compare a Brno K98, the 24/47 and an Iranian/Persian 98 (the long rifle with the straight bolt).  He'd bought the 24/47 several years ago with the bayonet, sling, ammo pouches, etc.  Next thing you know he was trying to trade me out of my 95.  You know how these things go.  The upshot was by the end of the evening he'd decided just to sell me the 24/47 outright for $150. 

I'd call the rifle very good overall.  All the numbers match, the bore looks good, and it's got a surprisingly nice piece of wood in the stock which I'm convinced is walnut.  The handguard appears to be a different wood: it's lighter and more yellow and I suspect birch or at least walnut sap wood?  The bayonet appears new and the leather accessories I'd call good.  They've obviously had some use but aren't oil rotted and still function.

The best part is I got my gun fix for relatively little $$, got to handle it all I wanted and compare to something comparable (the Brno; the Persian was in a totally different class), I bought it from a friend, and I'd actually shot the thing a couple years ago not long after he'd bought it (which I'd forgotten).  Maybe best of all he's had it totally apart and cleaned and degreased everything and got off all of the old whatever-it-was the East Bloc countries used in place of cosmoline.

Worst part is that all this old surplus looking has got me thinking of others that I really should look into before they all disappear.  You know how these things go.  Thanks again.  -WSJones

[putnam_outdoors]

I noticed you may have caught the "bug" that is MILSURP!

One model that is quickly becoming scarce (or so those that market them claim anyway) is the K31 Swiss Army Rifle.
While I LOVE my assorted Mausers I have to say the K31 is definitely the class of all the milsurps I own.

Shouldn't be surprising as the Swiss didn't make 50 million of them while at war and they are sticklers for quality.
They are VERY accurate, slicker n' snakes snot, and quite a bit different than anything else due to their unique design and quality of fit and finish.

I have a few of the common/popular Mausers too. But my favorites are two post-war Spanish FR8 models in 7.62 x 51 (.308 NATO). The are by no means the BEST, just different and unique compared to most other mauser models. IF I had unlimited funds, I would like to by a Persian Mauser. I've seen a few and they are sweet. A very close second are the Swedish 6.5MM models.

Sounds like you got a good deal and are pleased. That in itself is awesome no matter what model you bought. Nice to see someone that can enjoy what they have instead of complaining about something better!

 

[wsjones]

Once again, thanks all for the info and encouragement.  If I could figure out how to reliably post a couple pictures I'd do it.  And as for the "milsurp" thing (see?  I learned a new word, too!), I've gotten all worked over what used to be just "old cheap junk surplus rifles" back when the epitome of style in my world was a the pressed basketweave "checkering" on a Remington 760 BDL.  I even dragged out an M38 Carcano 7.35 that my first x-wife bought me and read up on it a bit.  Lord, I think I still have some  ammo for it and might even see if it still shoots after all these years.  Looking at it I see I really need a bayonet and cleaning kit to make it complete - another post coming up.

Now for another question on the 24/47.

Mikey:  You mention swapping the front sight for one from a Swede (presume you mean M96?) and square off that itty bitty tiny rear V?  What's the best way to square the rear?  File?  Dremel?  I guess there's no real concern if you go a bit deeper than the bottom of then original V with the tangent sight.

Were any ever fitted with a peep?  That's about the only thing I can use anymore besides a scope and I'd look into that if that was ever an official set-up.  I've no interest in putting a scope on it regardless.

-WSJones

[SM Bob]

I just ordered a collectors grade M48 from Mitchell's. I really got bitten by the dreaded milsurp
bug recently. I plan on adding a set of ZRAK mounts and rings with a 3-9 scope and use it
for general blasting and hunting. I think the M48 looks pretty wicked set up like this. Almost
like a Serb sniper rifle. I haven't shot one before, but from what I have read on them they
can be deadly accurate with the right loads. I can't wait to pick it up in 10 days. (Stupid
People's Republik Of Kalifornia waiting period!)

                                                                  Robert

[wsjones]

Wow, that's a nifty looking set-up.  That's not the Mitchells ad; whose rifle is that?

I've shot a friend's Mitchell's M48 and it's a shooter.  And as I mentioned at the start of this thread, it was absolutely as described when it arrived.  His only issue was that it misfired a couple times right after he bought it (we were shooting in northern PA in November) but that was corrected by a disassembly and a good cleaning of the bolt innards.

[Mikey]

WSjones:  Swede front sights, whether M96 or M38, interchange with M48/48As and probably all other WWII era Mausers.  You can buy a set of square blade Swedish Mauser front sights, (set contains 4 or 5 front sight blades of different heights) and find the one that gives you point of impact to point of aim at 100m.  My M48, 24/52 and VZ24 all shot about 6" high (if I remember correctly) at 100 yds - it was the sight regulation for the cartridge (high at 100, couple of inches high at 200, couple of inches low at 300, or something like that). I 'squared' the rear sight 'V' with a small Swiss file.

Just changing from the inverted 'V' front sight blade to the Swede's 'square' front blade and 'squaring off the rear inverted 'V' made all the difference for me.  The sights were much more clear and it is much easier to take a good target hold with these sights than with the originals. 

Peeps?  Nope, not that I am aware of.

SM Bob:  Now that's one verrry sexy Mauser.  What mounts are those and how much cl;earance is there twixt bolt handle and scope bell???  Thanks.  Mikey.

[SM Bob]

Mikey,
You are right! It is a beautiful piece! The mounts are ZRAK made in Serbia I believe.
They are the best looking ones I have seen so for for the M48. I was surfing the net
and came upon them by accident. Here is a couple of articles where guys have mounted
scopes to their M48's using the ZRAK mounts. One guy had to bend his bolt slightly
to clear his scope. It doesn't bother me one bit to do that. Here is the articles I found.




http://home.att.net/~m48a/

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://riflechair.netfirms.com/marstar/scope/rt.jpg&imgrefurl=http://riflechair.netfirms.com/marstar/k98k.htm&h=374&w=864&sz=49&hl=en&start=24&tbnid=MdSwu9EtJBt1WM:&tbnh=63&tbnw=145&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmauser%2Bm48%26start%3D20%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN