Which mauser?

[luke6417]

I've scraped together a little cash and wanted to get a mauser.  I'm not looking for a collector's item.  I want a shooter.  I would even consider one that had been sporterized.  I'm really looking for a project gun to do a little open-sight shooting with.  Which masuer would you suggest?

[mcwoodduck]

The 98K's are good rifles 8X57 ammo is available.  good strong rifle. These would include the M48 from Yugoslavia that I think they just stopped making a few years ago.
The available ammo: Rem ammo is down loaded so it will not hurt OLD .318 bore mausers like the 88 and is similar to .300 Savage in proformance.  The 98K use 323 bullets and eropean ammo is loaded as hot or hotter than 30-06.
the 96 Swedes are great.  Long WW I rifles.  While looking akward they really are not.  6.5X55 is also another great round.
My 96 does not kick like a big game round.  My 38 (short rifle) cav rifle did kick.
I have had a few 95's and 93's in 7X57 both long and short rifles.  All fun and good shooters.
one was a sporterized cav carbine from spain I bought for $75 about 15 years ago.
The barrel was all pitted and nasty but was one of the best shooters.  I gave it to a friend when he was down on his luck and needed something for deer hunting.
Go get a Mauser book if you are going to buy a sporter.  Figure out if the rifle was a rifle, carbine, or short rifle before it was sporterized.
Some people cut down the 96, 95, 98, and 93 long rifles.  Some depending on country and model had progressive rifeling and will never shoot worth a hoot if you buy them.
Other rifles were converted to .308 like the 98K for Isreal and the 93 / 95's from spain.
There are many scope mounts from B Square that are take off if you want to mount a scope with out all the drill and tap as well as playing with the safety.

[mannyrock]

 No question in my mind.  If this is your first mauser, and you want a pleasant rifle to shoot from the bench, with readily available ammo, lots of aftermarket accessories, very good resale value, and also extreme effectiveness as a hunting round, then go with a 96 Swedish Mauser (6.5 Swede) in at least very good condition.   After you master this, if you still want another  mauser, then get a 98 military mauser in 8mm.   But, I'm betting that you won't like it anywhere as much as the Swede.

Best,

Mannyrock

[TribReady]

I personally have not found a better "feeling" rifle than a 98k. Natural fit, balance, and good shooter--I prefer it over a Yugo m48 any day.

For mauser sporters, try Allan's Armory. He's got Swedish Husqvarna commercial rifles built on mauser actions (these are not military reworks, but hunting rifles from the 50's & 60's). Beautiful rifles and accurately described. Most of his are 8x57, but some 30-06 and 9.3mm

[mcwoodduck]

Do you have a website for them?

[TribReady]

Yep. It's just one guy, Allan. Great to work with.
www.allans-armory.com/

[Czech_too]

I have to second the recommendation for both Allan's Armory and for the 6.5 Swede.

[Mikey]

I'm with TribReady.  My M48A seems to be a easier handling and better handling rifle than either my VZ24 or my K98. 

And I have two Husquarvarna made Mausers - one a M38 (23.5" bbl) in 6.5mm Swede and the other a M46 (?) (M98) Sporter in 8mm.  Both rifles are incredible tack drivers.  The 8mm sporter is a classic looking European sporter.

I would look for a sporter or mil-surp that has been sporterized.  You really cannot kill these things and I doubt the typically sporterized mil-surp is 'shot out'.  It may be but even 'bad looking' barrels can give incredible accuracy.  And, if you find one with a sewer pipe for a barrel that simply will not shoot but you like the rifle, it can be rebarrelled for not a lot. 

Lots of times the sporterized mil-surps are found with a old scope that has gone south and the rifle owned by some 'old guy' (like me) who thinks it has been finally shot out when it only needs a new scope to put it back in order.  Keep lookin' and let us know what you find. 

[Elijah Gunn]

Does anyone have any experience with the Israeli 98 mauser in .308? I'd like to have a good tough rifle that I can get out beyond 300 yds with. Needs to be .308 to keep my ammo standardized. What price range are they at now?

[Harry Snippe]

I would not know to much about a converted M 98 from Israel as being a tack driver , but there are some great Model 96 and 38 Swede's out there in 6.5X55  still in full wood that will shoot .Your not going to get one for fifty bucks any more as price's very from $400. to mid $500 .here in Canada , and good rifles are drying up .
It was not very long ago when you could buy a 98 0r model 48 still in the grease , but they have been sold now for a few years.
Some good Model 98 "s mostly FN actions can still be found in 8MM and 9.3x57 at reasonable condition and price at  tradeexcanada  for those on this side of the border .

[Yankee1]

Hello
   I have both the 98 and the 6.5 Swede. I would recommend the 6.5 swede.  They are both excellent rifles but I believe the 6.5 will do all you want and is a joy to shoot. It has excellent  performance at long range due to its high ballistic coefficient.
                                      yankee1

[mcwoodduck]

While not mausers.
don't over look the Enfield No 4 in 303 Brit.  Fun accurate rifle.
Ammo is available I have had two and both were accurate, ammo was available and has the power to hunt anything.

[Huffmanite]

Like another has suggested, the 6.5 Swede is an excellent mauser type rifle to first acquire.  Watched a guy shoot groups the size of a quarter at 2oo yards with a sporterized Swede (shortened 96 Swede barrel and scoped) one day at the rifle range where I shoot.  I have a couple of Swedes myself, and the 6.5 recoil is mild and they are accurate.  As for an open sight K98 mauser in 308 being OK for 300 yard shooting with open sights, I hesitate to answer in the positive.  I do own an Israeli K98 in .308 with the original military sights.  Of my military surplus rifles, it has the poorest looking bore.  Yet, I find it to be surprizingly accurate when shooting at 100 yard targets.

[rio grande]

I vote for the m48 Yugo.  Lots of nice ones still around, matching w/ fine bores, at good prices. 
The swedes are fine rifles, but they are not the stronger Model 98.  Also the Swede ammo is more expensive and harder to find.

I'd buy original condition and not sporterized unless it was an awesome deal.  More resale w/ original configuration, and less likely that 'Bubba' messed it up.
Also I would not buy something that needed a new barrel or other work.  Not cost-effective, not by a long shot!

[Old Fart]

I have to second the recommendation for both Allan's Armory and for the 6.5 Swede.

I also have had good luck with Allan.
Very nice fellow and easy to deal with.
I just picked up one of the K31's he has.

Another I've had good luck with is J&G.

As for which one, well I think you'd be well served by going to a gun show or two and looking at them.
See how they feel and shoulder. There are a lot of fine mausers out there.
Don't be to concerned about the caliber as most ammo can still be found. Some a little harder than others.

[iiranger]

If you find hard copy of Shotgun News [shotgunews.com] and look at a couple issues you will see advertisers with all that is available. Century Arms, St. Albans, VT. SAMCO. etc. The 6.5 Swede gives up nothing to the .270 WCF with iron sights. Scope is another story. Husquavarna's were made after 1938 for WW II. The Karl Gustaf Arsenal made them for both WW I and WW II. (So I grabbed a Husky...) There is Gun List but I had so many years into SGN that I never got acquainted.

The 8x57's are drying up. Nice gun. Cartridge equal to .308 anyway approx. Surplus ammo available. If it fits you and your needs, you will join a long line of owners/shooters/ etc. 

When the country of Israel was new and hard up for arms, supposedly they bought tons and tons of surplus WW II Mausers converted to .308 --by whom??? I wouldn't buy one for a match gun but for a truck gun? Surplus ammo is scarce. But there is reloading.

Samco has a Swede with peep match sights at a terrible price. They also have some barreled actions. And that Spanish .308 conversion of the 7x57 on the 93 pattern... Costs less. Super pretty? Doubt it? Truck gun... well I have had 2. Enough.

The Mexican Mausers, small ring 98 in 7x57, are pretty scarce. Nice all around North American rifle. Right after the war there were 98's made in .30/'06. Had one from Belgium. Lots of fun (surplus ammo was $0.05 each...). Enjoy the search. Happy trails. Luck.

[mannyrock]

  The 6.5 Swede ammo is hard to find?   In what state?  My wife had one, and we never had a bit of problem finding it anywhere?  You can get quality 6.5 Swede hunting ammo from all of the big catalogue companies, such as Cabellas, and all of the big sporting goods stores.    She also wanted some fmj for rough sight-in purposes, and had no problem finding two combat sleeves of it.

   It is a heck of alot easier to find than say, .257 Roberts, or .444 Marlin, or even .303 British.

Mannyrock

[rio grande]

  The 6.5 Swede ammo is hard to find?   In what state?  My wife had one, and we never had a bit of problem finding it anywhere?  You can get quality 6.5 Swede hunting ammo from all of the big catalogue companies, such as Cabellas, and all of the big sporting goods stores.    She also wanted some fmj for rough sight-in purposes, and had no problem finding two combat sleeves of it.

   It is a heck of alot easier to find than say, .257 Roberts, or .444 Marlin, or even .303 British.

Mannyrock

I agree as far as commercial soft-point. Not hard to find.
And if you reload, not so bad.
Cheap surplus plinking ammo, that's what I meant, but you're right, I looked and I see some on line that's not too expensive.
Still, it's not a '98 Mauser. And not inexpensive rifles.  But they are EXTREMELY well-made. It's always amazing to me the quality of the Swedish Mausers, given the technology they had at the time.
Me, I'm just a poor boy, I shoot a Mosin Nagant right now, a 91/30.  The Swedes are priced now out of my range.