Big 5 Yugo Mausers

[NRAhighpowershooter]

$99.... I'm debating to get one.... how would these compare to a real K98?

[M. Sage]

I haven't shot a real 98, but the Yugos shoot pretty nice. Actions seem to be a bit sticky on opening on the ones I've shot.

Worth $100? Yeah, a hundred dollar Mauser is on my list of "to get."

[Pthfndr]

Are they Yugo reworked K98s or Yugo made M48s?

The M48 is basically a 98 with a slightly shorter action. That's really only a consideration if you plan on rechambering for something that requires a long action. If the metal and bore is good I'd buy one for $99. The M48 has all milled parts - floor plate, bands, etc. On the M48A they're stamped. The M48/48A will have the Yugo crest on the receiver. If it's a M48BO it won't have a crest as the Yugos made them for another country - Egypt IIRC. If they look close to being unissed it's not unusual for the action to be stiff. It'll loosen and smooth with some use. 8mm is good round.


Mine shoots pretty darn good. It's not a K31 or a Swede M96/M38 though.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

I'm pretty sure that the current Big 5 Yugo Mausers are M24/47 rifles. That's the only Yugo Mauser that any of the big distributors would have right now in quantities enough to supply Big 5. These are M1924 Mausers that were made by FN for the Yugos and also made by the Yugos themselves, which were then refurbished by the Yugo's in 1947.

They have an "intermediate" length action like the Yugo M48, but they have a straight bolt handle.

[stevie]

Current ad shows the 24/47 which if in good condition would be worth the price of 99

[guimus]

and wideners has 8mm at $25/300 right now.

[Vigilante]

I went to Big 5 about a month ago to look at these rifles the last time they were on sale. There were 2 on the rack, one that was in pretty good shape and one that was pretty hammered. The hammered one was the only one that the sale applied to, or so the guy at the counter said. I was kind of pissed because there was no mention of grade in the ads. And I also know people that have gone to big 5 and hand selected surplus rifles and got the sale price on them. Oh well. I guess the moral of my story is that you may not be able to get a nice rifle at the sale price.

[RaceDay]

I picked a Big 5 24/47 up last month with the 10% coupon so it was $90+DROS+tax. I did a fair amount of visiting Big 5's by work and home to find the nicest one. I saw plenty with very little visible bluing. Anyhow, I got what I consider a $90 project gun. I'm using it as a test bed for stock refinishing and cosmo removal (i.e. is brake cleaner safe to use on a gun), etc. There was definitely a lot of cosmo in the firing pin.

Vigilante, you got hosed by the clerk. I'm surprised they wouldn't sell you either one if they were both 24/47.

[E. Fudd]

I'll be picking mine up soon, (after 10-day wait.) Also used the 10% off coupon off their website.

Fyi, in September, when I was looking for mine during the sale back then, most of the Big 5 stores I checked in Alameda and Contra Costa county had either sold their one in stock that week of the sale, hadn't yet received their allotment that week, or when asked on condition on the one they did have in stock, one store said their's had a "big crack in the butt" (hate those butt cracks) : ), and another store said their's had a broken front sight hood. I had checked the stores between Dublin, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, Concord, and over to Pinole.

I finally called the Vacaville store and the guy in the firearms dept. said they just got one in and it look "okay", so I zipped up there, checked it out, and did the paperwork on it. Looked in very decent shape. Lots of cosmoline on it. No rust visible. Okay wood. For $89 before fees and taxes, I'm not going to complain... : )

Anyway, call around to check if they have them in stock in your area.

NRAHighpower, if you want to check mine out, I can bring it up to Chabot sometime....

Elmer

[Vigilante]

Vigilante, you got hosed by the clerk. I'm surprised they wouldn't sell you either one if they were both 24/47.

Thats what I was thinking. And yeah they were both 24/47s. The clerk was actually a manager, so I knew it wouldn't be worth arguing with him. Damn you big 5!!!

[Brasspolisher]

I got one at their Costa Mesa store. The one on the rack was BEAT. They pulled out another from the back, much better external condition but too covered in cosmoline to really inspect. Got it home and cleaned it up, only to discover that the firing pin has a broken tip. Called 'em -- the first guy said that exchanging ANY parts would invalidate the DROS. Asked for his manager and got "Well, the milsurps aren't guaranteed. You could take it up with Corporate." (But HE wasn't gonna.) Decided to preserve my sanity instead and ordered a pin on eBay, plus triggerguard lock screws that were missing.

Now the $99 rifle is approaching $200 (counting de-cosmo-ing supplies but not tax or fees) and I still don't know if it'll shoot worth a darn. If it's a good one it's still a deal, but after this "customer service," Big5's only use to me is golf balls and the occasional cheap brick of .22s from here on out.

[NRAhighpowershooter]

Well... I didn't buy one.... I have too many pokers in the fire right now But one thing I'll say for the San Lorenzo Big5 they kndasorta know me and will bring out from the back room a few of what ever I want to look at to pick out the better one of the bunch... that is how I got my killer K-31

[WokMaster1]

Well... I didn't buy one.... I have too many pokers in the fire right now But one thing I'll say for the San Lorenzo Big5 they kndasorta know me and will bring out from the back room a few of what ever I want to look at to pick out the better one of the bunch... that is how I got my killer K-31

What do you look for in a K-31? I saw one in El Cerrito Big 5 & was really tempted but realized that I have absolutely no clue about the K-31. Didn't even know how to unlock the bolt. The sales clerk didn't know either.

[mike100]

I got a pretty good shooter 24/47 and a great looker from big 5 with the replacement wood. Real smooth action, no complaints. The same store has one in original walnut with no blueing left that I didn't like at first but now kind of want. It has been there forever. Luckily my interest in non garand milsurps has waned and I can do without.

Besides...I got a mosin m44 that shoots better from the same store for $79 last year.

Basically I recommend bringing what you need to inspect the bore. a light and maybe a small rag or a patch or two. About half of them have been taken care of and have bores that shine like a mirror.

[Blue]

What do you look for in a K-31? I saw one in El Cerrito Big 5 & was really tempted but realized that I have absolutely no clue about the K-31. Didn't even know how to unlock the bolt. The sales clerk didn't know either.

You pull straight back on it. To pull it out there's a button/lever thing on the side that you push and slide the bolt the rest of the way out.