Mauser k98?

[kcheung2]

If you want an accurate shooter, get a Swedish Mauser.
If you want an affordable Mauser-pattern rifle, get a Yugo Mauser.
If you want history with a bit of irony, get an Israeli Mauser.
If you want obscure, get a Chinese Mauser.
If you want a beatiful crest, get a Persian Mauser.
If you want something ugly, get a Turkish Mauser.
If you want to go off the beaten path, get a South American.
If you want a German WW2 Mauser, them get a German WW2 Mauser. Anything else will be a poor substitute.

Russian capture means a sloppy mismatch that's lost it's connection to any verifiable story

I'm not sure what a verifiable story even means, but while RC's used to be considered the ugly stepchild, many people are coming around to the idea that a Russian arsenal refurb is as much a part of it's military history as a US arsenal refurb would be a valid part of a Garand's history. Plus while the Russians had no particular respect for the guns, they certainly knew how to preserve them & had to cosmoline to prove it. There are also no humid jungles in Russia. Contrast that to South America.

And as a footnote, I have a Yugo capture that has all the waffenamts intact. So they exist.

[Springfield45]

Russian captures(RC) K98's are easy to spot. They were modified by the Russians and stored away for the next war. They were disassembled, refinished and reassembled without regard of the original serial numbers. Usually all the metal parts will be refinished in a black oxide finish including the bolt. Serial numbers will be force matched and electro penciled on the bolt top. Butt plates, the bolt disassembly Butten, recoil lug and the nose cap will be in the white because they were left attached to the stock. The stock will be refinished and sanded in one spot on the butt and the new serial number is stamped on it. Sometimes the original marks are defaced like the Waffen marks, but not always. It is normal for them to be missing the cleaning rods, sight hoods and capture screws. They were removed to comply with a stupid disarmament treaty because they were deemed unserviceable without them. The Russians got the last laugh on that one.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

It isn't hard to find a K98 on one of the various boards, or even auction sites. I own several K98's, some are RC, Postwar Czech rework, mixmasters, etc. All perform well.

Just look for one with a good bore and solid stock. K98 stocks are famous for splitting at the tang, so just be aware of that..

[Bobby Ricigliano]

The Yugo reworks are a great value usually. Although mostly devoid of German markings, they often have great bores and furniture, and saw little or no use after rearsenal.

[Marcus von W.]

Here's an interesting and historical Spanish Civil War issued and captured Polish Mauser at a very good price:

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1510282

[Clickjack]

New question. Whats the story on the Nazi markings? All the ones Ive seen have been pinged or grinded off.

If I can find a war time Mauser with markings intact. That's a shooter and not a museum piece. Whats a fair price range?

With the marking removed?

[Discogodfather]

New question. Whats the story on the Nazi markings? All the ones Ive seen have been pinged or grinded off.

If I can find a war time Mauser with markings intact. That's a shooter and not a museum piece. Whats a fair price range?

With the marking removed?

Nothing should be removed on an original rifle. There are Swastikas on some, but not all. Depends on when and where it was made. Germans used a letter code system to hide the location of the factory. BYF is Oberndorf, CE is Sauer, etc. but it changed year to year and researching the code is important.

Waffen Amps and other proof marks and inspector marks also need to be analyzed and appear all over the place. A good start is to go to K98k.com and immerse yourself in some of the conversations going on there about historical accuracy. It's a very complex and difficult thing to find something truly original and verify it. You also have to be prepared to do the research, show the rifle, and then get burned by experts that will tell you that you screwed up!

A mistmatch bolt would get you a $1000 example as long as everything else was untouched. A mid range not in good shape rifle with a few replacement parts or mismatched band is more like $2000. For $3000 you can get an all original example, but beware, most of these rifles are $2000 some con artist force matched and sold as original.

Tough things Nazi Mausers, big leagues of C&R with the highest stakes, most hurt feelings, and biggest cons.