Mauser 98K Valuation Help!

[Grendl]

Go look to see what you can get for $400 on GB. I still regret some guns I've passed on that weren't "deals" and on other occasions I've found much better deals just by being patient. Does this one really "speak" to you or are you just looking for a Mauser?

[John Browning]

Anything bought on Gunbroker will add $100 to $150 in shipping and transfer. If you could walk away for $550 you would be doing very well. These guns don't get cheaper with time.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

There are many hidden gems on Gunbroker. I bought a very nice Russian SKS for $425 including shipping and the seller threw in 200 rounds of ammo as well as the correct sling, cleaning kit, oil bottle, and manual.

I didn't even bid on it. That was the buy it now price and it had been up for a few days. The rifle was gorgeous when it arrived too.

I have a K98 that I got off Armslist that is a very nice RC that was $400 shipped to me. Just keep looking for deals. They are there.

[emcon5]

Thanks guys, I'll look up the law but if he won't do it...would it be stupid to DROS it? Or maybe the gun store will tell us we don't need to?

Federally there is no law against it, all that matters for a selling 03 FFL is the record keeping. This is in the ATF Federal firearms reference guide that he should have a copy of.

California Law still allows sale of 50+ year old long guns, without DROS between non prohibited persons, for the next 3 months anyway. Detailed here:

http://wiki.calgunsfoundation.org/Buying_and_selling_firearms_in_California#Buying_from_a_Private_Party_WITHOUT_a_Dealer

It is certainly his prerogative to only sell through a CA FFL and required DROS, if he wants to cover his backside.

I would say keep looking. At that price and requiring DROS, I expect it will be for sale for a while. Keep you eyes on the Collectors Exchange(or post a WTB thread) and Long Gun Trader

[louie]

If any of you have an account w/ Century you can see what they are now charging for k98's. the cheapest is $550, and it goes to over a 1000.00. I know this sounds insane, but that's the reality of new import German k98s. I worked the Ontario show this weekend and very few k98's, and none less than 500.00. Some of latest expensive imports have dot matrix serial's over their original ser.number that looks very ugly. Many of the ones Classic Arms had looked like this. They went from 500-900 last year and yes all of them sold. If you can find a nice K98 for 400.00 jump on it. It is from someone who doesn't follow the market for this type of gun. As the old saying of the blind squirrel goes you can find a nut now and then, but for the most part it's a lot of foot work w/ little results. Many will put up great Yugo m48 and 48a rifles as k98's, and of course there's the all matching (lol) Mitchell's Mausers. The Russian k98's w/ good clean marking are no longer an easy catch. I am always on the look for them at gun shows from Del Mar to Ventura, and very few come out. Dealers want top dollar now for those dirty birds more than ever. At times you can get the Weimar marked ones a little cheaper, or the peened ones, but w/ original stamped Nazi FP.s it's a tough market.

[whatwhy]

Okay, I would not be opposed to paying $500-$550 for a nice one, this one looks really great in pictures.

I hope this isn't too much to ask but, could you guys help me out and let me know what I should be looking for?

Markings: I understand the Nazi Eagles and the serial and the factory codes. Is there sort of markings that I want to see and those that I don't want to see?

Stock cracks: Any common places for the stock to be cracked? I will look over it all but just wondering if there's any weird places easily overlooked and the most common ones

Bore: Clean bright shiny bore is what I understand is good. What do you look for in bore and barrel rifling?

Dryfiring: Is it okay to do on a K98 to feel the trigger?

Anything else I should look for? Missing piece? Stuff like that?

[Armistice]

Okay, I would not be opposed to paying $500-$550 for a nice one, this one looks really great in pictures.

I hope this isn't too much to ask but, could you guys help me out and let me know what I should be looking for?

Markings: I understand the Nazi Eagles and the serial and the factory codes. Is there sort of markings that I want to see and those that I don't want to see?

Stock cracks: Any common places for the stock to be cracked? I will look over it all but just wondering if there's any weird places easily overlooked and the most common ones

Bore: Clean bright shiny bore is what I understand is good. What do you look for in bore and barrel rifling?

Dryfiring: Is it okay to do on a K98 to feel the trigger?

Anything else I should look for? Missing piece? Stuff like that?

The more WA proof stamps the better

At the tang and the butt seem to be the most common on darn near any rifle

The more defined the rifling the better

Honestly, one dryfire is not going to kill a gun in my opinion. I'm sure someone may say otherwise. However, Mausers let off in the middle of the pull. Honestly, I think Mausers have the best breaking trigger; not too far forward like my 1903, and not way at the back like Mosins

Missing items are usually cleaning rod, capture screws on the floorplate/ trigger, and sight hood

[whatwhy]

The more WA proof stamps the better

At the tang and the butt seem to be the most common on darn near any rifle

The more defined the rifling the better

Honestly, one dryfire is not going to kill a gun in my opinion. I'm sure someone may say otherwise. However, Mausers let off in the middle of the pull. Honestly, I think Mausers have the best breaking trigger; not too far forward like my 1903, and not way at the back like Mosins

Missing items are usually cleaning rod, capture screws on the floorplate/ trigger, and sight hood

Thanks! Excuse my lack of knowledge but, what exactly are WA proof stamps?

[Milsurp Collector]

Thanks! Excuse my lack of knowledge but, what exactly are WA proof stamps?

He meant WaA (Waffenamt) markings. They are inspector markings.

http://home.scarlet.be/p.colmant/waffenamt.htm

[whatwhy]

Ah okay, thanks.

What do they call the eagle/swastika markings?

[whatwhy]

Ah okay, thanks.

What do they call the eagle/swastika markings?

[Mssr. Eleganté]

Ah okay, thanks.

What do they call the eagle/swastika markings?

Those are also Waffenamt stampings. Different factories had different looking eagles and the eagle styles changed over the years.

[pitfighter]

Craigslist is great isn't it?

[louie]

The WaA marking are usually all over the rifle parts. WaA135, 623, 4, 26, 211, there are tons of em. Now the Firing proofs are usually on the left side of the receiver and barrel. The early ones have the stick Weimar eagle. The latter ones have the Nazi eagle w/ swastika in a circle below eagle. Some of the K98's out of the East block have the swastika peened or center punched. Some were buffed out, others were marred out, seems like w/ a chisel. There will be usually a firing proof under the bolt handle too.

[whatwhy]

Thanks guys, the guy isn't replying to me anymore so who knows what happened...hopefully I hear back from him soon.