Feedback please. My Mauser M48's.

J

johnb593

Inactive
Hey all,
I recently bought 2 Yugo M48's and would like knowledgeable input, as far as you can via these photos, on whether or not they appear to be okay to shoot. Both have matching numbers for the bolts and receivers. I took both apart, except for the bolts, and thoroughly cleaned them and oiled all the metal parts. Also cleaned the bores. I hope to take them to the range soon but thought I'd run this past y'all first. Thanks in advance for your input.
 

Attachments

  • breeches bolts 001.jpg
    breeches bolts 001.jpg
    98 KB · Views: 96
  • breeches bolts 004.jpg
    breeches bolts 004.jpg
    94.5 KB · Views: 77
  • breeches bolts 005.jpg
    breeches bolts 005.jpg
    86.3 KB · Views: 73
You found TWO M48s with matching bolts? Buy a lottery ticket.

I can't tell anything from those photos except that the numbers look crisp and clear. M48s were post-WW2 production, so it's not like either of your rifles went through D-Day and the defense of Berlin. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot them..
 
I would for sure before shooting them clean the bolts. It's real easy to take them apart to clean them & re-oil them. You most likely have 50+years of old grease in them. I myself have Mauser's & a M48.My M48 was In what I like to say new old stock. Meaning a 50+year old gun that was new,never used never shot. Gun was cleaned well but I (like always) cleaned & oiled it myself. I flied striped the bolt & yes where was 50year+ old grease in it. No big deal to clean it but glad I F/S it. The old grease was caked on & gross. It would not have been good to shoot it that way. I would IMO do the same. If you don't know how to flied strip the bolt you can find it on the internet. Good luck & enjoy that M48 Mauser.
 
for sure before shooting them clean the bolts. It's real easy to take them apart to clean them & re-oil them. You most likely have 50+years of old grease in them
Click to expand...

Seriously. Take the bolts apart and clean them.
 
Many thanks!

Thanks guys for the input. I decided to go on and take the bolts apart and clean/oil them. Neither had a lot of goo thank goodness. Action on both guns is smooth and tight. They should shoot just fine. Fingers crossed. :)
 
The bolt serial number starts with an A prefix which would indicate the first series of rifles produced, I have no idea what year these rifles begin production so be prudent with mild to medium charges. I had a problem with a 98 Argentine mauser that was produce early 1900 that had an "A" prefix serial number that was very soft and developed Head space pretty quickly. I assume your rifle was produced in the 30's if so it should be O.K. It would be nice if these old mausers had the year of production stamped on the receiver... William
 
It is ALWAYS a prudent precaution to have the headspace checked by a competent gunsmith before shooting any firearm with an unknown history.

Yugoslavian Mausers generally are decent guns, made on machinery left behind after the German occupation. They are Mauser 98s, but NOT exactly identical to the German mauser 98.
 
Thanks again

The prefix on the first one is "A" and "V" on the second one. That would make the first one as manufactured in the '30's and the second one in the '50's (1957 I think).
 
"Unlikely, the 48 in "M48" is 1948."

Yep, which is why the advertising claim that they were made by the Germans during WWII is so ridiculous.

Jim
 
More thanks!

I appreciate all the feedback guys. I have these two M48's and am looking at a Turkish 98 made in 1942. For now I guess I'll have to concentrate on filling the ranks of "unGerman made" guns until I can find a good German K98 for a price that I can afford. Gotta walk before I can fly I guess! (But it'll be great to have a nice collection of these guns).
 
For now I guess I'll have to concentrate on filling the ranks of "unGerman made" guns until I can find a good German K98 for a price that I can afford.
Click to expand...

What is your goal? Are you looking for a good shootable example, or are you more interested in pristine matching numbers collector quality rifles?

If you want a shooter, Russian Capture Nazi K98s, while not as much of a bargain as they once were, are still pretty affordable.

If you are looking for a numbers matching collector, be extremely careful. Lots of money in it, and with that comes a lot of unscrupulous people. Many cases of faking or altering markings, and misrepresenting things to be something they are not. Some folks made it their business model.

Some are laughably bad, like this one: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=472150970 but others are really well done.

Hell, you want to fake a rifle, you can buy the fake Waffenamt stamps to do it on ebay.

You got me curious, so I did a quick look on Gunbroker, if you want a shooter, look for something like this one: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=472782397

Seller seems to be honest about it, a bubba-sporter restored to a shooter with Russian Capture parts, and a decent price for what it is. Something like that will have no real value to a "collector" but as a shooter it looks like a decent first German K98. Look on Armslist in your local area, you never know what you might find.
 
Great info!

Thanks very much for the info Emco. I'm very tempted to try for that shooter K98 (retro LOL) NOT the fake. My goal, or area of most interest, is to collect several Mauser versions. I'm finding there are quite a number. A backdated sporter K98 might do just fine for a "starter" German gun, and his price seems fair. I'll check it out a little further. More later........;)

Followup: I decided to bid on it so we will see how that goes.
 
Last edited:
Aside from thinking I wouldn't want to own a rifle that belonged to Heydrich, that one is really funny. About as bad as the Walther PP's and PPK's that used to show up with "Herman Goring" electric pencilled on the slide (and always misspelled).

Jim
 
I am pretty sure the Iron cross in the stock is from a US Army marksmanship badge.

I am shocked that it has bid up so high. One born every minute.....

On Edit: That gun it a textbook example of "Buy the gun, not the story" when it comes to collecting.
 
Got it

Well I bought the "retro" Mauser that Emcon5 mentioned as available on Gunbroker. It'll be nice to have a real German Mauser even if it has been sporterized at one time and then backdated to "original" specs. Thanks EMCON5!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top