K98 Mauser Sporterized Value

E

Eldoron

Inactive
I have a 43 K98, 8MM that I acquired from my Dad about 50 years ago and sporterized it. I now know that was a dumb idea but it is done! How much did I devalue it?
It is all matching numbers, my Dad got it in the late 40's so I guess it was a "bring back" from the WW2.
The middle letter has a scope mount hole but there is a D _ U and 43 under the scope mount. 2183 on everything with hh under 2183 on LS. It has the Waffenamt insignias on the LS as well.
I am guessing it is a DOU piece from Werk Bystrica. Am I right and what would it have been worth intact and now sporterized?
Thanks.
 

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Its worth as much as someone will pay you for it. To a collector, they probably aren't even interested in it. To someone who wants a nice hunting rifle, maybe $300.
 
you did a wonderful job sporterizing that rifle. though it does make me cringe when i see war trophies sporterized it hurts even more when done poorly! ive bought about 3 sporterized K98's some done horibly and one dove VERY nicely. funny enought the nice one was the cheapest at 175$ bout 2 years ago. the most expensive was $300 re-barreled to a 257 Roberts: unfortunately the scope was drilled crookid :mad: and the third was 250$ and had an old scope mount that kept coming loose so i sold her off. so your anywhere from 350$ to 175$ i would say a fair price for your rifle would be $350-$250 depending on the trigger and scope you have on it.
 
Well lets see, its a rifle that your father brought back from WWII, that he gave to you, that you sporterized yourself. Those circumstances would make it worth alot more than you could ever sell it for IMO.

That being said, I just recently traded for a sporterized Mauser 98 in similar condition as yours minus the bluing and a scope. What did I trade? An old H&R pardner 20 ga shotgun and a few shells altogether worth about $150. I think I did pretty good. I dont know a whole lot about Mausers but I'd say yours would bring around $300 to the right hunter that wasnt worried about collector value.
 
I agree with the "it has more value because its from family" line of thought. The sporterizing isnt the worst thing that ever happened. In my humble opinion, it makes the guns much more practical to use. Having had both, I dont get the least bit excited about original Mausers, but really like a well done sporter, and feel they handle far better and are more fun to shoot.

Yours is fairly well done, even though it has the original barrel. Most sporters used a commercial barrel with sporter profile, and generally had the caliber changed to something more common in the US, like 30-06 or 270.
 
I have a 43 K98, 8MM that I acquired from my Dad about 50 years ago and sporterized it. I now know that was a dumb idea but it is done! How much did I devalue it?
Click to expand...

First off, you didn't devalue it. You sporterized that rifle 50 years ago? What was it worth then, before you sporterized it? $30? $50? What was done improved the value of the rifle back then.

Leaving aside the family heirloom value, bring back Mausers back then were still as plentiful as dirt, and nearly as cheap. Sporterizing them improved both their utility and their value back then.

Today, there are a lot of collectors who only want guns in as issued condition. Because of their history, and because of their scarcity today they bring more money than a sporterized one. IF we hadn't sporterized so many of those Mausers, "as issued" ones wouldn't be worth nearly so much today!

I've owned a lot of sporterized Mausers over the years, in calibers from .22-250 to .458 Win Mag. Fine rifles, each and every one was worth more, and more useful to me than the issue condition rifles they were made from. I've also got a small pile of Mausers, Arisakas, SMLEs, and Moisin Nagants in the condition they were issued in, dings, wear and all. TO me, they are nice, but not as nice as a finely done sporter. TO someone else? Just the opposite,sometimes...
 
Thank you 44AMP. It is not for sale anyway but I was just curious. I sold another rifle I got from my Dad, a beautiful original .30-40 Krag and I wish I still had that piece!
Thanks to all who responded.
 
Complaining about sporterizing done fifty and sixty years ago is silly. It's like complaining about a rare-date Morgan dollar that was circulated and thus was worn down below "uncirculated" condition.

Taking a pristine example, today, and sporterizing it is a whole different deal.
 
I agree, Art. If I was to start feeling bad about all the Mausers we sporterized 30 years ago, I would just sit down, wet myself, and cry for a few years. I hate to see a badly chopped Mauser, but a nicely done custom sporter is a nice rifle.
 
@44AMP & Scorch: I enjoyed your thoughts. Thanks for bringing some much needed perspective to the "sporterizing" issue.
 
Nice looking hunting rifle.

Couple weeks ago I bought a nicely sportered 1917 Winchester, very nice rosewood stock, good sights, and scope/sling, minty bore, smooth action, for $330 out the door. I would think you could get the same or a bit more for your nice Mauser, up to about $500. I consider the Winchester the bargain of the year for me.
 
I bought a 98 mauser from J&G sales and really didn't like it. It was heavy and kicked pretty hard. Your gun to my way of thinking is much more practical. I sold the military mauser I had and decided I didn't like old military guns that much.

My grandfather was an old time gunsmith from the 50s through the 1970s. I have two sporterized mausers he built. One in 8x57 with the original barrel turned down and a 7x57 with a P.O. Ackley barrel on it. I handload for both and think the 7x57 is just about the greatest rifle around.

When I was about 6 years old I went in my GF single car garage and the back wall was full of 98 mausers. It must have been 6-7 rifles deep. The rafters had 98s laying across them. I bet there was over 300 rifles in his garage. And he sporterized every one of them. He made a lot of money selling his guns. I used to run into someone every once in a while who reconized our last name and said they have one of his rifles but have never shot them because they were so nice. I tell them to shoot them. Thats what he made them for.

When my dad died I got a packet of letters from his estate that came from my GF estate. There are letters from PO Ackley and Phil Sharpe. I knew my GF was into guns but I had no idea how much he was into them.

Enjoy your rifle. Its a moot point now if the value is hurt. To my mind its not.
 
I'm a shooter and a hunter, not an antique collector, and to me a nicely sporterized military rifle is much more valuble than original. Not knocking the originals, they just dont serve a purpose for me personally. You sporterized it so I'm guessing you made it how YOU wanted it, and thats worth alot. Shoot it, take it hunting, and enjoy it. You will get alot more enjoyment than someone who has an all original, numbers matching, unfired high-dollar Mauser that never sees the light of day.
 
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