M96 Mauser Question

R

redlantrn

New member
Hey Guys.
I have a couple of questions about the M96 pictured below. I know it has been sporterized, which greatly reduces it's value. It does have a pretty low SN (130XX). I was wondering if that would anyway offset the depreciation?
Second question is I noticed there is the name Ed Paul on the front part of the receiver. It is machine engraved not hand.
Does it stand for Ed Paul Mauser?
Thanks for any info.

Jason

IMG_0903.jpg
 
No. Sporterized is sporterized. That one is a B.B. gun (Better than Bubba) but it is still a sporterized surplus rifle.

No. Herr Mauser's name was Peter Paul Mauser. Ed Paul may have been the gunsmith who worked on the surplus rifle dumped on the American market.
 
It is what you see--it's value at this point is in its function, not its collectability.

That said, it looks like the guy did a pretty decent job. Should be a nice shooter.

By the way, it's probably overstating things to say that its value is greatly reduced. At this point in time the Swedes are pretty common and prices are pretty low. For example, when I bought my swedes, it was possible to sporterize one and increase its sale price by a factor of 3 or more. That's how Kimber got its start. Those days are gone, but it's still in the realm of possibility that a nice sporterization job on an M96 could increase its current value by a bit.

The key is that as time wears on, the sporter is probably not going to increase in value at all (unless the guy who did the sporterizing becomes very well known and his work sought after) while an original condition rifle will certainly become more valuable. So at some point in the future it will be true that its value is greatly reduced. At the current time? Not so much.
 
Thanks, but I've already owned both an issue and a custom Model 1896, and my current 6.5x55 is a Model 70 Featherweight Classic. :)

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