Mitchell's Mausers

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Rmstn1580

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I'm looking into buying an M48 from Mitchell's Mausers. Any problems with that? Any problems I should "look forward to"? :)
 
Avoid it if you can. You can normally get the same M48s elsewhere for about a $100 or so and a number of times in better condition than what Mitchell's Mausers call collectors grade. They prey on people at that company. You be better of at the likes of Southern Ohio Gun.
 
IMHO
From what it seems.... (if you are only wanting an M48 and not a real WW2 German Mauser),

you are only paying the extra money to have all the detail work done for you, ie cleaning, nice stock finish, etc.

I bought a real WW2 German Mauser recently from Classic Arms that arrived in less-than-desirable condition. But with a LOT of TLC, it is now something to look at. The second coat of Tung-oil finish is drying right now.

But $499 is a lot of money for an M48, and I feel that I've gotten to know this rifle better by doing all that detailing myself.
 
Can't view the prices on Southern Ohio Gun. I need a license to do it. What the hell. What are other good places to buy Mausers?
 
I found a 98k on Gun Broker for $100. Is Gun Broker reliable? I'm always skeptical on buying things on Ebay-like websites.
 
I've bought about 10 guns off of GB. I'd say that the reliability is with each individual seller. Check out the individual's feedback, etc. Most listings are from folks more interested in making a buck than actually selling a gun at fair price.

Just pay attention to the description, and always ask the seller questions if you are serious about bidding and a description is missing information--asking for better/more photos is not unreasonable if the gun is not well show.

GB works great for FFL or C&R, though it is a pain if you have to involve middle-men, so to speak.
 
It's a 98k and it looks in good condition. The current bid is $151 and it closes in 2 days. It says the reserve isn't met and it doesn't say the reserve price he's asking so it's confusing. Why are 98k's so expensive? Aren't they a surplus rifle just like the M44? My M44 only cost $100, so what's the deal with a 98k?
 
I bought a Yugo M48 from Mitchell's a few years ago before the price hike. Even then, I think I paid more than the average price. However, I did get one that was in fantastic condition. I know it's never seen combat, but I wanted one in "military new".

I've dealt with Empire Arms with the best service and was very honest on the products for sale.

AIM surplus hasn't disappointed me either. I haven't checked as of late to see if they sell the M48 you stated, but they do have some nice serviceable rifles for reasonable prices...
 
I would much rather have a 98k than an M48. The M48 is perfectly fine, but I like the historical value of the 98k even if it hasn't seen battle. I know the price for that will be more because it's considered more of a collectors item, but I'm willing to pay a little more, but I don't want to pay an arm and a leg for a rifle. Thanks for all your input. I'm going to try the gun show coming up and see what some people have. If I can't find a good deal at the gun show, I'm just going to blaze through some websites and find a good one for a reasonable price. More websites would be appreciated :) Any information you have about this is welcomed, too! :D
 
http://mauser98k.internetdsl.pl/indexen.html
This site has just about anything you need to know about real Mauser Kar98k's.

The Yugo M48 has a slightly different stock than a German 98k, and there probably will not be any Waffenamts or eagles.

I got a pleasant surprise when cleaning 60 years worth of grime off my new 98k to find two stock stampings with eagles and WaA's! What a find!

I paid $269 for my Mauser, plus another $12 for a cleaning rod. It did not come with anything else, so I went to http://www.northridgeinc.com/mauser.htm
to find a few other accessories. These included a sling, a pack of 8mm stripper clips, and a front-sight hood. After shipping the total was just shy of $50.00

Hope this helps.
 
Mitchell's make P.T. Barnum look tike a Saint. Those guys must all have beards....I'm positive they couldn't look in the mirror and shave every day. Essex
 
The Yugo M48 has a slightly different stock than a German 98k, and there probably will not be any Waffenamts or eagles.
Click to expand...

The M-48 does not have the bolt take-down "doughnut" in the stock.
The stock is also a little chunkier than a regular Mauser stock. At least it is chunkier than my Spanish Mauser, especially in the wrist.

And there definitely will not be any waffenamts or eagles. M-48 rifles were made after WWII in Yugoslavia. You do get a spiffy Yugoslav crest on the receiver though.
 
True... I didn't know if ALL Yugo Mausers had no Nazi markings, so I was wary of making that statement. But you can be sure that you will have the yugo crest on the receiver instead of the Mauser factory code and the year stamp.
Let's look at the difference in stocks alone:
Check out the top handguard. On the M48 it goes past the rear sight.
Here is the M-48
7.jpg


and the WW2 Nazi 98k
98k-vws.jpg


The bolt take down disk mentioned in the previous post is on the second photo, just to the rear of the sling slot. It was used my German soldiers to safely disassemble the bolt without damage to the firing pin.

Photos taken from mauser98k international website. Link above.
 
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Bolt takedown disk ... THAT is what that thing's for! Keep your eyes open and you learn something every day!

All of the Mitchell Mausers that I've seen have looked nice, but that is one heck of a premium you pay ... and I've gotten some just as nice from the wholesalers like Aim and J&G.

FWIW SOG's Mauser M24/47 8MM Cal. is $130 ... the all codes intact k98's run about twice that.

Saands
 
On my m-48 there's 3-4 small round dents on the left side of the stock by the receiver. Dents about the size of the dimple you see in the primer of a fired cartridge. :)
 
If you look at the Mitchell's 98K in thier ads the bolt is in the white, original 98k's were blued. In my opinion they just butcher a piece of history when they refurb them.
 
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