Need an opinion on this Spanish FR8

T

Teggy89

Inactive
Hello, I'm from Australia and after reading a very good article about the Spanish FR8's I've been keeping an eye in gun shops, post boards and used guns sites. I really really want one...

Finally I came across a guy in northern queensland selling one for $800 AUS, it's too far for me to go and inspect it personally.

Description says "Small marks to stock, bore bright, paint still on safety. I have bent the bolt handle down"

I'll post photos of it, I just need an opinion if it's worth buying and having it refurbished or wait around till something remarkable comes up.
 

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I would be a little concerned about the bending of the bolt and whether it was done professionally. Gunsmiths have special blocks to clamp the bolt. Check out Brownells website(http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=12842/GunTechdetail/Bending-Mauser-Bolt-Handles). The price seems high to me, but then I'm in New Zealand and FR8's used to sell for a lot less here....... I've just checked and there is a FR8 for sale here with bayonet for $800NZ so maybe the price is right.
 
Don't know about down under, but in the US that would be double the going rate, especially for one that has been bubbad.
 
The guy basically killed much of the value when he decided to bend the bolt.

If it is does not match the action, then the value was already reduced quite a bit, even before he 'bent' the bolt.

Such "bubba'd" guns remind me of the classic GI vintage M-1 Carbine in the rack at Whittaker's (n.w. KY) about two years ago.
Some previous nit wit owner had painted the gun green.
 
That reminds me of my 7x57mm, 1895 Mauser, 1916 Spanish Model, short rifle. The only differances I could see was that you have the top handguard and different sights. I had the roller coaster, adjustable rear sight for 2000 meters installed on top of the barrel just in front of the receiver ring and the barleycorn front sight. I don't know if this helps you or not, but I paid $100.00(American) 5 years ago and just sold it last year for the same price.
 
The FR-8 was a transitional gun manufactured by Spanish armories using the CETME front ends and Spanish Mauser actions. There were several problems in the manufacture of the CETME actions and the government found themselves way behind on the schedule to get the CETME in production. They had a boatload of CETME front ends which were much easier to produce than the semi-auto actions and several warehouses full of 1895 Mausers so they came up with the FR-7 and a little later the FR-8 variation. They were manufactured to use a slightly reduced power 7.62 NATO round because the Mauser 7x57 action wasn't certified for use with the full power NATO round chamber pressures. I don't personally know of anyone that has blown up an FR-8 using full house Nato loadings, but....... 800 AUS seems to me to be WAAAAY over priced. Check out the usual suspects, Gunbroker and auction Arms, on line and you can pick one up for about $300 U.S. Getting it into the country may be a problem though.
 
I don't personally know of anyone that has blown up an FR-8 using full house Nato loadings
Click to expand...
FR-8 are converted from large ring mausers and have no problem to handle commercial 308 and even magnum calibers. You probably were thinking FR7 which is small ring.
 
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