I'm posting this here as I'm encountering conflicting info on this particular rifle.
A buddy of mine is selling a K98 that was manufactured in 1940. It is a "Mitchell's Mauser", though this appears to be a K98 and not a Zastava M48/M48A (no Yugoslavian crest, has a turned down bolt handle rather than bent, manufactured prior to 1948, etc) .
I haven't kept up with the value of anything from Mitchell's in years (decades?) but I remember seeing magazine ads with some beautiful K98s offered by Mitchell's with a price tag to match. At the time, it seemed to be the cat's meow.
Now I'm reading that many collectors will turn their nose up when encountering a K98 from Mitchell's for sale. Some even going so far to say even the "collector's grade" K98s from Mitchell's is only good as a "shooter".
So what's the consensus on K98's from Mitchell's?
Specifically, what's the value of a K98 in near mint condition?
I know these have been reconditioned and are not truly mint in the original sense, but certainly they must be worth more than a beat up K98 in fair/poor condition, right?
If its value is well north of $300 or so, I plan to assist him in placing it on Gunbroker.
If it's around the $300 or so, I may just make him an offer for it to add to my collection and skip the hassle of an auction.
A buddy of mine is selling a K98 that was manufactured in 1940. It is a "Mitchell's Mauser", though this appears to be a K98 and not a Zastava M48/M48A (no Yugoslavian crest, has a turned down bolt handle rather than bent, manufactured prior to 1948, etc) .
I haven't kept up with the value of anything from Mitchell's in years (decades?) but I remember seeing magazine ads with some beautiful K98s offered by Mitchell's with a price tag to match. At the time, it seemed to be the cat's meow.
Now I'm reading that many collectors will turn their nose up when encountering a K98 from Mitchell's for sale. Some even going so far to say even the "collector's grade" K98s from Mitchell's is only good as a "shooter".
So what's the consensus on K98's from Mitchell's?
Specifically, what's the value of a K98 in near mint condition?
I know these have been reconditioned and are not truly mint in the original sense, but certainly they must be worth more than a beat up K98 in fair/poor condition, right?
If its value is well north of $300 or so, I plan to assist him in placing it on Gunbroker.
If it's around the $300 or so, I may just make him an offer for it to add to my collection and skip the hassle of an auction.