k98s on sale at wideners

Status
Not open for further replies.
Those look pretty good, it's the small ring Mausers you don't want to try and 'sporterize' (at least not with any high pressure rounds). 98's are large ring actions. Samco global arms always has a bunch of different varieties of them too.

I don't know how to tell a Russian captured rifle from another, but I doubt it would be any more valuable. Remember that the Russian front was the most colossal battle zone in the history of mankind with somewhere between 40-50 million killed. By comparison, the United States and Great Britain combined had less than two million killed in the entire war. You gotta figure that there were more than a few captured weapons on both sides............
 
Yep, those are russian captures, but a nice piece of history IMO.

Let me be the first of many to point out that sporterizing one of these will cut its value by less than half and you'll be doing good to get a 2" group out of one.......Buy a new rifle for the same price if that is what you are after. Most New even relatively in-expensive rifles with shoot 1" easily.

The Soviets re-arsenaled their collection of German rifles either late in the war or just after (When they were still considered viable weapons). They took them apart, reblued the metal, varnished the stocks and reassebled with no regard for matching parts. So virtually any part that can be removed will be mis-matched....but 100% ww2 German. Some examples they destroyed the swastica, but most I have seen, they didnt take the time. Most will be marked with an "X" on the reciever. I believe its supposed to be crossed rifles...but it is a capture mark.
 
Sporterizing one of these will almost surely mean re-barreling it. Then you will get better than the 2 inch group. The real value in one of these is:

1. You can own a piece of history, buy ammo for it, and go out and shoot all you want. It's not like your getting a "NIB" rifle here.......

or,

2. You are getting the best sporting bolt action design of all time, and getting it for cheap. If you look on Midway, you'll be lucky to get a trigger guard/magazine for less than $500:uhoh:. If you want an action too, well then hold on to your ankles:what:...... You can build a GREAT sporting rifle on a military action. You can chamber it an pretty much any caliber you want. This is the action that Roy Weatherby started making his rifles with.
 
Agreed^^^ BUT that's more than the typical sporterization....And yes, at that point you get a much better result, but like you alude to it's not cheap!

For the 90%+ of the rest of the folks out there its an old military rifle that would only lose parts or chunks of stock in a "Sporterization"
 
Read this for LOTS of good info on how to get yourself a real good sporter stock for cheap. It's a long thread, but you gotta love the guy doing the work, and the end result is the rifle shooting equivalent of a 'street sleeper', (plain jane car with huge motor, for you non-hot-rodding folks.....).

A little know-how and the guts to try things goes a long way. It used to be called the "American Way", back before we started counting on foreign labor to fulfill all our wants on the cheap. Everyone on here can do it.

http://www.mausercentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33143
 
I have two really nice Yugo K 98s still in packing grease bought from CAI many years ago. Came with cleaning rods as well. Bores like new , too. Now these RC K98s are also really nice with those eagle and swastikas.
 
I have one of these arriving today. I'll post some pictures and provide some thoughts. I haven't owned a Mauser before, so take most of it with a grain of salt, but if nothing else I wanted to help provide some pictures and descriptions about these rifles - there isn't a lot online that I could find.

Sorry for the almost 1 month necro post, but it seemed appropriate to respond here than to start a new thread.
 
Stonecutter,
I am also interested in seeing pics and hearing your take on the condition of these rifles. There was a thread on here recently about them and they sounded to be in good shape.
 
First impressions - it's a little rough, but I'm happy! This thing is not new by any stretch of the imagination, but overall the metal seems in good condition - needs a really good cleaning and oiling/greasing.

Pics will be added below.

I have a 1939 with manufacturer code 42. So manufacturer is Mauser-Werke AG, Oberndorf a./N, early code. I actually requested a 1939 and Wideners obliged! Keep that in mind - they may have others in better shape, but I wanted a 1939 rifle.

The camera tends to make the finish look worse than it is in person. It's got a sort of "frosty" speckled look to the finish, but the metal is smooth.

There is some corrosion in places, but not excessive for a rifle so old that saw battle, most likely.

Bore is frosty inside, but I need to clean it thoroughly to see the real condition. The rifling is a bit worn, but again this is a 1939 rifle - no idea how often this was fired in battle or afterwards before being stored.

Nazi markings are stamped all over. As others have noted, there are stamps all over the place - serial numbers do not seem to match except for receiver and barrel, and the stock has a matching number stamped into it (could have been done by the Russians?). Stock is cracked on one side of the shoulder only. Stock appears laminate, and has some sort of coating on it that looks like it's been lightly scraped off in places.
 
Last edited:
1.jpg

2.jpg

3.jpg
 
This little bag was also included - looks to be a pull through type cleaning thing, a metal bottle of something absolutely caked in cosmoline, and some sort of tool.
10.jpg
 
I don't like our modern idea of sportarizing, I would leave the full length stock, and long barrel and just add a rubber buttpad, modern sling swivels, and a slim scope mount. That would make a really sharp looking rifle IMHO. I would leave it an 8mm Mauser because I think that is one hella fine hunting caliber. Prvi makes some good ammo for them with good brass for reloading.
 
This rifle is definitely staying as-is. I'm going to clean it off really well, and take good care of it. I think it's an interesting piece of history.

A rubber buttpad is going to have to happen - I've shot one of these before and it wasn't the pleasure to shoot that the M1 Garand is.

I asked for a 1939 because that was the year that Germany and Russia invaded Poland, which started WW2. I'm a Polish American. I get a bit of satisfaction knowing that this rifle was crafted by one invading army, captured by the other and preserved, then all these years later it's in my hands to shoot with, for recreation, on a peaceful plot of land in the United States of America.

It appears the Russians painted on some kind of black paint in places, too. A very sloppy job. You can see it in the shot of the tip of the barrel. Just part of the story this rifle has to tell.

I can't wait to break it down and give a good once over!
 
Interesting pics, glad to see some matching numbers. It does look a little rough, but certainly functional and should look better after a cosmoline clean up. Hopefully the barrel is not pitted inside and will prove to be a shooter.
Sometimes there can be pitting under the wood, if and when you remove the stock.

It is obviously a great, original piece of history, congratulations.

Slip over recoil pads are a good way to go.



NCsmitty
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

N
  • Locked
M48 Mausers anyone?
Replies
0
Views
274
NCsmitty
N
B
  • Locked
K98 mausers unpeened - good deal?
Replies
16
Views
2K
BluesDancer
B
LiveLife
  • Locked
Walther P1 9mm $265 / Sig P6 $379 at Widener's
Replies
13
Views
2K
mgmorden
mgmorden
N
  • Locked
Has anyone used Wideners bullets?
Replies
7
Views
855
SSN Vet
SSN Vet
B
  • Locked
Is this AK a good rifle at decent price?
Replies
18
Views
839
RatherNotSay
R
Back
Top