Buyers remorse, too high expectations, or just grin and bear it?

[MilsurpShooter]

I'd wanted to get a K.98 for awhile and through the help of many here found a few places to go and look around. I found one that seemed promising, an S/42g code. Usually I go for shootability over the collectibility of a rifle but I decided what the heck, faxed my C&R over and ordered it. I got it about 5:20 yesterday evening and was... Well rather un-impressed. None of the numbers match on the rifle, bolt sleeve, and the bolt body have seperate numbers, the extractor, instead of being the black color of the rest of the bolt has a dark almost rust colored look to it, I don't know if it was replaced or that's the way they usually are. The bluing is very rough, parts of it look blued while other bits look more like they are parkerized. Also is the garish electro penciling on the floorplate, bolt body and butt of the rifle, large and looks like a 4 year old did it lol

Now don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting a rifle that looked fresh off the factory, but the description on the website of these rifles had me expecting something in better condition. Of the three they had on the page this one seemed the best (and the more expensive, yeah a fool and his money are soon parted lol) so that's why I decided to order it.

Invoice that came with the rifle says all sales final after 15 days. To return it I need a legitimate reason and a 20% restock may apply. Did I just maybe expect too much from this rifle or should I call them back, tell them why I'm unhappy, suck up the 72 dollar restocking fee and try to swap to another one for more as a shooter then a collectors piece?

 

[Ash]

At $360, I might return it for a mix-master, but that depends on the description in the advertisement. These are all Russian captures and so will have a mixture of parts and are hot-dipped blued over what ever finish was there before. If the advertisement infers that it was something more than just a mix-master then I would insist on a full refund. If it was sly in its description...well, that would be a tough call.

Now, I don't have much of a clue as to what makes a valuable K98k. I have avoided for a long while US and Nazi arms because the nuances are so many and the high-brow collectors are so hard to deal with (or even talk to for that matter). It most certainly has history, most certainly saw action in Eastern Europe. It may have been at Kursk, Lenningrad, Stalingrad, or many other places. But I certainly would not pay a premium for a mix-master. Of course, Mauserites would not consider that necessarily a premium.

Ash

 

[halvey]

Just by reading your post, I can tell you don't and won't ever like it. I'd either return it or sell it and move on.

 

[SigfanUSAF]

You're not going to find a matching K98 for less than $600ish, even if import marked. That seems rather high for a R/C, though the early Mauser code really helps the price. If the bore is excellent, I'd keep it. Aim sells fair to good bore K98s for $149 IIRC, IO Incs prices start at $200 and work up towards $400 for a mint bore. Either case, they will be Russian capture mixmasters. Keep in mind, S42g is the second year they produced K98s, and is collectible/will go up in value.

Again, I'd keep it if the barrel matched and had a great bore. Work on finding
properly coded un-numbered parts (167 165, I think) over time.

Just my $.02.


ETA: If you're really unhappy, tell them it wasn't as advertised, and ask for a FULL refund. I bet they'll work with you.
If it was truly not as advertised, and they won't work with you, call the attorny general and your postmaster and file a mail fraud claim.

 

[Full Clip]

No possibilty for an exchange? Maybe if you cover the extra shipping fee...
Yeah, if you're going like it, you should try to do something.

 

[MilsurpShooter]

The range is going to be open this weekend, Saturday through Monday due to the holiday so perhaps I'll shoot a few through it and see if it doesn't grow on me. It is a K-98 after all and perhaps after finding some decent condition K31's, Mosins and Yugo's I was a little jaded on what conditions were out there? I dunno.

As far as the description on the web, this is the general listing they had for the 3 rifles they had in stock

In September of 2006 TG INC. was able to import 6000 very high quality K-98 Rifles with all of their original markings intact. These are the rifles we have been selling over the past several months and it may well be the last time we see any quantities of these come into the United States. Of the 6000 rifles that came in, they had approximately 100 that were the S/42G code. The S/42G was manufactured by Mauser Obendorf in Germany in the year of 1935 only. It is considered one of the most desireable and sought after K-98 rifles by collectors and shooters alike. We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to hand select from this batch of rifles and obtain a group that were premium in their condition. I will be listing these below.

Note- all of the S/42G Rifles have a factory stamped matching serial # on the BBL, Receiver and Buttstock.

 

[Dr. Dickie]

If you return it Jay, I might suggest that you check into Southern Ohio Guns. I just (two week ago) got a 1940 K98 with matching numbers on barrel, stock, and receiver for $249.(bolt has a different number and was a bit corroded--but re-blued).
Thing shoots WAY better than I can (four holes touching at 100 yards--I suspect that I was just lucky) with iron sights. Course, like most K98s it shoots about a foot high at 100 yards.
Only thing I am not happy about is the cost of 8mm ammo (which like most ammo is going up--and my friend that had a bunch of brass, re-loadable 8mm sold all of his before I could stock up.)

 

[sansone]

how about asking for another one to replace yours. they may hand-pick one for you. they will want you to pay shipping but probably not a restocking fee

 

[Ash]

It reads to me like you didn't get a "high quality" rifle and as such, that would be your excuse to return it if you wish.

Ash

 

[MilsurpShooter]

Thought about it some more at work here today and decided to send it back. Just spoke to a very nice young lady on the phone, said she'd call UPS and issue a return tag. Just drop a note in with the rifle explaining what I would like them to do to rectify the situation. They've got a regular, non-S/42 code, plain jane K98 on there for about the same price, a little bit more if I get hit with the re-stocking fee, see if I can't swap it out for that one.

This one I'm not expecting for as a collectors piece, not expecting a proper finish or anything like that, they say the bore is VG/Excellent so as long as it shoots decent enough I'll be happy with it.

Guess what my major problem with the rifle and the whole thing was that I was expecting a Porter House and ended up getting what resembled a chuck steak in comparison.

I'll chalk it up to another Lifes's Learning experience... Wonder how many more of those I'll go through as I collect my Firearms lol

 

[SigfanUSAF]

It reads to me like you didn't get a "high quality" rifle and as such, that would be your excuse to return it if you wish.

1935 Mauser Oberndorf? Can't get much higher quality than that! Problem is they didn't give a good description of condition.

Jay_Anderson:
By swapping it with them, you're going to get a later K98 worth less and in the same condition! All these R/C K98s are mixmasters!

 

[MilsurpShooter]

Yeah, I understand that, but in the long run it's better for me. I usually (this is the first time I didn't) look for shootability rather then collector value. I'd rather have a mix-master/boat oar that shoots well then something that has collector value. Collector value to me means, shoot 20 rounds through it, clean it and leave it in the safe for 4 or 5 months... That's probably what I would have ended up doing had I kept the one I got.

And it might be sacriledge and cause people's hair to stand on end, but if I get one that's a mixmaster and holds half way decent groups, it will be getting a Zielsechs scope I just happen to have kicking around here

 

[SigfanUSAF]

I guess I'm missing where you said the S/42g has a bad bore?



Ultimately it's your decision, but since you posted on THR about it, I'm just giving you my opinion

 

[ROMAK IV]

I'm not crazy about buying ANY rifle sight unseen, and have done so only once. With the RC's you get a servicable rifle, that's about it. I've seen some where there had been obvious pitting from moderate rust, and the pits were just blued or the Russian equivalent of parkerizing over. They would also apparantly, grind the serial numbers off of the stock, and restamp them. On most, it seems, the bore was blued as well making it difficult to assess the condition of the barrel. In fact, because I had already bought a "cherry" Yugo Capture 98, I saw no reason to buy an RC, for around $300, even with the original marks, in fact, I never did, but happened to find an RC for $129 at a pawn shop. With lowered expectations, I have become quite pleased with the rifle. It's a real common rifle built in 42 at the byf fatory. The electropenciled numbers were really annoying. but the bore cleaned up real nice with a brush and a little Hoppe's #9, and it's got a nice shiny bore, though not quite as good as my Yugo captured K-98. The color of the extractor is normal. although bluing will sometimes turn it a sort of purple. A little touch up bluing will make the elctropenciled numbers fade a bit. A brass brush, takes off most of the ugly parkerized stuff. The varnish job is also not very good, but not as bad as the old Chinese urine yellow varnish jobs on the SKS's. I think you just had some high expectations. If you have seen some of the other K-98 imports pver the years, you might have been more ready for the "Russians".

 

[MilsurpShooter]

I guess I'm missing where you said the S/42g has a bad bore?

Not bad per-se but not very good. Bullet drops a little bit far into the muzzle, a bit pitted and the rifling is a little bit worn towards the muzzle end