Low capacity rifles from Russia/China in the future?

[peacebutready]

I read a claim Russia has been selling German K-98 rifles it captured from Germany during/after WWII. IIRC, we can't even import low capacity rifles from Russia and China. Any chance we will be able to buy low capacity bolt action rifles from those countries in the future? They're the rifles the anti-gun types dislike the least.

 

[newfalguy101]

Any chance??

Sure, there is always a chance, I wouldn't hold my breath though.

Given the current political climate, its very unlikely ANY firearms of any kind will be coming from China or Russia in the near future

 

[GunnyUSMC]

A lot of those rifles were already imported a few years ago.
I have three of the Chinese Type 53s and one of the Russian Captured K98s.
I don’t see guns being imported again from those two countries in the near future

 

[40-82]

I'd like to have a few of those K98's.

The possibility could create an identity crisis in the American Left. Are they more pro-Russia and pro-China, or are they more anti-gun?

 

[peacebutready]

A lot of those rifles were already imported a few years ago.
I have three of the Chinese Type 53s and one of the Russian Captured K98s.

Anyone recall what the K98s went for when they were available?

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Anyone recall what the K98s went for when they were available?

Back around 2008 RC K98s in refurbished condition were selling for around $250.
The second gun from the top is a RC K98

 

[mgmorden]

There's ways to get around it. If they sit in a warehouse in a neutral country for a given period of time (20 years I believe) then they're considered to be an import from that country instead. Given the size of the US gun market some batches are starting to show up that have sat in such neutral locations.

 

[Ignition Override]

Combining any politician's suggestion of buying more products from Russian (you are colluding with Putin!) or China (vast hacking of high-tech US industries) with the emotional reactions to More guns being imported, and the expected result is something which any public figure would likely avoid......Unless a bunch of these politicians have different career plans.

mgmordan mentioned "neutral countries". Several years ago a large batch of true military Type 56 Chinese SKS (dinged up, but with blade bayos and stocks made of hard wood) were imported from Slovenia and/or Albania. The country which exported them qualified as a "third country" for legal US importation of Chinese guns. Supposedly US gun manufacturers lobby against such imports.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

. Several years ago a large batch of true military Type 56 Chinese SKS (dinged up, but with blade bayos and stocks made of hard wood) were imported from Slovenia and/or Albania. The country which exported them qualified as a "third country" for legal US importation of Chinese guns. Supposedly US gun manufacturers lobby against such imports.

I just finished reading 'Deadly Business', a 1980s biography of Sam Cummings and Interarms. One whole chapter was devoted to the determined effort by SAAMI to cripple the surplus import market that Interarms practically owned. Hard to believe now, but according to the authors SAAMI was a major force behind GCA68! A very short-sighted effort to promote domestic firearm manufacturers, given the significant difference in markets between new rifles and surplus.

Incidentally, that was the point in time when Interarms began the switchover to emphasis on marketing new-production imports by Walther, Star and Zastava.

 

[P5 Guy]

Weren't most of "Mitchell's Mausers" Russian captures? And the Yugoslav reworked captured K98s with the Turkey&Swastika scrubbed off?

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Weren't most of "Mitchell's Mausers" Russian captures? And the Yugoslav reworked captured K98s with the Turkey&Swastika scrubbed off?

They sold many different ones. I remember their totally reworked, blued and refinished, Yugo M48 being sold as the last secret stash of Mausers. They were over $700. Those rifles had lost all collectors value. But if you had to pay someone to do the same work to an old issued Mauser, it would have cost about the same.
here is a pic of one of there reworked RC K98's. They were selling them for around $800 when you could buy one with cosmoline for $200.

 

[rodinal220]

GunnyUSMC is correct. I purchased a couple of those Ruski capture K98s for $250. I also remember P38 pistols and some very finish worn mix master P08 Lugers, along with a huge amount of Mosin-Nagant pistols and rifles for $80.

 

[Ignition Override]

P5 Guy: Mitchell's very clever legal wording helped them to barely avoid losing a class action lawsuit, which reportedly addressed fraud.
Several years ago their "all-German" or "100% German" descriptions changed and reflected the basic reality.

The first thing most guys seem to fall for when shopping for a gun is such a "pimp shine", which all of their ads featured, i.e. Shotgun News etc.

 

[rule303]

Thousands of them were imported as late as two years ago. There is no blanket ban on importing used guns from Russia, only new production from certain companies, mainly Kalashnikov concern. Most of the surplus arms we see here from that part of the world were left behind in the former iron curtain countries when the USSR went belly up. China is a different story. The only thing importable from China is sporting shotguns, and because of history there isn't a vast stockpile of captured guns there.

 

[Browning]

Anyone recall what the K98s went for when they were available?

Around $250 is what I paid for mine. I traded into one and got the other for a little less than that ($225 or $230 with a bayonet and some other stuff).

 

[Mullo98]

Like many already pointed out, very unlikely sadly. Thanks to politics and war.

 

[peacebutready]

Thanks, all.

 

[Blue Brick]

I have a Turkish Mauser I like a lot.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I have a Turkish Mauser I like a lot.

I like Turkish Mausers also.

 

[peacebutready]

Around $250 is what I paid for mine. I traded into one and got the other for a little less than that ($225 or $230 with a bayonet and some other stuff).

I feel like I missed out. I wish this stuff appealed to me earlier.

 

[czhen]

Gunny
That is a beautiful formation sir.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Gunny
That is a beautiful formation sir.

Thank you.