Mauser ID/ please help new shooter

[Malice]

So, I pretty much got my older brother into shooting. He decided to buy his first gun not too long ago. I gave him the usual advice about .22s and so forth, but he had his heart set on somthing bigger.

It came down to him deciding on a milsurp rifle. I said ok, go to the Houston gun show next time it comes through, and go to one of the tables covered in mausers or mosins, pick out the one that is the least scratched up with the best bore. (he is in houston, I am in san antonio BTW)

So he calls me this morning and tells me he bought a Mauser at the gun show. I ask him what kind, and he says he doesnt know.

He says its been re-finished and worked on a lot, its real nice, the last guy made a bunch of improvements, etc etc...

...He bought a bubba'd Mauser!?!?!?! Argh!

Ok here is the thing. He is excited about his gun and wants to go shooting. However, I am kinda worried because of it's unknown origin. Mauser's were made in several calibers I can think of. He bought 8mm ammo after he bought the gun (before he called me) but who knows if its an 8mm Mauser rifle? Even if it was, how does he know it has not be re-chambered to 30-06 or somthing?

He says the only marking he can find on the reciever and it is a combination of the letters VDL and "98" so I am thinking it must be German. Who else marked recievers "98"? He says there are no markings on the barrel anywhere.

I have to talk to him more, but my initial reaction is to send him to a gun smith to get it headspaced, and get the chambering and bore figured out. Know anyone in the Fort Bend Tx area who can do this?

Anything else I should be worried about? I will try and get pictures from him and post them here.

 

[Thin Black Line]

Please go to a gunsmith. It is not unusual for Mausers to be re-barreled in different cals.

 

[dogngun]

It depends. Take the rifle to a gunsmith to find what's what, at least establish the correct caliber. No one can give you information on this rifle from this post.

Mark

 

[Vern Humphrey]

From the information you give, you have a 98 Mauser -- a fine weapon. About the quality of the gunsmithing, I can't say, of course.

It should be 8mm (7.92X57) but as you say, it might have been rebarreled. The simplest thing to do is insert a bullet in the muzzle. If it goes with a little effort and shows rifling marks, you have an 8mm. For safety, try a .30 caliber as well. It should simply fall through the bore. Or you could get a bore/caliber gauge. This should cost about a dollar. It's a tapered measuring device that you fit in the muzzle and read off the caliber.

A headspace check by a reliable gunsmith would solve all problems, if there is one near you. He probably won't charge much for the service.

 

[Malice]

Yeah, I found a place and priced a gunsmith, $30

The thing is, he called me this morning from the gun show. The last time I talked to him, his phone died.

A little while later my mom called to chat, and mentioned that he was going to the range right after the show.

His phone is off.

I am more than a little worried. I gave him the preliminary "if it is re-barreled and not 8mm, you could have a kaboom, should probably have it checked out if you cannot find markings indicating it is the original barrel, etc..."

His phone is off though, and if he is going to the range right now...

Yeah I am a little worried

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Look at it this way, if he comes home with his eyes and fingers intact, you've saved $30 in gunsmith fees.

If it Kabooms, well, they aren't your eyes and fingers at risk.

 

[Malice]

Ok, I got a call from my dad, who got a call from my brother from a friends phone at the gun show... got all that?

Apparently, after my comments, he took the rifle (he paid $150) to another vendor who said she wouldnt give him $100 for it.

Then he took it to another guy who offered him a like-new SKS and 220 rounds of Wolf for it. He took the trade.

Crisis averted...

But who else thinks my brother is a wierd guy?

But he did come out on top, in the end. $150 for a like-new SKS and 220 rounds of Wolf. Like I said, a wierd guy...

Thanks for the help.

 

[MSGT9410]

Ha, I guess I'm weird too.

I'll take a good SKS over a [possibly] shoddy bubba job any day

 

[byf43]

I woulda kept the K98 and re-barreled it in either .30-'06 or .308.
Or, buy a 8mm x 57mm barrel that you KNOW is good and shoot the snot out of it.
The more I think about it, I woulda re-barreled for the '06 or .308. The rifle has already been 'Bubba-ized.'

The Mauser receiver is a LOT stronger than any old SKS.

Just my 2¢!