mitchell mausers

[porsche]

i have seen beautiful color pics of 98 mausers in Mitchell"s Shotgun News and other mags. the ones depicted are Collectors" condition at $399. and they are gorgeous...in the pic. i have called 2 times since the summer (last time this month) and have spoken to a live person who says the condition of those as advertised is not good, the good ones at this price are gone but for more money....
i didnt order either time. in fact, i was so put off the first time i waited months to call back...because once again the pic looked so good...and then the same up sell.
anyone have experience with this outfit, or can tell where a really nice mauser can be reliably had.

 

[jwxspoon]

Try Classic Arms: http://www.classicarms.us/

jw

 

[Jim K]

Mitchell's Mausers are of two general types. One is the Yugoslav M48, which is a post-war (yes, Mitchell lies about it) rifle made by Zastava. It, like the earlier 24/47 is not a standard Mauser 98 receiver, being about 3/8 inch short. That does not affect accuracy or strength, but does mean some standard Mauser accessories, like stocks or scope mounts won't fit. The condition of the M48's ranged from reasonably good to brand new, unissued.

The other group is East Bloc capture rifles, mainly K.98k's taken from German troops. Those are real German war-time rifles, but they have been reworked by Mitchell to the point where most of the collector value is lost. The metal was sanded down and reblued, the stocks sanded and refinished, parts replaced. None are in top original condition as Mitchell would have you believe.

The problem I (and others) have with Mitchell is not with the rifles, but with their advertising hype, and just plain lies. For example, they take the 1943 date of the Yugoslav crest and say that it means wartime production. That is like looking at the 1776 date on a dollar bill and saying it was printed that year.

They described the M48 as being made by Germans, made in wartime, and a K.98k. All lies.

If you are satisfied with a Russian capture rifle, you would be better off with a decent one that has not been prettied up by Mitchell. The best bet would be a GI bringback, if you can find one around. There are many out there that were not "sporterized".

Jim

 

[Chipperman]

Jim already laid out the general gist of Mitchell's.

Do a search here for a lot more about them (none of it good).

 

[Vaarok]

Fake and overpriced. Avoid.

 

[LeibstandarteAdH]

1943 date of the Yugoslav crest and say that it means wartime production. That is like looking at the 1776 date on a dollar bill and saying it was printed that year.

Spot on.

As of late, they are SLIGHTLY eluding to the fact that its not 'exactly' a WWII orriginal (wartime used) K98k, but only if you really read into the add. Most of them i dont see how are not 100% fraud.

it's only because the people that end up buying them probibly never even reailze what they really have.

 

[sachmo]

In defense of Mitchells Mausers. A few years ago I was in my local favorite gun store trolling the shallow end when I spotted a MM on the rack. It looked in new condition. The price was good and I had been wanting a Mauser so I bought it. At the time I didn't know that this was a Yugo M48 and not the genuine article. In fact I knew very little about Mausers in general. I usually do my due diligence when making purchases but unfortunately when it comes to firearms I'm sometimes impulsive.

At first I was somewhat disappointed in my purchase but on further reflection I realized that I picked up a new 8mm Mauser at a pretty low price. Its not a collector item I don't disillusion myself with that but it looks like it will be fun to shoot if I ever get around to it. The bottom line is if you want a true 98K look someplace else but if you want a new low price shooter you can do worse than a Yugo m 48.

 

[davidjblythe]

The important thing about the above post is that if you indeed want a M48 shooter, $300 for an M48 is outrageous. You can find them for half that, or less than half that price at other places. Century Arms, Classic Arms, and Aimsurplus are great places to check out.

Bottom line, avoid MM.

 

[sachmo]

So show me were I can get a new m48 for $150.00

 

[19-3Ben]

http://www.samcoglobal.com/rifles.html

Not an M48 but look here for 24/47's. Very good condition for $129, excellent condition for $159.

 

[CBS220]

Sarcoinc.com has M48s for 90 dollars according to their SGN ad.

 

[sachmo]

Thats all fine and dandy. Still have not been pointed to a link that will buy me a new boxed 48m for $150.00.