New Kar 98k (to me)

[jefnvk]

Hey, I finally got an authentic German Mauser (well, kinda sorta). 1939 Obendorf. All German reciever proofs intact. Only problem is, that the barrel had been cut down about a quarter inch. Since it is mostly a shooter anyway, this at least tells me that I won't have muzzle wear problems. Anyway, I buy it for $150 OTD. Something to replace my Yugo Mauser, which I could never get to group good. Metal and wood all look good. Bore is shiney and bright.

Now, here is where it gets interesting. I am told that it is actually a surplus Iraqi rifle. I have a rifle in my posession that has served two brutal dictatorships. From what I have been able to research, I believe that it was imported before the first Gulf War. I at least don't have to worry about it having been used against Americans twice. I am still bouncing around in my mind whether or not I should have bought it, or if I should keep it. At least, it is one less rifle being used against us right now.

Anyways, thought I would see what your opinions were on having surplus Iraqi military gear. My decision, is that if it shoots good, it gets kept. If not, and I can find someone willing to buy, it'll probably have a new home.

And if I do decide to sell it, what would you consider a fair price on it?

 

[spacemanspiff]

well first of all, congrats!
second, define 'shoots well'? at 100 yards, are you hoping for better than 2moa?
third, if you dont like it, and wanted to sell it (to a board member, hint hint! ) i'd hope you would get what you paid into the rifle.

maybe in the future you'll keep what you paid a secret. cause i'd offer what you paid OTD plus shipping.

 

[jefnvk]

Well, if I decide that I want to sell it, I will think about board members. Still don't know if I can bring myself to sell something over the internet (that's anything, not just guns).

I don't know how to define accurate, but the criteria is 'not as bad as my Yugo'. I can't find anyone to group that within a few inches at 50 yards, let alone 100.

 

[spacemanspiff]

hmmm. see attached.
with my yugo m48a, 50 yards, romanian surplus ammo dated 1977.

the group on the bottom was a 5 shot group, i marked the flyer at the top.
it isnt terribly impressive, a 1 1/2 inch group (not counting the flyer obviously).

the second group, on top, three rounds, i'd call it an inch.

my best 100 yard group has been 3 inches.

i'm by no means a skilled rifleman (yet), but i'll tell you one thing that helped was to have a skilled rifleman shoot it and get about 2 moa over iron sights. so i know its no longer my rifle.

another thing is the type of paper target. the one like in the attached pic are not the best ones i've used. the ones with the round black target bullseye are best for me out to 50 yards, but at 100, i like to use the blue/white with the chevron target.

mostly though i get bored shooting at paper and will set out empty 12 guage shells on top of the target stand and plink them off from 25 yards. i make a game out of how many hits in a row i can get. really boosts the ego when you recover the shells and find that what you thought were misses were actually hits, just didnt pop it out of the target stand.

what ammo are you using in the yugo?

 

[spacemanspiff]

kee-raaappp. i do this every time. forget to attach the pic.

 

[vanfunk]

Hi Jeff,
What leads you to believe that your rifle was used by the Iraqis? Iraq is a veritable international weapons dump, so I'm sure it's possible, but your 98 looks like a Russian capture piece as recently imported and sold by many milsurp realers. Are there any Iraqi stamps on it? Regardless, you have a fine rifle there. '39 Oberndorfs are some of the best 98's ever made IMO.

Thanks,
vanfunk

 

[DT Guy]

Don't hesitate to own, and shoot, a rifle used by your enemies. Consider it a celebration that they no longer own their arms, and we (specifically, you) own them. The spoils of war belong to the victor, and that's us.

Also, you could find an old German fellow and shake the rifle in front of him, all the while going "Nah nah nah, got your gun, got your gun!"

Or not.



Larry

 

[jefnvk]

vanfunk - The '2' in the triangle in the third pic is an Iraqi stamp. Right between the '42' and the '1939'. EDIT: Just got off another board that the Iraqi weapons were mostly Russian capture. So, you are probably right.

DT Guy -

Spiff- Were not talking two or three inch groups from my Yugo. Try more along the lines of 5-6", at 50 yards. I've tried Turkish, Romanian and Czech ammo, and nothing really helps. Considering that same day I put three touching with my Enfield, and a couple of sub-1" groups with my Mosin, it's probably not me.

And it's amazing what bullets will tear up, and what they will pass right through. When I first got my Yugo, I just wanted to shoot it. I set up a Birch log at about 25 yards. Shot off five rounds, and absolutely couldn;t believe I missed every one. Went up there, and there were five holes through it. To this day, I've knocked that log over exactly twice, with probably more than two hundred shots through it. Once with the Mosin, once with the Mauser.

 

[Farnham]

If it's former Iraqi, I'd call that a bonus. Means the good guys took it away from the bad guys not just once, but twice. Set up some Saddam targets!

Farnham

PS: if you find the AK that rattled a few dozen rounds into my trailer at BIA in the future, let me know...I WANT THAT ONE!

 

[mustanger98]

As was said earlier, spoils of war. And if it was a Russian capture, it was Eastern Front spoils of war. If the Iraqis surplussed it... Anyway, everything else aside, one thing I'll say for the Krauts is they knew how to build a rifle among other mechanical stuff. A rifle can't be held accountable for the way it was used. See how it shoots. If it does good, shoot it and enjoy it.