Searching for old Mausers/Rifles (Non C&R/FFL)

[Redlg155]

Fellow Shooters,

I'm looking for a source where I can get a couple of old Antique Mausers or any bolt action rifle that are non FFL/non C&R. It doesn't matter what condition they are in...just so long as they aren't rusted piles of junk. I just plan on restoring the wood and metal work.

My idea is to give one to my son ( a couple of freinds of mine want one also) as an all around play rifle. I'm just tired of those ugly cheap plastic toy guns that are common these days. Of course the barrel would be plugged, firing pin removed and the weapon rendered inoperable.

Anyone know of a source of antique cheapo guns?

Heck..if you have one for sale, just let me know!

Oh..and I've considered the negative points of having such a realistic looking weapon as a kids toy. My son either plays in the house or out at the in laws on a 10 acre wooded lot, so someone bugging him isn't a concern.


Good SHooting
Red

 

[Houndawg]

How old is your son? Any of these rifles are going to be taller than him.

 

[pbhome71]

I am with you on this... It is hard to find a good gun toy now a day.

Once in awhile, you can find a deactivated rifle on ebay. You may want to check on this. However, it was not cheap, either.

Most of the antique firearms that I have seen in working condition are not cheap.

It is sad that we no longer can get cool gun toy which is not too expensive.. I remember having a burp gun that my dad got me when I was in 1st grade. That thing was cool. I also used to have a die-cast Luger P08 cap pistol. Talking about high cap magazine - a roll of 50 cap in one Luger pistol..

I guess that they don't do this any more. May be you can check out AirSoft. They are still plastic, but not as cheaply made.


-Pat

 

[Greg L]

You could make one fairly easily. Get a stock somewhere (gun show/flea market probably cheapest) & stick a piece of pipe or something similar on it.

Personally I wouldn't tear up an antique rifle (even in the condition you mentioned) by giving it to my kid to play with. Just my $0.02.

Greg

 

[Houndawg]

Check out Ebay. There will probably be quite a few old toy rifles on there. I was going to buy an old toy bolt action for my son, but he seems to be enjoying his pump shotgun for now.

Again, how old/big is your son. I'm 5'5" and some of these old rifles are almost as tall as me, and can be quite heavy.

 

[cracked butt]

You can find mosin nagant M44's at some sporting goods stores like Dunham's for around $35depending if they are on sale. These are about the cheapest rifles I've seen that are readily available. Break the tip of the firing pin off, drive and/or weld a rod into the barrel at both ends, it will be as close to being demilled as you can get. Alot of these rifles on the sales racks are shot out anyhow, so you aren't really ruining a future heirloom.

 

[JNewell]

Is Century or whoever it was still selling the 1880s Turkish Mausers? They were cheap and pre-1898 so no FFL/C&R/etc. required.

 

[Redlg155]

No such luck in the cheap Mosin section around here. I might get lucky and find some at a gun show, but there isn't one for a couple of months.

Still looking...

Good Shooting
Red

 

[Clemson]

I have been watching this thread for several days, and I am going to have to go out on a limb and say that I am opposed to the idea of giving a real gun to a kid to use as a toy, no matter how it has been deactivated. I have taught the NRA Home Firearm Safety course to well over 100 people. One of the ideas put forward is that kids need to be able to distinguish between "toys" and "guns." Water pistols and popguns are toys. BB guns, pellet rifles, muzzle loaders, and cartridge guns are "firearms" or "guns." No matter how well-intentioned the effort is, it sends the wrong message to the child and to his friends.

No extra charge for opinions......

Clemson

 

[Iain]

Edison Giocattoli, fairly sure that the rifles they make are just plastic but they look pretty good. Not sure if they are distributed in the States. Here is the place that I have bought from in the UK http://www.bbguns.co.uk/821_1.html

They do cap guns and guns that fire plastic pellets. A warning about the latter, they are by far the most powerful toys I have ever seen, at close range the pellets can be felt even through clothes. Be careful though 'he'll have his eye out'.

 

[Sydwaiz]

If you find one with a shot out or rusted bore, you can tap the muzzle and throat and plug it so it can not chamber a live round then paint the muzzle orange. Or you can take it a step further by drilling a small hole in the plugs and then let him use primed brass as blanks. Then you can teach him safe gun handling at the same time. I wonder if you can make the brass accept paper or plastic caps too. When you feel he's ready, move him up to a pellet gun.

 

[Cosmoline]

I'm also troubled by the idea. For one thing destroying ANY rifle is a bad thing. Destroying an antique Mauser is nearly a sin. Plus the idea of pointing and "shooting" a rifle at playmates, even a deactivated one, sends chills down my spine. But I can't tell if you're talking about having him play with it or use it as a *drill* rifle for safey. If you're talking about having it as a dummy or drill rifle to show him how it all works and teach safety, then maybe that's not a bad idea. I'd suggest using a real Mauser or Mosin with the firing pin simply removed and dummy rounds used.