Thoughts on price of Sporterized Mauser???

[recondoc]

I found a 6.5X55 Mauser today at a local pawn shop. It has been seriously sporterized with a beautiful stock, #3 trigger and a toggling side mounted safety. The only markings are 6.5X55. I'm not sure if the barrel is original or not but it is a 24" sport contour.
It has a Tasco Pronghorn (Nothing Special) mounted on it.

The shop is asking $550 for it, which I think is too much. I mentioned $450 and they jumped a little too fast at that. None the less, if I mentioned $450, I really don't like playing games and going back to anyone with a lower offer. That leaves me with the choice of going $450 or just not buying it.

I've never owned a Mauser, sporterized or otherwise.
All constructive input is appreciated in helping me make an educated decision on this one.
Thanks,
Doc

 

[viking499]

Did the barrel have a step to it?

 

[recondoc]

No step. Just looks like a standard sporting rifle barrel. Is there a clue in this?

 

[Walter]

Unless the Mauser is really something special, either looks-wise or super accurate,
I think $450 is a bit much. You can get a new Remington 700ADL with a cheap scope already mounted,
or a Savage Axis, scoped, for around $450.

That said, I have a sporterized Model 98 Mauser I wouldn't part with. But then I know everything about mine.
The Shilen barrel, the Timney trigger, the hand-carved black walnut stock and the Leupold Vari-XII 3-9 scope all fit together
to make it my favorite deer rifle.

I think I would have to shoot the Mauser before I would pay $450 for it. And since the pawn shop most likely wouldn't let that happen,
I'd pass and go for a new gun. But, that is just my opinion. Semper Fi.

Walter

 

[alexander45]

Doesn't sound worth it for a sported out one. 350 if its nice

 

[WardenWolf]

Depends on lots of things. I snapped up a lightly (but well-done) sporterized WW2 German Mauser for $250 a few years back. It still has the original military barrel and still shoots 1 MOA. For more serious customization or a nicer-looking gun, you can expect to pay a little more if it was done right. I'd say offer $350. If they won't take it, offer $400. I think you'll get your money's worth out of it, and it will probably outshoot a stock Remington (although probably not a Savage).

Don't feel bad about haggling. You can get some of the best deals that way. That's how I got this Mauser: they set a too-high reserve price on Gunbroker and it didn't sell (I think they set around $375). I contacted them after the auction and offered to buy it and asked if they'd take $250 (I was prepared to go up to $275, my high bid in the auction), and they did it. I got my SKS the same way, a very nice safe-queen Romanian for $275 when that was the going rate for a common Yugo.

 

[leadcounsel]

It's a 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser. These were well made and excellent actions and rifles if it's in great condition today.

The ammo is relatively affordable at about $.70 a shot. The 6.5 has really good flat ballistics as I understand.
http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.a...PU+6.5x55+Swede+139grn+SP+20rd+box&groupid=98

If it was all original, it would be worth ballpark $500. I have 2 and they are long rifles and beautiful.

A sporterized one will have no or little collector value, depending on how sporterized. So you'd just be buying a functioning nice rifle with history. I agree that a deal is a deal, so you're kinda committed at $450. But if it's not already tapped, you might try to wiggle that into the deal since it's already sporterized. That way you can easily mount a scope. Just a suggestion.

For $450 it's probably on the high end of a fair price, and much more style than an off-the-shelf RemchesterSavage... You're not getting a great deal, but not losing your shorts either.

Happy shooting.

 

[Johnny_B_Goode]

look at the ballistics of the 6.5x55 cartridge then compare it to a 308, 30/06 or even 7.62x54. I like the way the 6.5x55 shoots but it is not a high velocity cartridge. You have to be pretty close for the 6.5x55 to create hydrostatic shock like a 30/06 would at 200 yards. I liked the way the milsurp mauser shoots. I have never shot a sporterized 6.5.

I would pass on the mauser. There are lot of better rifles you can get. The Mauser action is what was great. Not the cartridges that were originally chambered for the mauser. I would say the sporterized Mauser is better than a cheapo plastic entry level rifle like the Axis or Marlin X7 rifles.

 

[recondoc]

I went back and looked this one over again. It is a nice project guy, but.....it was someone else' project. I asked them if they would consider 350 but they wouldn't come off of the 450. With that impass in place, I have decided to pass on it and go to EA Brown for a 6.5 barrel for my TC Encore instead. Now I just have to decide on which 6.5