What quality of Mauser is it ok to Bubba...or is it???

[BsChoy]

I have an idea to make a K98 sniper but I will not damage irreversably my K98 which matches pretty well. What condition does a rifle have to be in, in your opinion, to be bubbable and not stand to lose anything in the way of collectability?

 

[Afy]

IMHO you will loose collectability... unless you use the correct parts.. in which case it might be easier to buy the original thing.

That being said, its your rifle. And do what makes you happy..

 

[strat81]

I'd use the crappiest (but still shootable) one you can find.

 

[Slamfire]

Sewer pipe barrel, cut down stock with remaining stock sanded down, missing upper handguard, missing upper band. If the rifle has been previously drilled and tapped, that is a bonus.

If the bolt has been bent that does not count as almost new bolts can be found.

You will find that original military rifles will retain their value, chopped up rifles will always be about $60.00.

 

[Lonestar.45]

If you aren't permanently altering it and you're keeping the original parts, in my mind, that's not a bubba job at all. Just one man's opinion. It's your rifle, do what you want with it.

That said, if I were going for a true bubba job (drilling/tapping for scope mounts, cutting the stock down, painting it camo and giving it the Tapco treatment, etc.) I'd try to pick one up that had already been "bubba'd" to some extent and go from there, since someone else already ruined it's collector value. I would have a hard time taking a pristine original example these days and doing a full on bubba job. That's just me.

 

[IndianaBoy]

Find one that has already been bubbad.

Toss everything but the action and build from there.

 

[cracked butt]

If you want a nice one with little or no collector value, go to Samco's website and order a 'winter triggerguard' K-98. These rifles are a bit rough but are new from the arsenal (BRNO) as post-war rebuilds.

If you have the correct (or even good replica parts) I would go ahead and do it- mot if not all, correct (not put together by some hack or hack importer for that matter) K98, are simply out of range pricewise for most people. People are doing the same conversion to mosin nagants and noone ever blinks an eye over it.

 

[Langenator]

I've got a Yugo M48 that I got as a 'shooter special' from AIM for like $60...got all the parts, but no metal finish and the wood's quite dinged up.

Debating whether to drill & tap or just go the scout route on it.

It's still covered in cosmo, many moons after I bought it, so obviously I'm not in any hurry.

 

[dogngun]

Either get the M-48 or find one that has already been worked on.

OR: www.gunpartscorp.com

has Mauser 98 actions for cheap, also barrels to fit in different calibers, plus bent bolts, Timney triggers. etc.

Better to build one from parts.

(You will need a FFL for the reciever.)

Mark

 

[Il Duca]

If you aren't going to do any permanent mods to it, go nuts. I would never permanently alter a historically significant rifle that was still in decent shape. I do love to give good homes to the ones already out there (that are done well) though.

 

[kcmarine]

Eh, do what you want, just keep the originals if you need to sell it.

 

[nwilliams]

I wouldn't touch any myself, I like the old military look of surplus rifles, collectable or not. However that said if I were to do any modifying to one I would choose either a Yugo M48 or 24/47, or Czech Vz24. Also there seems to be a plethora of Turkish ones out there still.

I certainly wouldn't bubbda a Chilean, Spainish, German, Persian, Brazilian, Swedish, Portuguese or Argentine, and I'm sure I'm forgetting quite a few

Also I wouldn't modify the stock that came with the rifle keep that in original condition so you can always go back. There are tons of sources out there for surplus stocks for these Mausers and lots of places where you can buy already sporterized ones. Keep the original stock and all the fittings in a safe place so you can always go back to orginal military configuration if you desire, or if you plan to sell it again and maintain some collector value.

 

[Cosmoline]

Easy--use one that's already been cut on. There's a ton of them out there, often for dirt cheap.

 

[R.W.Dale]

What quality of Mauser is it ok to Bubba

It's not a matter of QUALITY but rather OWNERSHIP. If it's your rifle do as YOU see fit with it.

 

[Jackal]

Just grab a cheap 24/47 and hack away. It's just about guaranteed to never be worth more than it costs now, so why not spend the $100 and chop it up.

 

[BsChoy]

Don't get me wrong guys I refuse to alter my M-38 swede, Garand, 91/30, or mauser K98 just looking for the general consensus on the collectability of rifles depending on their overall condition. I like Cosmolines suggestion. Shouldn't be too hard to find an already drilled and tapped gun.

 

[MSGT9410]

Just grab a cheap 24/47 and hack away. It's just about guaranteed to never be worth more than it costs now, so why not spend the $100 and chop it up.

FWIW, I'm sure a lot of people said that when Springfield '03s could be had for $30.

 

[Coronach]

It's your rifle. Do with it what you want.

However, you're asking for advice. So, you'll get advice. I love it when people say things like "should I do X?" and when they get told "no, I don't think you should", they get offended: "Don't tell me what to do!" This comment is directed at no one...I don't think anyone has done that on this thread.

I would feel free to restore any gun that is not in fair, original (or as-issued) condition. For instance, I have two Russian Capture K-98s that aren't in pristine shape. One of them is going to be cleaned up and left pretty much as-is. The other is going to be a full restoration. The way I see it is that Ivan has really destroyed any collectibility due to matching numbers and pristine parts. Any value it has now will be from how well it is fixed up.

Note that I said "restore". I'm not talking about turning it into a sporter. I'll be shopping for authentic parts and putting them back into decent trim. I don't plan on selling them, but if I would, I would advertise them as restorations, not originals. And I have no illusions about the profitablity of this endeavor...I'll pour money into this than I could ever get out of it.

As to a "sniper" recreation? I think a RC K98 would be okay for that. Others that are more purists than I am may object, but the rifles are pretty much mixmasters at this point anyway.

Mike

 

[dogngun]

Sweveral years ago, I bought a drilled and tapped 1939 JP Sauer 98 Mauser with a bent bolt, polished blue finish and a walnut sporter stock for under $200.The work appeared to be a pro job, and the bore was near perfect.

They are out there if you keep looking.

Mark

 

[Coronach]

And, that said, I do prefer Cosmoline's suggestion. I have an Enfield scout that I made out of an Enfield that was already butchered.

Mike

 

[BsChoy]

Thanks Coronach, the RC K98 is the type I was asking about but failed to specify. Amongst the people on this board, whom I respect for their opinions, I would ask is an RC mauser worthy of a drill and tap and the bolt work?

By the way I hope I didn't come across as being rude in my last post I wasn't attempting to be in the least. Thanks guys.

 

[Coronach]

If you really want to be a purist, you "should" not make any milsurp less "authentic" than it already is. Altering a RC to make a sniper repro would indeed involve altering the authenticity of the rifle.

Just how "authentic" a RC can be is a matter open to debate. The Russians took the rifles, detail stripped them, tossed the parts on barrels, "preserved" them, and reassembled them. They are all mixmasters. While I, personally, would never sporterize one, I would certainly consider a careful restoration to be fine. I would think that recreating a "sniper" out of one would be tasteful, just so long as the owner didn't then try to pass it off as authentic. Just be aware that you will probably never get the money out of it that you put in...it should be done for fun, not profit.

If you want to be very careful, just do what Cosmoline suggests. Pick up some poor bubba'ed deer rifle and build it back up. It will cost more, but it might turn out better, and you'll know that you're not reducing the finite number of authentic (even marginally authentic) rifles by one.

Mike

 

[Big Az Al]

Wich or If

I learned alot of skills watching my dad and then helping my dad sportize old, and at the time not very expnsive or desirable K98's, and even some 03's.

If we knew then what we know now, we would have been as well served to put as many of those things away as we could, and still be sitting on them, however I would not trade the skills I learned working those old and at the time not worth as much as a well done sporter.

Looking at the current prices retail and wholesale, almost any surplus rifle that sells for less $100, and some some that may go as high as $150 are candidates for whatever the buyer wants to do to them.

The current collector grade firearms are going for upwards of 3 to 4 hundred dollars wholesale, I will agree should not be reworked at all.

But a $45 type 44 nagant? what are you hurting? A $99 dollar Mauser?

20 30 years from now people may be saying that should never have been done, but knowledge or skills so gained, to me are worth what every K98 I ever saw being worked, by anyone, would be valued at today, if done right, and with care.

 

[surfinUSA]

I've got a Yugo M48. Great shooter and cheap. There is no collector value to these things except to people that don't know what guns have collectable value. The M48 is basically a rough commercial mauser than never saw any military action. Plus it has an intermediate sized receiver so if you do go the full sporterizing route it can only be rebarreled to use short action rounds. Plus most mauser stocks won't fit it. However, it shoots a great round, has a strong action and controlled round feed.

Any way this will work with any mauser regardless of its collectablility. I checked into having the receiver drilled and tapped and the bolt bent (M48 have a bent bolt but not far enough to use a scope) it was far more than I wanted to spend.

So I got a sporting stock from Boyd's (JRS model), a scout mount and a Burris scout scope. The scope at $211 cost more than the gun and the mount together. But altogether I now have a great shooting rifle for hunting pigs in Florida with a good piece of glass for less than I could have gotten a hunting rifle for with out a scope. Nothing is permanantly modified and can all be changed back in about 20 minutes. Prior to this I never cared for the jeff Cooper scout concept. But I really enjoy using this rifle now. I think the quality of the scope make a big difference with a scout rifle as it does with any other rifle.

As for the cost of the scope as I've said in other threads I don't waste money on cheap scopes any more. The scope was easy to zero holds its zero and the glass is very clear. It was well worth the money and really made the whole package work.

As a side note, Boyd' prices have gone up since I got mine , but if look in their stockpile clearance you will eventuall find one for your gun. You have to act fast though, as I missed one by waiting an hour to make the decision to order. The mauser stock will work, but its heavy and on mine the wrist area was so thick I'd still be grinding with a belt sander to make it comfortable, plus i didn't want to modify anything in case I hated it when done and decided to sell it.

 

[dakotasin]

What condition does a rifle have to be in...

it must be in my posession. after that, all bets are off!