98 Mauser, Yay or Nay

[Jailer]

Have an opportunity to pick up a sporterized 98 Mauser for $300 from a guy I know. Gun looks decent from the pictures I have and apparently has been stored for the last 25 or so years. It looks to be in great shape but I don't know if that's a decent price for one or not. I plan on picking it up for a 35 Whelen project.

Take a look at the pics and tell me what you think. Should I buy it?

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b180/Jailer/posting%20pics/IMG_0542_zps9e50efc3.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b180/Jailer/posting%20pics/IMG_0543_zps46096fa7.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b180/Jailer/posting%20pics/IMG_0907_zps0c1811bc.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b180/Jailer/posting%20pics/IMG_1431_zps26b5c862.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b180/Jailer/posting%20pics/IMG_8910_zps1ae58570.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b180/Jailer/posting%20pics/IMG_0844_zpsb9e591f3.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b180/Jailer/posting%20pics/IMG_5114_zps106508db.jpeg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b180/Jailer/posting%20pics/IMG_4804_zpsf785d356.jpeg

[Uncle Grinch]

Looks to be in good condition and appears to have the original barrel. The mount and scope are vintage, but though I am familiar with the name, I have never owned one, so I can't comment on them.

If the bore and headspace is good and it feeds and functions OK, and the caliber (7.92x57 ??) fits your needs, then, yes, $300 is more than fair, especially if you feel good about it.

[Jailer]

It's been re chambered to 30-06. If I do get it I'm having it re bored to 35 whelen.

[ammohead]

The serial numbers match in a obviously military stepped bbl. If it was rechambered to 30-06 what did it start out as?

[357maximum]

I would not buy it. I would tell your buddy Mike how to get into contact with the feller who is selling it. :lol:

That is the same receiver my Whelen is on btw.

Seriously....If it is indeed an 8mm/06 I would be tempted to shoot it....scratch that I would shoot it first. It is only the cost of dies to find out and the 8mm/06 is a damn fine caliber in it's own right.

If you decide to rebarrel it....I get first dibs on the barrel if it is indeed an 8mm/06 as I have a reciever awaiting such a barrel.


I am sure that with what I have available I could help you cobble up some test rounds.....just another option.



BUY IT...It's only money Obummer will make more. :lol:

[Jailer]

The serial numbers match in a obviously military stepped bbl. If it was rechambered to 30-06 what did it start out as?

Well he said it was a 30-06 but also said he knows nothing about the gun or Mausers in general. It could very well be something else.


I would not buy it. I would tell your buddy Mike how to get into contact with the feller who is selling it. :lol:

That is the same receiver my Whelen is on btw.

Seriously....If it is indeed an 8mm/06 I would be tempted to shoot it....scratch that I would shoot it first. It is only the cost of dies to find out and the 8mm/06 is a damn fine caliber in it's own right.

If you decide to rebarrel it....I get first dibs on the barrel if it is indeed an 8mm/06 as I have a reciever awaiting such a barrel.


I am sure that with what I have available I could help you cobble up some test rounds.....just another option.



BUY IT...It's only money Obummer will make more. :lol:

If I do get this and don't do anything with it my buddy Mike will have a chance to shoot it so it's not a total loss. :mrgreen:

[azrednek]

Looks like a side safety and likely is connected to an adjustable trigger. If so it can easily save you a buck. I'd be a bit concerned about the scope and mounts. Can you mount a modern scope without additional drilling and tapping? It has been apx 12+ years but I found it was less costly to re-barrel to 35 Whelen than re-bore. The re-barrel from Shaw included re-blueing the entire rifle. Possibly it might be a bit less costly for the re-bore if the chamber is already reamed. The estimate I got on the re-bore included the cost of reaming out the chamber. At the time it was about a 6+ month back log from the only one I could find willing to do the job.

EDIT: I just took another look at the pictures. The beautiful job knurling and bending the bolt is easily a $100+ job today even more if it has been hollowed.

[53caddy]

I picked up one done in 30-06 5 years back for around $250. But it didn't look that nice. I would pick it up if I had the money.

[Jailer]

Well it's mine. I'm picking it up tomorrow afternoon. I'll decide what I'm going to do with it once I've got it in my hands.

[UBER7MM]

If it shoots straight, I'd just shoot it with as a 30'06, unless you already have an '06. Or shoot it until the barrel's shot, then rebarrel to your caliber of choice. The scope and mount are cool.

[Jailer]

If it shoots straight, I'd just shoot it with as a 30'06, unless you already have an '06. Or shoot it until the barrel's shot, then rebarrel to your caliber of choice. The scope and mount are cool.

Got an -06 already that's a shooter, that's why I was looking for a project gun. If this one turns out to be 8-06 then I'll probably leave it as is unless it doesn't shoot.

[azrednek]

If it shoots straight, I'd just shoot it with as a 30'06, unless you already have an '06. Or shoot it until the barrel's shot, then rebarrel to your caliber of choice. The scope and mount are cool.

I can't tell from the stampings but if it is a 09 Argie Mauser re-chambered to 06 it will never shoot real well with standard 06 ammo. In the 50 and 60's it was common to re-chamber the 7.65 to 30/06. The punched out 765 Argies were commonly sold by the mail order dealers and were also sold by Sears both in their stores and mail order catalog. You will have to handload the 06 brass with .311-313 bullets to get it to shoot right.

[UBER7MM]

Jailer,

8x57, 30'06, or 8mm'06 would be a wonderful foundation for project gun, assuming the rifled action shoots straight. I've looked into the 8mm'06 and it's nothing to sneeze at. An old timer at the local gun shop was telling me stories about his 8mm'06; a real elk thumper. The Post WWII version of the 338'06. A 35 Whelen would be desirable too.

By looking at your photos the stock is a real nice piece of walnut and someone put some work into the inlaying and cared for this rifle. The custom bolt and aftermarket safety are also evidence of this. If your stock has a plastic nose cap, I can send you photos on how I replaced a plastic cap to a hard wood one. You won't find such nice furniture in today's factory guns for $300 found at Walmart.

Let us know what the barrel slugs at and how well it shoots.

Thanks for sharing,

[Hardcast416taylor]

That`s a K98 not an Argie (no side markings where it is stamped Mod. 98). That is a very old Weaver scope of probably `40`s vintage in those Stith mounts. You would have to remove the mounts to see how the mount was attached and what pattern any holes were drilled in the reciever. Slug the barrel to determine the caliber it is and do a chamber cast to be sure, have it done if unsure how to do this. For the $300 you made an excellent buy.Robert

[Jailer]

Got it home now. The pictures don't do it justice, the gun is beautiful. The end caps on the stock are indeed plastic but the stock itself is a gorgeous piece. Cameras just can't capture the finish or depth of the grain in the wood. The stock finish is great with only a couple small handling marks on it. The trigger is nice and crisp. Scope is a 2.5x weaver and pretty clear for it's age. The mount is a Stith as hardcast416taylor mentioned. The only mar in the finish is a couple small spots on the bottom of the barrel otherwise the bluing is perfect.

It's definitely is not a 30-06. I tried chambering a 30-06 round and the bolt was quite a bit short of closing. Also a loaded round dropped right into the muzzle all the way to the case neck with wiggle room in the bore. My guess is it's still an 8mm mauser.

Overall I'm very pleased with it for the price. It should make a perfect 35 Whelen project.

[Junior1942]

.358" - .324" = only .034" difference in bullet diameter between a 35 Whelan and an 8x57 Mauser. Think about it. I'd leave it 8x57.

[Jailer]

Boy the more I look at this thing I think I might just leave it as is. It's in such nice shape I'm not sure I want to go tearing it apart. Rifling and crown look good so deciding factor will probably be how it shoots.

[frkelly74]

Pretty! That is one to be enjoyed there. You could rechamber it to 8mm/06 If you wanted a little extra oompf but 8mm is pretty good all by itself , and kicks hard enough as it is.

[littlejack]

I have an 8mm-06 AI that I just love. I load a Hornaday 195 grain sp at 2800 fps.
I don't know why folks think these rifles kick. This one is a sweetheart to shoot. I bought a Boyds walnut stock to swaddle the
action and barrel in. I had the barrel and action bead blasted and blued to a nice matt finish. Original trigger replaced with a
Timney and mounted a Leupold VX-2 3 x 9 on it. I consider this my magnum rifle.
Congratulations on your new rifle.
Jack

[Gtek]

Looks early war with original barrel to me. If it is not 8mm, I would lean to 8mm-06 (real easy check). That was a very common thing Post WWll which would align with scope and mount. Really nice looking wood, sorry I had to quit looking at it I started seeing pokey-dots. Gtek

[Hamish]

Jailer, someone went to a fair amount of trouble to put this piece together, don't be in any hurry to jack it up.

If a 30-06 will drop in, it ain't 7.92x57. To make 8mm Mauser out of 30-06 you chop some off and move the shoulder back. It's most likely 8mm-06.:drinks:

And, uh, oh by the way, I would be more than happy to give you 50 bucks more than you paid for it.

[waksupi]

Behind the .358 Winchester, the 8X57 is probably the best cast boolit chambering.

That oughta start an argument!

[Nose Dive]

Nice rifle. As far as a K98, for 3 big bills, you did well. Stock is very nice. As to caliber...it is paramount you determine this. I bet, just looking at it, it is still 8MM. Don't panic. The 8MM round is the 'kisssing sister' of the USA 30'06. All things being equal, (which really is impossible) their identical rounds. I make my 8MM casings out of 30'06 rounds I pick up from the rifle range I frequent. Look at the reloading manuals. SAAMI rating is the same, 50K, bullet weights, speed, drop, etc...etc..etc... no real meaningful difference. Buy some dies and get after it. Or, now, you can really buy hunting loads for our old K98s, VZ's, Turks..etc..etc. And, 'last year' you could buy good useable, 'fun' rounds from the milsurp market. OBAMA/BIDEN are drying that faucet very quickly. I think you're dead on not changing anything. really...Why? She looks FABULOUS...if she is a 8MM'06 your good, or the ole 8MM Mauser...you're good... All things I see and read look 'GOOD TO GO"...Why mess with it? Take her to the range after the calibre is determined and see how she shoots. No good?,,maybe a newer model scope? Bases appear sturdy to me. I got a Remington 7MM Mag from a buddy of mine who said the rifle was "****,,Won't print now or ever!"... I agreed with him and urged him to let it go to me for $350 with Leupold scope, sling, case. He jumped all over it. Took rig home, CLEANED IT UP, reset mounts and scope...bit shaky at 100 Meters. Swapped scope to an old Redfield I had from my 'DADS DAYS'...he owned the scope..and VOILA! MOA rifle appears in my hands with my reload ammo. Sold rig to a buddy for $600 skins with a paper target in the case showing 5 rounds in the 'ring' at 100 Meters.... Moral of story...don't give up on a rig until you 'know' what really is wrong..... The piece you have in your hands may pring MOA right now. Who knows? But, calibre determination, load composition is PARAMOUNT right now. First things first.

Good Purchase!! Let us know the calibre and supply all of us a 'range' report of the way she shoots.

Nose Dive.

Cheap, Fast, Good. Kindly pick two.

PS: Oh..and really, if she is indeed a K98,,she is probably MUCH OLDER than the 25 years you estimated. All of my K98's are Pre-1950 vintage... Don't panic here either. Look at the condition of that rifle! She is a PRIMO. And, I have paid much more than $300 for a K98 that was not modified, had not rings and scope! The old Mauser's were and are a work of art and endurance. I own about 20 of them now. Yes...all much older than '25 years'. Nose Dive

[azrednek]

.358" - .324" = only .034" difference in bullet diameter between a 35 Whelan and an 8x57 Mauser. Think about it. I'd leave it 8x57.

I agree, leave it. The little bit of extra oomph you can achieve punching it out to 8MM/06. Not worth the expense unless you have tools, skills and time to do it yourself. Assuming by your presence in this group you're obviously a handloader. You can get some pretty respectable velocities out of the 8X57. Much better than the under powered 8MM loaded by USA ammo manufactures that fear the ammo being shot in a pre-1900 8MM.

If you insist on squeezing the maximum velocity and power out of it. Consider what was named the "Poorman's Magnum" popular in the 1950's. It is a 338 Win mag case necked up to 8MM. The only additional expense over punching it to 8MM/06 would be having the bolt face altered to the belted mag case head. It has been way more years than I want to think about. My guess is cost of re-boring to 35 Whelen would be comparable to converting it to the 338/8mm.

I know how you're feeling as I had to have a 35 Whelen. I did it by re-barreling a Czech BRNO with a badly neglected and pitted bore. According to a conversation I had about 10+ years ago with the now retired barrel maker and gunsmith, Harry McGowen. 35 Whelen was the most requested non-magnum caliber he did.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Have a FN mauser in 8mm06 bought from an older gunsmith years ago , sweet shooter , yes I like 8x57 and 8mm06 both good cast shooters not enough jacketed options in 8mm like in 30 caliber , Let us know what it is caliber wise , and enjoy a beautiful rifle.

[alrighty]

Nice looking rifle , and a great buy.The mounts are Stith , they are what they called Master mounts.They were designed for the older non internally adjusted scopes.You can convert this over to a newer 1" scope by changing out the ring and the bar that attaches to it.I would also guess that your rifle would accept newer bases such as those made for FN or any commercial Mauser.

[Gunnut 45/454]

Jailer
You said a '06 wouldn't allow the bolt to close. Then it most likely still 8x57mm. Great cartirdge in it's own right -I have 3 Milsurps in the caliber. Cause if it was 8mm-06 the '06 round would have dropped right in and the bolt would have closed. Get a 8x57mm round and see if it chambers then use it to check the bore.

[thaxted]

Jailer, that's an absolutely lovely example of a wartime production k98k that someone made into a fine hunting rifle.(you did well!)
If it is still in original military chamber, that makes a good cast bullet shooter.

Here's an opinion that's worth what you paid me for it; I think that rifle was made by the Berlin-Lubecker machine company, and it was about number 25000 for the year of production (the year is stamped on the top of the receiver ring,prior to 1940 the code should be 237,after that, duv)

[Wayne Smith]

There really is not enough of an advantage over a fully loaded 8x57 to justify 8x63. It was done to make ammo available when there was no 8x57 brass available. It is OK to do if the throat is shot out. Otherwise the 8x57 in a 98 Mauser can be loaded essentially equal to the 30-06. American ammo and most of the data are limited to the weaker models and the possibility that there may be a .318" bore out there, of which there are a few.

[Hardcast416taylor]

We`re assuming this is still an 8x57mm. I have worked up "J" loads for several 8`s. From 125 gr. for fox and `yotes and even chucks to 150 gr. for distance shooting at antelope and mulies to the favorite "J" bullet the Nosler 180 gr. Ballistic tip. You can go heavier with 200 gr. bullets for moose, elk and black bearor to duplicate mil. loads. Cast boolits can be acquired for about any weight you may wish to go with, from light to heavy to a duplicate of a mil. ball shape. Upon removing the mount you should be able to see on the front ring exactly what arsenal and year this rifle was born. That is indeed a sweet heart of a rifle and it was a steal for $300. Just imagine what all that custom work would cost in todays money to have done?Robert

[Jailer]

Thanks for all the replies. I am going to get some brass and dies and see how this thing shoots. It's in such good shape I don't think I'll do anything at all to it except shoot it. Having had a chance to look through the scope in bright day light I'm actually quite pleased with that as well.

I sent a buddy of mine a text yesterday and told him about this purchase. I had previously told him I was considering selling off a few toys to make room in the safe and consolidate calibers and simplify things. He replied to me "what happened to consolidation?" I just can't help myself I guess. :)

[uscra112]

Those Stith mounts were made to take one of the Bausch & Lomb "Balvar" external-adjustment scopes from the post-war era. A better hunting scope was not made then, and perhaps has not been made since. So strong the salesmen used to drive nails into a piece of wood with them as a demonstration. They still show up from time to time. No, you cannot buy any of mine for love nor money.

[David2011]

Great find! The figure in the stock is very nice. You got a terrific bolt handle. Looks like maybe an aftermarket trigger since the safety has been changed. Have you determined the chambering and fired it yet?

David

[Jailer]

It is 8mm Mauser and I have not fired it yet. Might get out today here in a little bit before the wind picks up.