Anyone a Mauser expert?

[bcook07]

I got this right as part of a trade and I can't find anyone local to give me an idea or value. Trying to decide if it's worth restoring or just sending down the road. I'd like to know more about it other than just it's a 1936 and it's an Oberndorf?

 

[Just Say Moe]

Not an expert by any means, but a prewar rifle with Eagle/63 proofs...... What is there to restore? Is it all matching (stock, triggerguard, etc) and is it import marked? Regardless, I found 2 auction listings that estimated >$2500 and one actually got $4600. If you had other shootable Mausers (gotta have at least one), I would think hard about letting it go for the above price to fund other projects - but it would be hard, real hard to let it go.

 

[bcook07]

I haven't found any import marks. The stock does not match but everything else does from what I can tell.

 

[joshb]

It could be a “war bring back” I bought one for $400 about ten years ago. You don’t restore a gun like that. Keep it oiled. Mine sat in a closet for 60 years. It’s in worse shape than yours. You can shoot it. I shot mine and realized that steel buttplate is designed to kill things, including shoulders.

 

[Ggmac]

That is a piece of history! Please DO NOT RESTORE ! SAND OR MODIFY . It is more valuable each year . If you need to restore anything, Ill send you 10 mausers for that one .
Value is all over the place , $900 to $1800 .
Gary

 

[joshb]

^^^^ There is our resident Mauser expert. He lives in a Bunker in Florida, surrounded by palates of old Mausers and parts!

 

[DGP4]

The stock does not match because it was probably brought back as a war trophy by a returning GI and the original stock suffered a "duffel cut" to make it fit a GI duffel bag. S/42 was the marking of the Oberndorf factory as you said. If it had it's original stock I would guess it is in the $1500 range. As is it is still up there as recent prices have risen substantially.

 

[ebb]

The stock is laminated. Does that make it a WW2 battlefield damage rebuild?

 

[Laurie]

The stock does not match because it was probably brought back as a war trophy by a returning GI and the original stock suffered a "duffel cut" to make it fit a GI duffel bag.

Never knew that! That explains some things - thank you. As in the US, KAR98k Mausers prices are 'silly' these days in the UK. This would be snapped up here at a high price.

 

[DGP4]

The stock is laminated. Does that make it a WW2 battlefield damage rebuild?

Laminated stocks became commonplace towards the end of the war as supplies of wood became scarce. A laminated stock can be factory original to a Mauser rifle.

 

[Liven The Dream]

Laminated stocks , I had 1939 237 code All Matching Laminated ?
It is worth more than you think .

Check Gun Broker

 

[butchlambert]

Among others I have a VZ33.

 

[DocCarbon]

I haven't found any import marks. The stock does not match but everything else does from what I can tell.

How do You know the stock doesn't match ? As others have already said DON'T monkey it up .

 

[DocCarbon]

It just came to Me ,that K98 might just have come from a Mauser Market Dump ,from Russia about #16-18 years back if Memory serves me . They were captured WWll and according to the story were found by some business person who either bought leased a building in Russia . A few outfits like Mitchell's Mauser's bought up a certain # but so did another distributor as well as a few private collectors .

Anyway Mauser's K98 in particular after 1917 came with Beech Stocks for the majority but Not all . Russian's were laminating stocks back during the war ,it's possible not probable someone may have laminated some stocks to replace damaged stocks ?. Just saying better left alone until YOU know for certain .

I have an SS Death Head 43 which wears a walnut stock and it's original without any import marks . I knew the Pilot who brought it home . Also had #5 Japanese Samurai swords #5 Katana's and #3 officers swords .

His story was unique and Sad ; Seems he did a little swap and trade favors for some of the Soldiers and would transport Items . Well seems some of his customers didn't make their pickups and he held onto most all of their items for #50 years ,before cleaning up the house . Right time Right place deal for ME and I've never sold a single one .

 

[ebb]

DGP4 Yes but the rifle has a 1939 date on it, it probably came with a one piece wood stock not a laminated.

 

[Just Say Moe]

I have a 243/1939 with matching stock that is laminated. I believe the Russian captures electropenciled a serial number on the bolt and 99.9% do not have matching bolts.

 

[Dgd6mm]

^^^^ There is our resident Mauser expert. He lives in a Bunker in Florida, surrounded by palates of old Mausers and parts!

^^^^^

 

[FNSafari]

The stock is laminated. Does that make it a WW2 battlefield damage rebuild?

No

 

[jackieschmidt]

Just curious, what does the bore look like.

I have always wanted a vintage honest to goodness 8x57 from WW-2.

 

[diyj98]

In my opinion, there's nothing to restore. The stock was probably replaced, but that may have been done wartime, so I'd leave it as is. The sling looks like a reproduction from the limited photos. Nice rifle.