First or Favorite Mauser?

My first Mauser is still my favorite, a 1923-dated CZ-Brno Vz.98/22 in 8x57IS. This rifle served in the Czechoslovak Army from 1923-1926, and then the Republic of Turkey until being sold to Navy Arms probably in the early 1990s. It regularly shoots 2MOA or better; my best is 3" at 200yds with 1949-dated Turkish surplus, but it also likes the 198gr heavy ball Yugo and Egyptian.

We have a winner. Those 98K sights suck;

Here is solution: 100% non-destructible, just remove (and save in a baggy) some parts off rear sight, and install mount (these guys have them for many many Mausers)

http://www.galatiinternational.com/product/SK2675.html

I put a NIKON scout scope on my mount. Yes, you have to get used to the eye relief, but here is result of being able to see the target:



This was from a beat up RC. I think these old Mausers shoot a lot better than many think, as a result of the terrible Mauser sight.

Before my presbyopia developed, the utilitarian battle sights on my K98ks were always good enough to allow me to reliably put bullets in the ears of groundhogs at ~100 yards.

These days, to have any hope of repeating that performance, a no-alteration scout mount might be just the ticket, Thanks.

I only have one mauser. A super beat up spanish mauser. I am not a huge fan of the sites on it. But I have wanted one for years. So when I finally found one I was super stoked

For mausers I am a fan of the small ring 98's. They are a little more compact than the large ring 98 and still very strong. IIRC correct the springfield 03 is based on a small 98 design, but in my opinion deviated from the design in ways that were not good. The mexicans did purchased and also made a small ring 98 in 7mm mauser. Many of the non-98 designs has lower quality heat treatment and lack some features for safety such as the third locking lug and some other things that distinguish a 98' from the 93,95, 96 models.

URK!

Sorry I just went and looked at the linked LER Mauser scope mount above and I had a forgotten value of money changes moment. The mount is almost twice what I paid for the rifle I was thinking it might be fun on.

I bought it out of a barrel in the sporting good section of a WoolCo store about 4 decades ago. No idea what it really is. Has been IDed by various folks as a Spanish 98, a Spanish Air Force specific 98, a Polish Air Force 98, a Polish made Spanish Air Force 98 and I just consider it a shot out old parts gun that has been cold blued (back around '78) and had part of the dry rotted cracked upper handguard sawn off. It is so shot out one can drop a pulled 7.92 bullet into the muzzle point first and have it stop with the base a good inch and a half inside the barrel.

My inner Bubba keeps looking at the rifle and the near by hacksaw and wood rasp.

That was my first Mauser.

Favorite is a Swede of the shortened rifle issue variety which has the neato flat little dial in the original sight ladder rather than a bar, clip on front sight hood, and a thread cover over the area done up for Swedish blank firing device. She is a cutie and shoots like she looks. Though as others have said those sighs are for some reason getting harder to see.......

-kBob

kBob said:

URK!

I bought it out of a barrel in the sporting good section of a WoolCo store about 4 decades ago. No idea what it really is. Has been IDed by various folks as a Spanish 98, a Spanish Air Force specific 98, a Polish Air Force 98, a Polish made Spanish Air Force 98 and I just consider it a shot out old parts gun that has been cold blued (back around '78) and had part of the dry rotted cracked upper handguard sawn off. It is so shot out one can drop a pulled 7.92 bullet into the muzzle point first and have it stop with the base a good inch and a half inside the barrel.


-kBob

Click to expand...

If the crest looks like this:



it's a Spanish Air Force M44, which is based on the 98. Odds are that it isn't shot out, but that it has been counter-bored. I have one that had been previously sporterized and is an awesome shooter. The reason the 'Polish' thing comes up is that a bunch of the M44s were built from scrubbed Polish Wz29 actions that came to Spain during the Spanish Civil War.

You ought to try shooting it before writing it off. I'm still looking for an unmolested one to add to my collection.

Matt

Matt,

In the 1970's it and I shot well with groups as good as two inches but usually nearer the small side of 3 at 100yards. Had young eyes at 20/15 then also and could not understand why people disliked the K98 sights.

Fast forward to 13 months over seas, ten rounds of corrosive ammo missing, a Dad that occasionally dug through my stuff and a Brother in Law that likes guns and it no longer shot well. I suspect that shortly after I left someone fired those ten rounds through it then either put it away dirty or just cleaned it like with non corrosive ammo in their thutty thutty and let it sit in an non air conditioned North Florida closet for that year I was gone. To say it was nasty when I rodded it on my return stateside would be an understatement.

Now I got to go out to the shop and look at it. Pretty sure that is the crest. I thought the Spanish guns had front sights with a plain ramp like most of the German guns. This has heavy square eared sight protectors like some Polish guns.

Maybe I should hunt up the camera as well.....

-kBob

My first was a Zastava Mini in 223. Many deer fell to that rifle.

My favorite will always be the M38 Swede I've bought and resold twice. I want it back.

My Mauser was a k98k action barreled with a extra heavy shilen blank chambered in .308. Barrel was 28". It sat in a heavy McMillan stock which was pillar bedded. The bolt was jeweled, and trigger was perfect with 3.2 pound pull. I didn't like the McMillan so I bought a walnut blank and had it fit to the gun, then the gun fit to me. All told it weighed 17pounds but when I did my part it laid down a 4" group at 800m and rang maidens at 1300m on the military range. I had it for a year before I traded it for a honda rebel and $1000 cash. I only traded it because my asthma medicine makes me jittery and the new prescription had me missing maidens at 700m. They told me it would happen but I didn't expect the shakes to be as bad as they are.

I forgot to mention, the glass on top was a new in box weaver k10 that I scored for $100 with a new set of mounts. The mounts were aligned to the barrel. I miss the gun and my shooting ability.

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My truck gun: a 1909 converted by Argentine police to 30-06 in the lowest setting on the sights it shoots M2 ball into 3" at 100 yards about 1-2" high = good enough!Can be kept legally unloaded and stripper clips of 5 slammed in in a second or two.
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The above is my departed Uncles 8mm Obendorf Sporter he brought back from WW2. He used it for upstate deer hunting in New York stae until 1960 when he bought a Model 1955 Mannlicher Carbine in 30-06.
I have dozens of other mausers FWIW.

Years ago I had a Spanish Mauser chambered in .308. It was decently accurate, but kicked like a mule and had a steel buttplate.

My First is my Favorite

A Yugo M24/47 that I sportered over 10 years ago, D&T with Leupold bases & rings, Timney trigger & safety, Boyds Walnut sporter stock. 1-1/4" @ 100 yards
with Nosler Ballistic tips all day long.

First and only Mauser.
Another CZ vz. 24, this one from Považská Bystrica in 1937.
Beautiful condition, perfect bore, great shooter.
Anyone got a cleaning rod?





Tinpig

1942 Husky M38 Swede, like new with all matching numbers






I almost forgot my favorite Mauser shooter. a 98 FN which the Israelis rebarreld to 7.62x51. I got it for around 90 bucks back in 1988, it shot accurate, but I quickly converted it to a scout and it is deadly with cast bullets.

I can't choose. I have 2 Turks, a 96 Swede, 91 Argentine Engineers Carbine, 1936 Mexican and a Mitchell's K98. They are all a hoot to shoot!

I got a RC K98 with a straight bolt from Wideners early last year for $360 + ~$28 to ship it to my front door. I feel I got lucky in that it still has all the German markings on it. The receiver is marked 1938, every other part has a different SN. I picked up a #s matching P38 made in 1944 from J&G Sales around the same time.

Has to be my two Broomhandles. I have put over three thousand rounds of assorted Tokarev ammo through one...still waiting for it to blow up... My other Broomie I cant shoot because it has only fired one round in it's life, the proof round at the Mauser factory in 1930. It is still gooped up with the original cosmoline. I have the wooden stock with it (matching) It is a 99+ % gun. I THINK it was made around 1930 but can't be sure. Damn Frenchmen. You Mauser collectors will get that one....