1909 98 Mauser Modelo Argentino Sporter -- whats it worth?

[68lemans462]

This is a cool 98 mauser sporter in 25-06. The stock has been professionally done with action glass bedded and barrel free floated. Timney trigger. Very nice bluing, polishing and jeweling on the action which is as smooth as glass. It shoots as good as it looks. So, what value would you put on this one? Thanks!

Amazon photos pictures here: https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/l6Ufh7irSDi560d1dKtHZA.C_2vfLwXp5TPa7MJZ5UlK5

 

[br549arkie]

What's up with the recoil pad? The rifle looks to be well done but the recoil pad appears very poorly fitted in the photos.

 

[Coyote3855]

I answered your question in another forum and offered the opinion that it would stay for months in the used gun rack if priced at $250. The availability of inexpensive but good quality hunting rifles in currently popular calibers has reduced the demand for guns like yours in my area.

 

[Jim Watson]

What's up with the recoil pad? The rifle looks to be well done but the recoil pad appears very poorly fitted in the photos.

It has likely been standing on its butt in a gun case or rack for some years and the pad squashed out of shape.

 

[br549arkie]

It has likely been standing on its butt in a gun case or rack for some years and the pad squashed out of shape.

Probably right. That makes sense.

 

[Offfhand]

What's it worth? Well, to give you an idea: the hinged floorplate bottom metal, Timney trigger, safety tab, Redfield scope base and rings will fetch a quick $350. on eBay. So go figure all the rest and add it up.

 

[Bwana John]

I’d say it is worth 1/3rd to 1/4th of what it would have been worth if some bubba didn’t sporterized it.

(I’m so ashamed… )

 

[Jim Watson]

the hinged floorplate bottom metal,

That is why the 1909 was popular to sporterize, the hinged floor plate and inside release lever were GI, nothing to buy or make to look commercial.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Offhand is probably correct, in pure dollar terms its worth more as parts than a complete rifle.....
At a local show or shop, I would expect to see $400-450 on the tag, but the pro sellers know thats high and would likely accept $300ish.
That said, if you really want it, its worth whetever you're willing to pay for it.

 

[LoonWulf]

I dont care for mausers but if I could get that one for less than 500 Id probably buy it. On gunbroker decent professional jobs go got for 450-650, good ones can go for a lot more if the guns in good shape and the pictures are well done........ which is about what they run out here.

 

[Scooter22]

Lots of mixed answers but you have to find the right buyer. The stock and "look" is out of the 50s/60s and 25-06 is also popular from that era. But the chambering hurts more than the look for me. If it was 30-06, 280 Rem or even the original 7.65x53 I'd think 3-400 bucks. But 25-06 no thanks. Good luck.

 

[Offfhand]

I’d say it is worth 1/3rd to 1/4th of what it would have been worth if some bubba didn’t sporterized it.

This is interesting, as here are three /09 Argentine rifles that have been bubbaed that look rather nice so I wonder what they are worth. One is especially interesting because the '09 action has been shortened by an inch and the receiver ring "crested" for a smooth profile. The bolt handle on all three have been gracefully reshaped and have M-70 type safeties. Which I think are nice Bubba improvements.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

^^^
Yeah now there's a good example of the anti "bubba"...
Fine examples of Gunsmithing, as usual, Offhand.

 

[Jim Watson]

That shortened action would boggle the mind of a modern parts swapper.
Frank DeHaas showed a 1917 shortened into a "jeep" action varmint rifle.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

I think this kind of custom job is a better candidate for the auction circuit (RIA, Morphy's) than the LGS used gun rack. Those are much better markets for connecting to the sort of buyers who'd appreciate something like this.

That really isn't going to give you a hard number on price because something like this could fetch wildly different final bids with a different set of bidders. As Offhand wisely advised, set a reserve price based the individual parts value and see what happens.

My observation (as also Coyote3855 implied) is that classic sporting rifle prices aren't keeping pace with other firearm categories at the present time. It might be a good time to invest, actually.

One comparison I'll make (and feel free to disagree) is that unexceptional M1 Garands have appreciated in price by at least 2x in just a few years, while Mannlicher-Schoenauer sporting rifle prices -- which were higher priced to begin with -- have stayed relatively unchanged. I think an unmolested Greek milsurp M-S might even go for more than many of the M-S factory sporters right now.

 

[R.W.Dale]

I answered your question in another forum and offered the opinion that it would stay for months in the used gun rack if priced at $250. The availability of inexpensive but good quality hunting rifles in currently popular calibers has reduced the demand for guns like yours in my area.

10 to 15 years ago yes. I bought many of them as I was going through a well done sporter phase.

but since then people have grown to appreciate a rifle that was well made to begin with that had some craftsmanship applied to it.

No they aren’t worth what an untouched example is but at the same time you can’t buy ANYTHING with wood that’s centerfire in a retail setting under $400 nowadays that functions.

imo this is a $600 ish rifle depending on what some decent pics show

 

[Bwana John]

This is interesting, as here are three /09 Argentine rifles that have been bubbaed that look rather nice so I wonder what they are worth. One is especially interesting because the '09 action has been shortened by an inch and the receiver ring "crested" for a smooth profile. The bolt handle on all three have been gracefully reshaped and have M-70 type safeties. Which I think are nice Bubba improvements.View attachment 1127550 View attachment 1127551 View attachment 1127552 View attachment 1127553 View attachment 1127554 View attachment 1127555 View attachment 1127556 View attachment 1127557

I would be interested in what they cost to sporterize in todays rates, compared to how much they would sell for.
Beautiful rifles, but do they actually have a negative value?

 

[silicosys4]

While the rifle in the OP is not your typical bubba'd chopped stock conversion, it is not anywhere in the same league as the rifles offhand posted and is closer to the former than the latter, imo.

I think this kind of custom job is a better candidate for the auction circuit (RIA, Morphy's) than the LGS used gun rack.

I doubt RIA or Morphy's would want anything to do with the OP's rifle.
This isn't a custom job. Look at Offhands rifles for examples of sporterized milsurps that have had enough work done to fall into the custom category. Those rifles have had literally thousands of dollars of work done to them by a gunsmith or someone with that level of skill.
The OP's rifle is just a rebarreled milsurp that someone dropped into a nicely figured but basic stock and added some minor bolt ons.

I have seen a ton of these military actions dropped into those squared off aftermarket stocks with the 2x4 forearm..I dunno why that particular cut seems to be so popular for sporterizing military rifles but they feel like i'm carrying a piece of lumber.

As soon as I see that stripper cut on the side of the receiver I tend to lose interest quickly unless its something particularly well done like Offhands rifles. At the level of quality that Offhands rifles show, I have confidence that someone was involved who knew what they were doing. That isn't the case with most sporterized milsurps that could have been done by anybody with a vice, some tools, and the inclination.

There always are seven or eight of these rifles at LGS's in town, a decently sporterized action dropped into a figured stock with a turned bolt, and they all sit at $600 and move at $400, if that helps. I personally wouldn't be interested in the OP's gun for anything over $350 and at that price only because I know i'd at least break even by parting it out.