[Cowboy]

Thinking about picking one up. I guess most are Russian capture guns. What should I be looking for? I know almost nothing about these rifles. What's fair in terms of price?

 

[Rick the Librarian]

Although my knowledge of Mausers would fit inside a thimble, you make the same decision you would with any other military rifle: do you just want a shooter? Something that loks nice? Do you want all correct finish? What is your budget? Mixed parts or all correct?

The only Mauser I'd like is a nice Israeli 7.62mm!

 

[Cowboy]

Mainly its for the history of it. I know a lot of folks don't want anything that the Nazis used, but I'm a history buff, so that doesn't really bother me. I'd like it to be a good shooter. All correct parts really aren't important. Just for the history of it, I think it would be kind of cool if it had both Soviet and Nazi stamps on it. I'd be willing to spend maybe $300 on it.

 

[Rick the Librarian]

If you're not fussy about the Russian refinish, I've seen them for a lot less than that. Most places (I can think of SOG and AIM) have a sliding scale, depending on what markings you want.

 

[killertom]

There will be no Soviet markings on a captured K98k. The only mark the Russians put on the captured rifles was a "x" on the left side of the receiver, representing two crossed rifles. Most of these rifles will have the swastikas pinged out, and many will have parts refinished in red.
Another thing you have to decide, is if you want an early or late production rifle. Early rifles have parts made of solid steel, instead of the stamped parts of the later ones.
Sometimes, some of the typical Russian capture features I mentioned above are missing, for example it appears the Russians didn't put "x" marks on all the captured rifles. In these cases the rifles can be identified by the other marks, such as the red refinish.

Hope this helps: Tom

 

[HP Shooter]

Early rifles have parts made of solid steel, instead of the stamped parts of the later ones.

:roll: Another "metallurgist" in our midst.........

 

[killertom]

Early rifles have parts made of solid steel, instead of the stamped parts of the later ones.

:roll: Another "metallurgist" in our midst.........

How do you mean that?

 

[jrhead75]

Yeah, I'm a bit curious about that myself...

What exactly does "metallurgy" have to do with fact that the Germans used stamped parts later in the war as opposed to the milled ones they used earlier?

 

[Thunderstick]

Yeah, I'm a bit curious about that myself...

What exactly does "metallurgy" have to do with fact that the Germans used stamped parts later in the war as opposed to the milled ones they used earlier?

I think his point is the comparison of solid steel to stamped parts. Aren't the stamped parts solid steel too?

 

[jrhead75]

Sure they are, but I took Tom's comparison to be between parts milled from a solid billet of steel to those stamped from a sheet of steel.

Semantics I guess...

 

[killertom]

I meant milled parts instead of stamped ones. Sorry for the confusing use of language.