Russian Captured Mauser

CaptainW

CaptainW

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Lower Mainland, BC
I got this couple weeks ago. The overall condition of the metals are fine and bore is very good. The stock was painted with Russian shellac as usual. Some metal parts were painted with black paint. I stripped everything down. Use varsol to clean the black painted metal. Then use furniture stripper to clean all the shellac/cosomline. Finally finish the stock with couple of coat of tung oil. Now - need to find the clean rod and front sight hood to complete the project. :wave:

Original RC stock
IMG_2212.jpg

Bare wood after stripper
IMG_2255.jpg

Finished k98a
DSC03880.jpg
 
Nice job on the K98, but you have reduced it's collector value by stripping it. I know, I know, you aren't a collector so it's it's not a big deal. I just hate to see these pieces of history getting scrubbed ;).
I have 2 in my collection, & would never try to "clean" them. IMHO the "Russian" capture treatment is part of the history of these weapons.

What maker & year model is your K98?
 
It's sad that in a few yeas an original Russian capture will be hard to come by. So many folks have fudged around with them, cleaned and restocked them, ruining their history in the quest to have something that looks more like an original, all matching rifle... which of course they never will be. I sold one to a very nice CGNer who was planning to swap the stocks on two of his rifles because they were more "correct" that way. They were re-serialed by the Russians and thus were correct before!

This will be a very regrettable trend given a few years.
 
mauser collectors/refurbishing/value

Jeez I get a little pissed off at "collectors" sometimes. If I want to make a sporting rifle out of a mauser that's MY RIGHT!!!! (a) its the best bolt action ever made!,and(b) THEY MADE 11MILLION OF THEM!!!!!!!!! and still are.

You collectors have em all?? An entire collection of every model is going to be huge! anyway its my Rant. JITC:sniper::slap:
 
We never said it wasn't your right. We said it was regrettable. You have the right to toss it in the fire if you want!

No matter how many of a rifle are made bubba will quickly reduce them to nothing.
 
louthepou said:
11 million of them? Holy shoodleboo! Well that's good news we should be good for a few more years :)
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That's how many were originally manufactured. Who knows what tiny fraction is still extant. The scrap metal would have been valuable in post-war Europe, especially when new rifles were introduced. And then there's all those countries who can't export military weapons and will melt them all down.

I agree that the refinished rifle looks better. I just don't think it's a good thing!
 
An as-is RC MAuser is an historical artifact.
Redone to look better, its just another refinished mismatched Mauser.
Seems a shame to destroy a piece's demonstrable history. Even if it does look better.

But then there was the chap a couple of weeks ago who wanted to sandblast and reblue his Colt Thunderer, because he didn't like the remaining nickled finish. I quess he thought it would look better.

And it was his gun, and he could do with it as he pleased.
 
skirsons said:
Who knows what tiny fraction is still extant.
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That's got to be true for Mosins too, and Enfields. Hmm, it would be a valuable set of data to have access to these figures. But it is technically impossible to get.

Mind you, if some were getting very rare, their value would go wayyyy up, a good thing for owners, not so good for folks who want to acquire them.

I guess then it's safer to say "get them now, take care of them" and see how the future unfolds!

Lou
 
Try to find unaltered Ross rifles. At one time they were common, long, heavy and awkward. Or USGI unaltered 1911/1911A1 pistols. It goes on and on.
Like the SMLE that I saw being parted out on eBay. The butt was Mounted Police marked. But it had had its forend cut, so it got broken for parts, rather than being restored. Ever seen a Mounted Police marked SMLE?
Or the trials No. 4 rifle, neatly rebarrelled to .222, restocked, receiver cut down and all shiney.
 
CaptainW said:
I got this couple weeks ago. The overall condition of the metals are fine and bore is very good. The stock was painted with Russian shellac as usual. Some metal parts were painted with black paint. I stripped everything down. Use varsol to clean the black painted metal. Then use furniture stripper to clean all the shellac/cosomline. Finally finish the stock with couple of coat of tung oil. Now - need to find the clean rod and front sight hood to complete the project. :wave:

Original RC stock
Finished k98a
DSC03880.jpg
Click to expand...

Excellant work there Captain. I really like how your RC turned out. That rifle will ALWAYS be a collectors piece to someone, that BS about destroying it's collector value is hogwash. It still is what it is, a RC, but now the wood can breath again and you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Here is a pic of my RC, which I too brought the stock back to a nice grain.
It's the bottom one, with the nice walnut stock.. Which was a hidden jewl under that crappy Russian puke.

GRIESBACH_WOOD064.jpg
 
If you ask any antiquarian or museum they will tell you the most valuable aspect of an artifact is its finish. Mess with the finish, you essentially ruin the object itself.
 
skirsons said:
If you ask any antiquarian or museum they will tell you the most valuable aspect of an artifact is its finish. Mess with the finish, you essentially ruin the object itself.
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Yes, but they will also embed those artifacts into exhibits, essentially rendering them useless. The Canadian War Museum is a perfect example of that. Give me a refinished, shootable RC than a Liberal Museum piece that will never see the light of day.

Berger
 
welll i tell you what, if that is classified as ruined now, then i would love top see my ole "tree oh tree" ruined like that!!!! how did you do the tung oil? where did you get it? is it a durable finish?:wave:
 
berger said:
Yes, but they will also embed those artifacts into exhibits, essentially rendering them useless. The Canadian War Museum is a perfect example of that. Give me a refinished, shootable RC than a Liberal Museum piece that will never see the light of day.

Berger
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You don't increase its shootability by refinishing it, only destroy the most valuable and most hard to replicate part of it - this is why it is so valued.

And tung oil is not for gunstocks, it's for boats. It is available at Home Depot though.
 
When the Russian grinded down the Nazi stamp and mix/match with different parts - they already completely destroy the value of the original rifle. They did not put any thing new to the rifle except to put a coat of shellac on top - other than that, nothing.
I guess no one restore a RC K98 expect it become a perfect matching gun. They just want to restore it to look close to original configuration. In other words - they value the K98 as it was before becoming a RC..
History - of what ? I would rather interest to know the history why/when/where/how it became a RC rather than to bother whether a coat of shellac/black paint was history.

Stewienb- you can also use Boil Linseed Oil. Also available in Home Depot.

K98ACTION - both of yours rifle look really nice. Where did you get the front sight hood and cleaning rod ?
 
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CaptainW said:
When the Russian grinded down the Nazi stamp and mix/match with different parts - they already completely destroy the value of the original rifle.
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It was the Soviets, not the Russians. The "Russians" manufactured new rifles from surplus parts and reserialed them to match. All this was done in a factory meaning it is part of the history of the rifle, which no one appreciates because they want an "original" (meaning a German manufactured, not Soviet manufactured one) but they can't afford one, so they bubba a rifle whose history they don't recognize to make it look like what they want. They are not putting it any closer back to original condition. Later this history will be recognized and they will be hard to find in original RC condition.
 
OK Skirsons - We all understand where you're coming from now.
No need to keep flogging this horse. At least give the guy a thumbs up for being interested in milsurps. This discussion is entirely negative in nature and is taking all of the fun out of this hobby for anyone that reads it.

Enough.
 
I doubt a RC will ever be worth much. Maybe go up in value a bit when the supply dries up but never much of a collectors item as an "Soviet arsenal refinished" piece.

I'm quite happy to shoot mine semi-regularly.
 
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