Marstar M48BO, and Trade-Ex Mosin M91/30's and BRNO VZ-24's... anyone have one?

CanuckShooter

CanuckShooter

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I am really wanting to pickup some fun and inexpensive milsurps, and saw that Trade-Ex has VZ-24's and Mosin M91/30's.

Does anyone have any of these rifles which they bought specifically from Trade-Ex from this particular shipment?

I have been wanting a nice Mauser for a while now. I don't think I will ever be able to afford a nice German one. I just want something that looks nice, and is new as possible. I don't give a damn about their 'story' or their collectability whatsoever. Would you guys say that a VZ-24 would be my ticket? Are they the same length as a K-98, or are they shorter, like the Yugo Mausers?

What about their M91/30's? I mean, for $169 and in excellent condition? I understand that they are arsenal refinished.... but is there a catch? What are the downsides to these rifles?

Thanks!
 
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CanuckShooter said:
What about their M91/30's? I mean, for $169 and in excellent condition? I understand that they are arsenal refinished.... but is there a catch? What are the downsides to these rifles?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Downside is milsurp ammo is really tough to get right now, and factory ammo is prohibitively expensive. Just check all the site sponsors and see if you can find any!

I've been wanting to get a Mosin-Nagant real bad for several months now, but with no dependable source on ammo, I'm holding off.
 
I guess, but I mean for $169.00 it would make a nice hunting rifle. Just something to beat around the bush with an not feel guilty about getting scratched, not so much a gun that one would shoot on a regular basis.

I don't know.... it's so tempting.

What about the M48BO's at Marstar? Anyone have one of those from the most recent shipment?

I just really want a nice Mauser!!!! lol
 
If you want to hunt with a mosin, get an m38, or an m44. The 20 in barrel is much nicer to take through the bush. I have used an m28, and a pu mosin on occasion, and although both were a hoot, and worked well, they are long.

As far as ammo, get brass, and reload. I used to shoot surplus stuff, but it is never the best.
 
I personally don't reallt care for the shorter Mosins and I have heard the recoil on them is hell. Still, a Mauser would be my first choice :D
 
CanuckShooter said:
What about the M48BO's at Marstar? Anyone have one of those from the most recent shipment?
Click to expand...

I don't know about Marstar's, but I bought one privately from the Egyptian Suez Canal order and it was perfect. Unissued, unfired and mint. I haven't put a lot of rounds through it yet due to other shooting commitments, but it has been consistently around 2-1/2" at 100yds with the iron sights shooting Federal 170gr. commercial ammo. I'm very happy with it and plan on passing it on to my kids when I am past the point of shooting anymore.

A couple of pics:

HPIM1686.jpg


HPIM1693.jpg


Mark
 
Thanks for the pics! Wicked rifle. Marstar says that theirs are from the same Egypt/Suez Canal order and are mint. Do you mind if I ask what you paid? Marstar is selling them for $479, which seems maybe a tad high, but if they are in this kind of condition....... I am not sure if I will be able to resist.

Thanks
 
Yugo M48's are nothing special. The fit/finish/actions are rough compared to K98's, and the stocks are chubby. Better off with one of those '24's from Tradex or a nice RC K98.
 
Hitzy,

What do you know about the vz24's at Tradex? Are they the same length and profile as the K89K Mauser? Any idea what the bores are like?
 
I have found the Yugo Mausers all stiff and unfinished actions. Very tight and not functioning as smooth as the K98.
 
mmattockx said:
but it has been consistently around 2-1/2" at 100yds with the iron sights shooting Federal 170gr. commercial ammo. I'm very happy with it and plan on passing it on to my kids when I am past the point of shooting anymore.
Click to expand...

Try the S&B 196gr FMJ ammo, around the same price as the hunting ammo, but I think you might get better groups. I was surprised that my groups tightend up.
 
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my take:

i find the balance of the 91/30 very nice. i'd go for a prewar one though as i am not a big fan of the rough machining on the WWII specimens.

the yugo M48's are not nearly as nice as the russian or yugo refurb K98's. i don't buy the claim that there were only 3000 BO's made.

i want one of the VZ24's.
 
try and find a yugo capture 98k ive had 2 they were both realy good shooters and are smooth actions.i find them nicer than the average rc 98k
 
CanuckShooter said:
So nobody knows anything about the fit/finish/action of the VZ24 who owns one?
Click to expand...

I had the chance to examine 4 of them. Wood was quite nice and well fitted on all of them but handguards and stocks can vary in shade. Bolts have been ep'd to match. All were dated in the 1937-39 range and had the Czech rampant lion ground off and the metal re-finished.

Bore varied from dark with slight pitting to bright and sharp.

Much better fit, finish and general appearance than that found on RC K98s. Cleaning rods and sight hoods are present but the action locking screws were missing on all of them.

Bolts were all very slick and the safeties all operated easily. This speaks well of the original manufacture considering that none of the rifles I examined sported their original bolts.

The included bayonets were all correct Vz 24 types with various markings intact and muzzle rings. Sling is for a Mosin Nagant and the leather ammo pouches were not marked.

The price asked is reasonable, IMHO
 
CanuckShooter said:
So nobody knows anything about the fit/finish/action of the VZ24 who owns one?
Click to expand...

I bought a VZ24 at the Perth Gun show this spring.
It's mismatched so I'm thinking it is a factory refurb.

The barrel, receiver and bolt have all different serial numbers and I think
it has been reblued.

The good news is that it has smooth bolt operation and the sights shoot
straight (and don't have to drift punch the front sight).

The bore is good with strong rifling, the chamber is red but I don't think its pitted yet. (\\ I showed the chamber to Jason at Gunco and he said it is blueing -- apparently the dumped the whole barrel in the blueing tank. Pheww!!)

I've fired 15 shots through and apart from short stroking one round (dooh) all 15 rounds fired and were extracted.

Its an solid and nice looking rifle. I've read that the Czech and Belgian mausers are better in quality than the German ones.
 
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CANUCK SHOOTER;
"What about the M48BO's at Marstar? Anyone have one of those from the most recent shipment?"
OK lets be very clear, Marstar purchased the entire production run of the M-48bo rifles several years, about 90% were sent to the US and the remainder shipped to Canada.
So it really does not matter who who purchase it from, it was one of "ours".
John
 
HITZY;
Here we go again with your expert opinions and evaluations....
I assume you own one ?
You have done a side by side comparison of the M-48s and the
M-48bo rifles ??
Come on, be a little objective
John
 
MIG-25; "i don't buy the claim that there were only 3000 BO's made."
I would really appreciate knowing more about your source for information.
Marstar was the major purchaser of most of the Mausers in the Former Yugoslavia, having purchased hundreds of thousands of them.... Yugoslav and German alike.
My information on the production run came from the former director of production at the Zastava facility, so if his recollection and records are wrong I would appreciate you correcting them....
John
 
PBLATZZ;
"I have found the Yugo Mausers all stiff and unfinished actions. Very tight and not functioning as smooth as the K98. "

May I ask what the hell you are talking about, "unfinished actions" give me a break.

Of course they are "Very tight " as you put it, they ARE UN-ISSUED, UN-USED, UN-FIRED rifles.... Once you clean out the grease and cosmolene they are very slick....

BTW, how many have you tried ?? How many have you examined ?? How many do you own ??

What you are saying is that the 100s of thousand of people who have purchased the Yugoslav rilfes really did not know what they were doing ??
John
 
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