epps has matching k98

[Sigismund]

I called at 8:31 this morning and my conversation was interupted by several others calling about the rifle. I was told it's not a rework and better than discribed. I guess I 'll see when I go pick it up when my transfer on my Steyr Radom P35 is ready.

Atleast it went to a good home,

 

[Skippy]

Yea the same damn home that found the $500 G43...

 

[Joel]

Yea the same damn home that found the $500 G43...

Whaaaaat!!

Awww man Why Cant I ever find somethin like that!

 

[BadgerDog]

I called at 8:31 this morning and my conversation was interupted by several others calling about the rifle. I was told it's not a rework and better than discribed. I guess I 'll see when I go pick it up when my transfer on my Steyr Radom P35 is ready.

Got to see pics of this one .....

Regards,
Badger

 

[mark k]

I went to Epp's today and saw the rifle. It's been reblued, sanded and it's mismatched with a repo sling. I was really bummed out, so I turned it down and it's back up for sale at Epp's. It's a nice looking rifle but not my cup of tea.

 

[canuck98k]

True, plus, Epps is very trustworthy (IMHO).

About six or seven years ago I called Epps to order a No4 MkI they had listed. I gave them the item number and all that jazz.

When the rifle came it was the same item number on the tag, but it was a nearly mint 1950 Faz No4 Mk2.

Untrustworthy bastards!

 

[Sigismund]

I went to Epp's today and saw the rifle. It's been reblued, sanded and it's mismatched with a repo sling. I was really bummed out, so I turned it down and it's back up for sale at Epp's. It's a nice looking rifle but not my cup of tea.

Thats too bad, well worth the try I suppose.

 

[Coyote Ugly]

It could have been better and it could have been worse, like the buyer at Bud Haynes that paid well over $1000 for an "All Matching K98"" that turned out to be a Russian Capture.

Like Mick Jagger says, "You can't always get what you want"....

 

[steve1973]

Yeah, that sucks but you have to be quick on the draw when those kinds of things are advertised and take a shot at them.

I see it back up on the Epp's site, looks like it is still listed as 'matching'. NEXT!!

 

[Klunk]

It could have been better and it could have been worse, like the buyer at Bud Haynes that paid well over $1000 for an "All Matching K98"" that turned out to be a Russian Capture.

Like Mick Jagger says, "You can't always get what you want"....

I remember that....I laughed outloud

sometimes ya get a deal buying stuff......sometimes ya get a deal SELLING stuff

 

[eos]

I went to Epp's today and saw the rifle. It's been reblued, sanded and it's mismatched with a repo sling. I was really bummed out, so I turned it down and it's back up for sale at Epp's. It's a nice looking rifle but not my cup of tea.

So, what actually did not match on it? What parts?

 

[mark k]

The rear sight and slider were MM. The stock was repaired at the right side of the action. It was marked with the SN below the grip. The stamping looked new like it was done when the stock was sanded. It was sanded much that the cross bolt was sanded. The butt plate was also blued with a few new stampings. The rest of the rifle had been reblued as well. You could see some of the markings had been worn down during the refinish.

 

[Harrier .45]

Did you happen to notice that the posting on Epps' website said Condition: Good? Notice it does not say Very Good, nor does it say Excellent.

Take a look at the criteria for grading, also listed on the Epps site, and you will see that the flaws you have so eloquently pointed out do indeed fall within that range.

As for refinishing, again, at no point on the site is there every a claim that the gun had NOT been refinished. For what the gun is, the condition is as marked: Good, and the overall saleability will not be affected by these minor appointments.

Note the price. If you were expecting a mint K98, one would assume you would expect to pay a premium price far higher than the one on this gun's tag. At $649.00, this is a great gun, and a great deal for any collector.

 

[Hitzy]

Did you happen to notice that the posting on Epps' website said Condition: Good? Notice it does not say Very Good, nor does it say Excellent.

Take a look at the criteria for grading, also listed on the Epps site, and you will see that the flaws you have so eloquently pointed out do indeed fall within that range.

As for refinishing, again, at no point on the site is there every a claim that the gun had NOT been refinished. For what the gun is, the condition is as marked: Good, and the overall saleability will not be affected by these minor appointments.

Note the price. If you were expecting a mint K98, one would assume you would expect to pay a premium price far higher than the one on this gun's tag. At $649.00, this is a great gun, and a great deal for any collector.

At $649, it's double the price of an RC....which would at least be more correct then some reblued mismatched bubba restore.
It's a total ripoff at that price for what it is.

 

[steve1973]

Again, I like Epps a lot, and buy stuff from them on a regular basis but they really should change the 'matching #'s' part of their description. From a collector standpoint, matching numbers on a rifle implies that the rifle hasn't been reworked and is original. Heck, if it doesn't mean that, I have a matching numbered Russian Capture around here. Sure, some of the serials are electropencilled but they do match.

Many VoPo reworks and Yugo reworks have forcematched serials and this drastically effects their value. The price listed by the seller isn't a determiner for the rifle's desirability, the description and condition is.

Again, no slight on Epp's, they have always done right by me and I have gotten some amazing rifles from them in the past. I just think they need to tweak the description.

 

[Harrier .45]

At $649, it's double the price of an RC....which would at least be more correct then some reblued mismatched bubba restore.
It's a total ripoff at that price for what it is.

As the Russian capture guns retail for $349.00 and are generally in half the condition, I don't believe the price at $649.00 is as poor as you claim. Additionally, this gun is far from a "Bubba" restore. The gun has been well maintained, and the repairs that are in place are barely visible. This gun is in far better condition than any RC gun that has ever gone through the store.

Again, the matching number claim is accurate. The numbers do match. I find it strange that Epps has has several Enfields and P17/P14 rifles, as well as any number of Mosin Nagants, all of which are listed as "matching", and yet they have not drawn anywhere near the volume of fire this gun has drawn based upon the observations of one individual.

What you need to do is read the condition listing. Ideally, come and see the gun for yourself and decide whether the price is justified or not.

Quite simply, if you don't like it, don't buy it!

 

[knuckleduster]

Mark knows his stuff when it comes to Mauser collecting, several of his collection I have shot, and when it comes down to it, I take his word as gospel on the subject. If he says it's not worth it...ITS NOT WORTH IT!

 

[Harrier .45]

My intention here was not to start a pissing match, but to state a fact. Price and value are always subject to the person who wishes to make the purchase. What one person considers too expensive may seem like a deal to another person who might not know better, or who might not care what the price is for a product they desperately wish to purchase. That is what this board is all about. I mean, come on, we have all seen guns for sale here that are absurdly overpriced, and in hardly the conditions they are listed, yet sell quite quickly. Witness M1 Garands: no Garand should sell for more than $900.00 unless it is FACTORY MINT, or a D-class sniper model. And yet you see Garands routinely move across this board for upwards of $1,100.00 and $1,200.00! The same can be said for Lee-Enfield rifles. No 1 Mk IIIs and No 4 Mk I/IIs are REALISTICALLY $400.00 guns, yet you routinely see guns with poor bores, or refurbished stocks, or Ishapore screws selling for $500 -- $700 on these boards.

The Mauser in question may not be worth the money Epps is asking TO YOU, however that does not mean it is overpriced for the next person. Again, and not to put too fine a point on the matter, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE PRICE, DON'T BUY THE PRODUCT!

 

[skirsons]

My intention here was not to start a pissing match, but to state a fact. Price and value are always subject to the person who wishes to make the purchase. What one person considers too expensive may seem like a deal to another person who might not know better, or who might not care what the price is for a product they desperately wish to purchase. That is what this board is all about. I mean, come on, we have all seen guns for sale here that are absurdly overpriced, and in hardly the conditions they are listed, yet sell quite quickly. Witness M1 Garands: no Garand should sell for more than $900.00 unless it is FACTORY MINT, or a D-class sniper model. And yet you see Garands routinely move across this board for upwards of $1,100.00 and $1,200.00! The same can be said for Lee-Enfield rifles. No 1 Mk IIIs and No 4 Mk I/IIs are REALISTICALLY $400.00 guns, yet you routinely see guns with poor bores, or refurbished stocks, or Ishapore screws selling for $500 -- $700 on these boards.

The Mauser in question may not be worth the money Epps is asking TO YOU, however that does not mean it is overpriced for the next person. Again, and not to put too fine a point on the matter, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE PRICE, DON'T BUY THE PRODUCT!

Yes, no one's forcing you to buy it so keep your mouth shut about the price. I think that the posters' concern, a legitimate one, was that the ad might have been misleading which would make the gun worth more until the buyer found out what it "really" was. The price was argued to be inflated, not because of what it "really" was, but because of what it seemed to be. Epps told me they don't take pictures anymore because they assume you could find pics of the same rifle on the internet and rely on their description for the condition. This means their conditions have to be described REALLY good, damn perfect. They will take pictures for you if you just ask them because often people want pictures of a certain part of the firearm etc and they are low on server space. Good people there. I like them already and I haven't even got my first order from them yet (hopefully this week!).

 

[Light Infantry]

My intention here was not to start a pissing match

Actually I think you had every intention to start a pissing match. Up until you came along, the discussion was informative and factual, allowing everyone to know what is actually for sale at Epps.

You sound like an apologist for Epps, where no apology from them is needed. They have a great reputation, but like all companies, things slip through the cracks. Their ad could be interpreted a number of ways and people added calrification to clear away any doubts. You on the other hand seemed to have come to this thread and pissed on a number of people and in turn have pissed them off for no apparant reason.