Glitters...But Is It Gold?

[Glenfilthie]

Years ago I bought a plain Jane chit house Mauser '98 from a dealer of dubious reputation. A Brno.

It was a stock rifle that had been captured after the war, and sent to the newly formed nation of Israel to be refurbed and re-issued. Nothing strange in that, so I'm told, such rifles are a dime a dozen. Mine got rebarelled to 7.62 NATO and it shot like a dream.

This one, I was told, was unique in that the Israelis supposedly stamped over the Nazi proof marks once they were re-furbed and proofed.

I may have committed a sin because for years it was my only rifle so of course I sanded out the stock and smoothed out the scrapes and battle scars - and shot the daylights out of it on the range.

A bayonet later came my way and I refurbed and carved the handle out of boredom and it isn't bad for a Bubba I suppose.

I didn't inadvertantly desecrate one of your relics, I hope? I am looking at thinning out the gun safe and this honourable old warhorse is going - if it belongs in a museum I need to know now. Your two cents is sincerely appreciated.

 

[CanadianAR]

Israeli reworks typically aren't holy grails.

What receiver code is it?

Typical israeli reworks are $350-500. Sanded might be less, depends on buyer.

Post some pics if you can.

 

[jbmauser]

CanadianAR pretty much nailed it. Sanding might decrease the value, but as said, Israeli K98k's are pretty common and not highly collectable. They are a nice solid K98k in a great chambering though.

Does it have the Czech rampant lion crest on the receiver? You mentioned it was a Brno.

 

[Coyote Ugly]

The sanding of the stock really decreases the collector value. Like a Mauser with a Bubba stock - say $200 to $250. Maybe less Maybe more.

 

[Andurp]

Echoing what's been said here. Israeli K98K's are not a particularly high ticket collectable item. Very neat history, but as of right now there's any more in the way of collectable Mausers out there, K98K's included. Twenty years down the road, I could see them being pretty scarce, but we're not quite there yet. With that said, they're some of my favourite Mausers. If someone was looking for a great tough, milsurp shooter in .308, I'd recommend one for sure. The bores are usually quite good too.

I need to get one someday. A friend of mine had one that we both shot countless rounds of everything from match ammo, to his reloads of varying and often dubious quality, to that corrosive Czech stuff out of. All of it did quite well and we were getting good hits out to 400 yards or so. He offered a straight trade on that rifle for an old Dominion Arms Grizzly that I didn't really shoot much (and still don't) and I turned it down, the rifle is long gone now, off to an owner who isn't an idiot like I am. Still kicking myself over that one.