Question about IDF Mauser

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MAX308

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Hello everyone, just came across
Ex IDF Mauser on barrel and chamber
It's stated "7.62 mod 98 bou. 45" it's sportorised.

Question is how good they are and what the price range for those rifles?
 
there generally very good rifles . with out pictures of the rifle its hard to price it could be $100- 600. depending on whats its condition and sportering .
 
If it's been sportered and in a cut off military stock, drilled and tapped for a scope, It's worth the sum of its parts. This also depends on the condition of the parts. That receiver is useless for another build as the huge 7.62 across the top can weaken it and of course can't be removed or properly covered up.

If the bore is excellent, it should shoot very well, at least most do in my experience.

IMHO, $100 to $250 depending on condition.
 
bearhunter said:
If it's been sportered and in a cut off military stock, drilled and tapped for a scope, It's worth the sum of its parts. This also depends on the condition of the parts. That receiver is useless for another build as the huge 7.62 across the top can weaken it and of course can't be removed or properly covered up.

If the bore is excellent, it should shoot very well, at least most do in my experience.

IMHO, $100 to $250 depending on condition.
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It's not drilled, just the stock it different.it shoots awesome, I've tried today
 
It is a very ordinary Mauser that fires 7.62. If the stock has been shortened, and the fittings are gone, it is worth whatever you can get for it. There are better 7.62 Mausers, like the Spanish FR7 and FR8.
 
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maple_leaf_eh said:
It is a very ordinary Mauser that fires 7.62. If the stock has been shortened, and the fittings are gone, it is worth whatever you can get for it. There are better 7.62 Mausers, like the Spanish FR7 and FR8.
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I would be hard pressed to say the Spanish Fr7 and Fr8 Mausers are "better." I would readily agree that when the IDF 98s and Spanish 95/98s are all in excellent condition inside and out there would be little if any difference between them functionally or even in fit and finish. The thing about the Spanish Mausers mentioned is that most of the rifles we've seen here seldom saw harsh use. Many of the IDF rifles were issued, ridden hard and put away wet.

OP, at best it's a $250-$300 rifle. You might be able to find another stock and the bits to return it to IDF glory but it could cost more in the end than a complete rifle. If you really want it, buy it as a shooter, not a collectible investment.
 
MAX308 said:
Numbers matching on bolt and chamber, but no serial number on barrel
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The Germans put the four digit SN on every part that was big enough to stamp. Bolt, receiver, trigger guard, floorplate, barrel bands, etc.

The normal location for the serial number, its letter prefix and the factory code is on the receiver ring. This is also where the IDF marked the rifle with a big 7.62. Is your rifle's serial number still visible?
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
The Germans put the four digit SN on every part that was big enough to stamp. Bolt, receiver, trigger guard, floorplate, barrel bands, etc.

The normal location for the serial number, its letter prefix and the factory code is on the receiver ring. This is also where the IDF marked the rifle with a big 7.62. Is your rifle's serial number still visible?
Click to expand...

This rifle was completely stripped down by the Israelis to its component parts. The parts were sorted and repaired then refinished. When the rifles were reassembeled, with NEW 7.62x51 chambered barrels often the bolts and would be renumbered to match the receiver. Most I've seen had the original number on the root of the bolt handle ground away and a new one added. None of my IDF rifles converted to 7.62 Nato have serial numbers on their barrels.

On the other hand I also have a few IDF Mauser in their original 8x57 chambering with original stocks, triggerguards and bands where every number is matching. Lots of the Czech Mausers made after WWII only have matching numbers on the bolts/receivers/barrels and sometimes on the stocks but not always.
 
Having owned multiple IDF k98k and and FR8...

lets just say I no longer have an FR8. While a novel design with interesting aspects, the action is nowhere near as smooth and the sights sticking off the top of this type of rifle love to snag on things and poke at you. Straight bolt adds to snagging and poking. The short barrel is LOUD and the carbine has quite a kick. I thought it would make a convenient bush gun, but its so....how should I say...POKEY. lots of those sharp bits and bolt sticking out in every direction made it rather annoying at times...maybe its just me but that was a thing I noticed after a while. That and coming to expect smooth mauser actions......maybe it was the parked finish on everything causing part of the roughness, but the action was not what I'd come to expect from a mauser. Overall looked neat but all the little things about it made it not quite the carbine I expected.

Most of those IDF k98s have nearly brand spanking new 762 barrels and shoot wonderfully. The mismatch of parts can be had, between late war barrel bands, winter trigger guards, no bayo lug to varying degrees of stock quality. Some look like theyve been dragged through the mud for a decade then never washed and stored. The one I have kept has all the early/mid war parts, without the late war kriegsmodel take offs so its more what an original PROPER k98k should be. Even the poor LOOKING ones with kriegsmodel parts shoot good however, since the action is genuine mauser with a new barrel. The rest is asthetic and up to you if you can find a nicer one, as well as what you're willing to pay. It seems they are giong up in price considerably every year.
 
Its a testimony to the importers and the years that have passed since these rifles became available... that so many people seem to have (now) good specimens of this parts bin rifle.

I bought my first (and last) a little over 30 years ago. Was not impressed with the accuracy nor the fact that the lugs were sticky and beginning to show signs of set back ... they were (are!) very rough firearms. The source of these weapons was immediate post war Europe and everyone I have examined had seen considerable service - very likely before they went into the IDF armoury parts bin and certainly after they came into the possession of the IDF Reserves for the State of Israel (a relatively poor and very desperate country at the time). They have great historic value imo ... but limited shooter value.... also imo..... and they certainly will not win any award for elegance. Potential purchasers should be aware that the basis of these weapons was primarily wartime production M98's -- which were themselves not exactly the epitomy of Mauser quality.... and were then acquired cheaply (or free!) by a poor country from a variety of sources and suppliers (some of whom were obviously not Israel's biggest fans) where they were stripped and rather crudely converted to 7.62 Nato under rather desperate circumstances.
 
Had to take to try out at the range ,had box of Austrian surpplus and it shoots awesom ,shot few coke cans on 100 yards of iron sights . It was real fun
 
IDF 98 Mausers. Some of them were built on Post War actions as well. Most will shoot every bit as well as their 8mm predecessors as long as their bores are VG to EXC.

You either love em or hate em.
 
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