K98

[hammo]

I'm booked in at my club range in the morning, and will be putting some rounds through the club K98; really looking forward to it I must say!
I have toyed with the idea of getting a variation in for one, but not sure it would get the use to justify the spend.
Using the club gun will satisfy the itch for now.
Any members on here own and use a K98?
Are there still good examples around for sale? or is it mostly mis-matched parts guns now?

Hammo

 

[Southern]

By K98, I presume you mean a military Mauser in 8x57IS. I actually use one, as well as a Yugo M48, a Yugo 24/47, a Turkish Mauser, and an 1888 Commission Rifle, for hunting. I love them almost as much my Enfields.

 

[tackb]

I always found the K98 a spiteful thing to shoot

 

[Laurie]

As a club rifle, I suspect it's not in the original 7.92X57mm calibre, but is one of the ex South American or Israeli 7.62mm NATO conversions? (Or even a former Norwegian forces example in .30-06.)

Original 7.92s in good condition have become relatively expensive thanks to demand from Historic Arms shooter/collectors, especially if pre-war or early wartime examples from the more desirable manufacturers. With full-power 198gn milspec ball ammo, they KICK, so aren't actually shot a great deal by an average owner!

After WW2, some countries rebarrelled their 7.92 K98s (properly speaking, it's a KAR98k if a German rifle) or domestic pre-war manufacture equivalents to 7.62X51mm for stored back-ups to their first generation assault rifles that used the same cartridge. Israel did lots and they were issued to militia members in kibbutzes in the hotter areas close to the Syrian etc borders. When these countries went onto 2nd or 3rd gen assault rifles in 5.56mm in the 1980s, they sold the old 7.62mm bolt-action rifles off cheaply. Some ended up here as club rifles - quite pleasant and easy to shoot, reasonably accurate, lots of cheap surplus 7.62mm ammunition available at that time.

They still go cheaply if you can find one as they don't have the desirability of a wartime original 7.92mm version. Many are shot out now too with thousands of cheap rounds put through them. I had one many years ago (actually one each of an original and an ex Israeli conversion). They are fun to shoot for a while, but are very basic rifles, and even in good condition have accuracy limitations, not helped by the crude iron sights.

I could think of better choices as a basic range gun, but it's more down to what sort of rifle you want to shoot and whether you are semi seriously into a bit of historic rifle collecting / shooting.

 

[hammo]

Thanks for replies, very informative! Will report back tomorrow on calibre, I thinks it's original 7.92 Mauser.

 

[TOMMO.B]

All very well until you try to fit a scope. i had a 7.92 with drilled and taped mounts. the bolt was as slack as a slack thing. and the metal heel plate was made for skulls and not my shoulder, The drop plate was seized. But if you ran out of rounds then it had a handy bayonet fitting.
There are far better rifles for the starter.

 

[kennyc]

I'm booked in at my club range in the morning, and will be putting some rounds through the club K98; really looking forward to it I must say!
I have toyed with the idea of getting a variation in for one, but not sure it would get the use to justify the spend.
Using the club gun will satisfy the itch for now.
Any members on here own and use a K98?
Are there still good examples around for sale? or is it mostly mis-matched parts guns now?

Hammo

as others have said, may not be the best choice if you want a range gun, the accuracy standard of the KAR98's wasn't that great either >4MOA if memory serves, the Lee Enfields are better although starting to get pricey, the Mosin Nagants can be fun if you like big balls of flame and "somewhere in that direction" accuracy if you fancy a Mauser action for target use, then Parker Hales are generally accurate and cheap, although my personal favourite is the Swiss K31, easy to shoot well and not too highly priced ,

 

[8x57]

All very well until you try to fit a scope. i had a 7.92 with drilled and taped mounts. the bolt was as slack as a slack thing. and the metal heel plate was made for skulls and not my shoulder, The drop plate was seized. But if you ran out of rounds then it had a handy bayonet fitting.
There are far better rifles for the starter.

Seized or locked?

P.S. The Israeli rifles had 7.62mm carved into the stock.

 

[TOMMO.B]

Seized or locked?

P.S. The Israeli rifles had 7.62mm carved into the stock.

Ah I never knew they locked? On Pressing down on the release it would not open, there was a wee bit of corrosion around the plate, but not that much to hold it closed.
You learn something every day. Thanks 8x75

 

[Southern]

as others have said, may not be the best choice if you want a range gun, the accuracy standard of the KAR98's wasn't that great either >4MOA if memory serves, the Lee Enfields are better although starting to get pricey, the Mosin Nagants can be fun if you like big balls of flame and "somewhere in that direction" accuracy if you fancy a Mauser action for target use, then Parker Hales are generally accurate and cheap, although my personal favourite is the Swiss K31, easy to shoot well and not too highly priced ,

Don't go to the range expecting the K98 to be inaccurate. It may be, but shoot it with the assumption it is a tack driver, or you will make it a 4 MOA rifle.

If you want an accurate military Mauser, find a clean Brno VZ24 or Yugo 24, or Yugo 48. My unissued Yugo M48 is a 1 MOA rifle with a good warm 200-gr hunting load, with the iron sights. When you move out to long range, the sight is a bit too rounded to hold consistently, but will still bust a watermelon at 600 yards. The standard 150-gr ( or nearabouts ) loads are hot, about 3,000 FPS, so you can load down to 2,700 or load a 170 or 175 gr bullet at 2,600 for a mild but good hunting round, and 125-gr for fun practice, and deer.

Swiss K-31 is like a Rolex. Great military rifle and all of them in good condition.

 

[scrumbag]

Whilst I like a sporting rifle with a Mauser 98 type action I would say a true k98 isn't the best starting point.

KR,

Scrummy

 

[Roro]

If i were to buy a military surplus rifle, it would be a choice between, the swiss k31, the lee enfields, the european mausers in calibres like the 6.5x55 or 7x57 or something like a garand or m14 converted to straight pull.

 

[TOMMO.B]

If i were to buy a military surplus rifle, it would be a choice between, the swiss k31, the lee enfields, the european mausers in calibres like the 6.5x55 or 7x57 or something like a garand or m14 converted to straight pull.

Buy your self a metal detector Roro. There are several hundred Mauser's buried in the green fields of the state. Lost to time and properly all in good nick. Good luck

 

[gus308]

Here`s mine, its a 1943 action made in the Steyr factory with a Madco stainless barrel, timney trigger and boyd stock in 308 and it shoots very well. The picture was taken to show the muzzle brake, i will see if i can find a better one.

 

[gus308]

Here it is unfinished still not a great picture though

 

[Laurie]

Buy your self a metal detector Roro. There are several hundred Mauser's buried in the green fields of the state. Lost to time and properly all in good nick. Good luck

This comment puzzled me for a few seconds, then Roro's Dublin location was appreciated and a connection made to such rifles being the Boyos' property! I'd worry as to whether they're actually 'Lost to time', or whether their former owners - ie the individuals who buried them or their descendants - would take umbrage. Not good people to p*ss off I'd imagine.

 

[Roro]

Believe me, i want nothing to do with or nothing from that lot. I had a run in with one of them years ago, not a nice specimen. Anyhoo back on topic, if ammo wasn't a problem i'd go with the k31, they are very good quality. As for the k98 kicking, i was watching a repeat of the excellent "The world at war" documentary on the telly the other night. It was showing german soldiers at the retreat from stalingrad shooting, the rifles did look like they recoiling harshly. I suppose thats a secondary consideration when there are millions of russians after you.

 

[kennyc]

Believe me, i want nothing to do with or nothing from that lot. I had a run in with one of them years ago, not a nice specimen. Anyhoo back on topic, if ammo wasn't a problem i'd go with the k31, they are very good quality. As for the k98 kicking, i was watching a repeat of the excellent "The world at war" documentary on the telly the other night. It was showing german soldiers at the retreat from stalingrad shooting, the rifles did look like they recoiling harshly. I suppose thats a secondary consideration when there are millions of russians after you.

cant remember but do they allow reloading in your part of the world? if so the the K31 is easy to reload for with PPU brass and .308 bullets

 

[Southern]

Whilst I like a sporting rifle with a Mauser 98 type action I would say a true k98 isn't the best starting point.
KR,
Scrummy

Some of the military Mausers are very nice, like the early K98s by Sauer and Steyr, the Brno VZ24, the Persian Mausers, and some of those made for Argentina and Brazil. A lot of nice custom hunting rifles have been built off all those. The M38 Swedish Mausers are a 96 action, but lovely.

If you do get the Mauser bug, and want to wet your feet on a hunting rifle for the least money, the newer ones would be BSA and Parker Hale are out there being passed over, and my first go-to for a vintage one would be a Husqvarna. The BSA and PH will likely be drilled and tapped for a top mounted scope, while the older Scandinavian rifles will be drilled and tapped on the left side of the receiver for a cantilevered side mount.

 

[Roro]

cant remember but do they allow reloading in your part of the world? if so the the K31 is easy to reload for with PPU brass and .308 bullets

If you are a member of the Midland rifle club in Cffaly then you can reload.But on site at the club only. Its a pilot scheme introduced by our Dept. of Justice. The story goes that they asked the UK Home Office what they thought about reloading by sports shooters. The Home Office/Proofhouses were supposed to have said "if it was up to them they would say no", meaning if uk shooters were in the same position, thats what they would say.

Its unlikey that reloading will be allowed outside the pilot scheme. Its a pity because i have often passed up lovely old rifles (i like old stuff) that the ammunition is scarce and or expensive for.