«-- Odds 'n Sods: | Main | Fireless Cooking in an Crock Pot Adapted Ice Chest, by --»
Letter Re: Yugoslavian Surplus M48 Mauser Rifles
Jim,
I recently purchased a M48 Yugoslavian Mauser (manufactured
on German tooling during and after WWII) from AIM Surplus for $109.99.
[JWR Adds: These can sometimes be found for as little
as $100 from discount sporting goods stores such as Big 5, and at
guns shows.]
In my opinion this is a great deal. I purchased one of these a few
years
ago and it was in nearly new condition, bore bright and shiny and
the action smooth, stock in excellent condition. As many who have purchased
these know, these are very good shooters and an excellent low cost
rifle. AIM Surplus also has the straight-bolt M47 Mauser for $99.99
and Enfields chambered in 7.62mm NATO for
$169.99. I plan on purchasing a .308 barrel from Brownell's for
the Mauser and otherwise leave
it as is. (This makes a great trunk rifle if you are crossing into
a 'less than gun
friendly state'.. and don't want to be caught with your high dollar
semi-auto and high capacity magazines!) If someone is happy to leave
it as a 8mm, AIM also has a supply of surplus and new manufacture
8mm
for a relatively good price..Im not affiliated in anyway with this
company but have been satisfied with the South African .308 I purchased
and felt like passing it on. Best Regards, - Jason from North Idaho
JWR Replies: First I should mention that I am a fan
of 8x57 Mauser. It is a very capable cartridge for mule deer and elk hunting.
However, most military surplus 8x57 ball ammo is corrosively primed.
Unless you are
willing to
clean your
rifle
scrupulously and almost immediately after firing, and are willing
to clean it again for two subsequent days, then you
should buy only non-corrosive ammo. Be sure before
you buy! If the seller isn't willing to guarantee that it is non-corrosive,
then look for another batch.
Second, most of the barrels sold by Brownell's have
a "sporter" tapered
contour. With those, you will not be able to re-use the rifle's original sights.
What you'll need is a military contour
("stepped")
7.62mm barrel. (Such as those that were originally made under contract by FN for the
Israeli
Defense Force. Some readers may recall that in the 1960s the
Israelis rebarreled large numbers of German Model 98K Mausers to
shoot
7.62mm NATO, so that they would cartridge interchangeability with
Israeli FALs.
)
Third, anyone that desires privacy in their gun purchases should contact The
Pre-1899 Specialist. They sell hand-picked Model
1893s that have had their headspace checked. These were made in Oberndorf,
Germany
under
contract for the Turkish government from 1894 to 1897. They are ideal Federally
exempt (no FFL required) candidates for rebarreling to 7.62mm
NATO.
