"Mitchell Mausers", need info

jackie schmidt

jackie schmidt

New member
Back when I was young, (60's), the big craze was old surplus Military Rifles. A machinist that worked part time for my Dad used to convert old 98 Mausers into 8mm-06 my simply running a reamer into the barrel action. The reamer came in a "kit", complete with a T handle, and a headspace gage.

I have a hankering to get a old WW-2 Vintage Mauser. I see the adds in American Rifleman for Mitchell Mausers. The claim is these are WW-2 Vintage Rifles, all refurbished and stored, great shape, etc.

These adds have been running for some time. Are these Rifles for real?? I can't help but think there is a Factory somewhere in Mainland China cranking out "Mitchell Mausers", as the supply seems to be unlimited, oweing to how long the add has ran.

If these are truely WW-2 Vintage 98 Mausers in 8mm, and in the "good" condition as described, I would like to have one. Why?? The best reason I can give is "because".

Are these Rifles what the add says?? .........jackie
 
do a

jackie schmidt said:
Back when I was young, (60's), the big craze was old surplus Military Rifles. A machinist that worked part time for my Dad used to convert old 98 Mausers into 8mm-06 my simply running a reamer into the barrel action. The reamer came in a "kit", complete with a T handle, and a headspace gage.

I have a hankering to get a old WW-2 Vintage Mauser. I see the adds in American Rifleman for Mitchell Mausers. The claim is these are WW-2 Vintage Rifles, all refurbished and stored, great shape, etc.

These adds have been running for some time. Are these Rifles for real?? I can't help but think there is a Factory somewhere in Mainland China cranking out "Mitchell Mausers", as the supply seems to be unlimited, oweing to how long the add has ran.

If these are truely WW-2 Vintage 98 Mausers in 8mm, and in the "good" condition as described, I would like to have one. Why?? The best reason I can give is "because".

Are these Rifles what the add says?? .........jackie
Click to expand...

google or yahoo serch on...are mitchell mausers any good? and you will get lots of pros and cons to read about. --greg
 
I've had several Jackie. The ones I had were in excellent shape and quite accurate with handloads (1.5 or slightly better). The only down side is the receivers are very hard and don't true up very well or drill and tap for bases. Can be done and I know you could do it easily. And if you want to just convert one...go for it. B-square makes a scout mount that goes where the rear site is, seems to work well. That's my opinion with having hands on a dozen or so. If you get one....buy two and keep one in mint condition and buy some surplus ammo (most is corrosive but just run water down the bore after shooting and then clean and oil).

Hovis
 
Corrosive primers -- dilute 1 part household ammonia w/ 3 parts water. Dilute it's "pretty safe" around bluing, but stll keep it off the finish. Run a wet patch down the bore, follow w/ a couple dry. The ammonia neutralizes the chemicals in the corrosive primers.

I carry a bottle of this mix in the field. Run a patch when I'm done shooting, followed by dry and then some light oil. No point in letting the stuff sit in the bore.

Mixed reports on authenticity "correct" state of Mitchell's Mausers. You can find nice 8mm Mausers in pawn shops, gun shops, Big 5 Sporting Goods. Nice thing about buying over the counter is that you can look at the specific piece you're getting.
 
Jackie

I have a 98 that I purchased from them about 4 years ago. It is extremely nice. I can tell you all of the markings are German. I too have heard a lot of complaining about MM, by people who have never purchased from them. As to their honesty, I say go for it.
 
Wow

I googled the item, and good Lord, the venom is flowing. You would think we were talking about the split between the NBRSA and the IBS.

Anyway, from what I have gathered, the M48 is a product of post war Yugoslovia, built with machinnery that might have been, or might not have been, brought in from Gemany. It is a Mauser, but has a shorter reciever, a Model 98 bolt will not work in one, and some of the markings might be "questionable"..

The K-98 is more than likely a rebuilt Russian capture, by rebuilt, that means they stripped down a gazzillion Rifles and re-assembled them with the better of the parts, although not many have matching numbers.

If you want a good shooter, the general consensus is go with the Yugo M48.

As a collector item, both are worthless, or at least, worthless to the crowd that actually knows this stuff. They are, by all accounts, overpriced. Plus, Mitchell Mauser's advertisments are rank with miss leading statements. Or, at least, miss leading to those that know better.

But, the M48 models seem to be in good condition,and more important, shoot quite well. Or, as well asyou would expect a Rifle of this sort to shoot.

One thing is for sure. I am certainly not the first to ask this question. There seems to be an entire internet industry built around the question, "what's up with Michell Mausers".

The big controversy is not with the Rifles, but with the people selling them.

If you are looking for a (somewhat) vitage Rifle to shoot, this is probably a good deal, though overpriced. If you are looking for something to appreciate in value so you can sell it later to send your kids to college, this is not what you are looking for.........jackie
 
The BBB

rates them pretty high, (AA), or did when I purchased mine. Apparently, no complaints. Their ads clearly state "rebuilt" or "refurbished". Nothing dishonest there. They have been in business for many years. One can't be dishonest and stay in business for very long. Unless your name happens to be WAL-MART.
 
Jackie Schmidt

Jackie
The Mitchells cost about 3-4 times more than you can buy an action for.I used to have a large box of 98 Mausers and never payed more than $75 for anyone of them.
Mitchells is simply cleaning them up and asking top dollar for them.
If you want one Big 5 Sporting Goods,Century International,Springfield Sporters or several other sources should have one for less than $100.Midway USA has a barrel line they call Adams and Bennett that is geared around these old actions.
I use one as a doorstop to my shop door that has a bent barrel on it.Apperantly it was involved in a car accident.
The wood on most of them is extremely bad.They were packed in grease and the only good way to remove it is to bake them in an oven and keep wiping them down.As most people don't have a spare oven outdoors this is best done when the wife is out of town for atleast several days.
I will check later today to see if I have a somewhat clean action laying around.
Lynn
 
Jackie,
This is where I buy some of mine. http://www.samcoglobal.com/rifles.html
You can buy barreled actions and complete rifles. I bought a Persian barreled action last year that appears to still have the factory cosmoline. Mausers are case hardened. The hunting rifles that I build are annealed, machined, and then recase hardened. Our shooting club has matches for old unaltered military rifles. Sounds like a lot of fun. They make beautiful custom rifles, but you have to put a lot of money in them.
Butch
 
Thanks For The Info

But I was not going to do anything with a Mauser except work up some loads and shoot it. I have no inclination to accuraize it, sporterize it, or anything else.

Just from what I have read today, the Mitchell is a ok Rifle to do just that with.......jackie
 
mausers!

It is downright close to impossible to get a better shooting mauser than a m96Swedish mauser. The Swedes did not use corrosive powders. They graded barrels very conservatively and replaced them earlier than most countries would have. They have several variations. All of them used the same steel recipe that they required the Oberndorf Mauser factory to use starting in 1894. The cartridge, 6.5x55 Swedish mauser, is very, very accurate. The Swedes shoot moose with it. The 6.5 bullets are well known by a lot of the guys on this site it seems. They recoil lightly, shoot remarkably well, have some history, and appreciate in value.

I have had a love affair with Swedish rifles for about 16 years now. I have never had a bad one. I had one with a "3" grade barrel that would shoot into 1.25 inches at 100 yards. With the sights on the m96, they shoot WAY high unless you change the front sight. The m38 Swedes have sights that work at 100 without changing the front post.

I have a m38 made by Husquvarna that is almost unissued. Shoots WELL under an inch at 100. I have had a m96 with target sights that shot equally well. I have had 2, unfortunately now 1, Carl Gustoff m63 match rifles. The one left is on an 1899 Oberndorf action. They both shot WELL under an inch at 100.

The 4 rifles just mentioned, with Swedish sniper/match ammo ALL outshot my Remington 40x in 7.62 nato from the bench. Using competition iron sights on 3 Swedes, and competion irons on the 40x. And using m118 special ball in the 40x.

Swedish mausers were built originally when military rifles had as much craftmanship in them as many commercial rifles.

Swedish mausers were not as much built, as they were crafted!

It may not be at all what you are looking for, but if you buy a really good one, you will not be disappointed. You might even find that it is a ton of fun to outshoot some of the boys with what they initially think is an old beater.

It used to be that if I was shooting my 40x with irons at the range and someone showed up with a Swede, I quietly put it away and shot with something cheaper.

I did not want done unto me what I had been doing unto others!!
Greg
 
Mausers

This is my first post here. I'm a avid reloader and have several Mausers, only one original. They make fine rifles when sporterized but like mentioned you will have alot of money in it.

I would stay away from the M48 find a K98 or a VZ24 the VZ24 was made by Brno in Czech they are the best for sporters IMHO but make good shooters in original condition. I have a VZ24 in 220 Swift a friend built for me and it will shoot minute of varmint and you gotta love those claw extractors:D

Check out the guys over at mausercentral.com or at Samco
 
Jackie,

The Yugo Mausers I had, none of them came from Mitchell. Much cheaper through normal dealers. I paid 115.00 - 125.00 for each. When I was in the old Yugo for peacekeeping. We toured the plant where these were made. It's more or less a museum from WWII now. The way it was explained to the tour, is after the germans took it over, they brought german machines and tool & die guys and setup the plant and taught the Yugo's how to do the work. Up until the Serb/Bosnian/Coatia war, Yugo was very well known for fine machine work, pharmacuticals, and tube amplifiers (valves). One reason Marshall valve amps sound changed was because of the war and the plant was destroyed. They are back making the tubes again and the real tube sound is now restored.

Hovis
 
MM is way overpriced, and their K98's are IMPROPERLY refinished, destroying any collector value. if you dont mind over paying, mitchells rifles will shoot fine. in short, you'll find a better deal elsewhere.
 
As a friend of mine calls "mawshers"

I would track down a good, original manufacture. Back when 98/29 "Persians" were avbl I was, oddly enough, smart enough to buy several new, with matching target and bayonet. No, they aren't for sale. Bought a few others that were near new, and off to the range I went. A bit of looking will unearth 98/09 "Argentine" Mausers, that are also excelelnt rifles. For the money spent on a Mitchell I would buy a good, original. Come to think of it, I bought a very nice Persian for $249.95 at a gun shop in Minneapolis about a year ago, consignment rifle. I like that Mausers are made out of, oh, what's that stuff called......oh, yeah, walnut and, uh, that other stuff....steel. And nothing else.
 
Imho

Foxtrotoscar said:
I would track down a good, original manufacture. Back when 98/29 "Persians" were avbl I was, oddly enough, smart enough to buy several new, with matching target and bayonet. No, they aren't for sale. Bought a few others that were near new, and off to the range I went. A bit of looking will unearth 98/09 "Argentine" Mausers, that are also excelelnt rifles. For the money spent on a Mitchell I would buy a good, original. Come to think of it, I bought a very nice Persian for $249.95 at a gun shop in Minneapolis about a year ago, consignment rifle. I like that Mausers are made out of, oh, what's that stuff called......oh, yeah, walnut and, uh, that other stuff....steel. And nothing else.
Click to expand...

the nicest Mausers ever made are some done for the various South American countries like Argentina, Venezuela, etc. I have a mint Argentine that is just the most beautiful piece of polished and blued steel and walnut I have ever seen. Shoots up a storm too. ==greg
 
k98k.jpeg


Collector Grade Publications
http://www.collectorgrade.com/index.html

A very interesting book because of the chapters on making M98's .

'Manufacture of the Model 1903 Springfield Service Rifle'

United States rifles and machine guns : a detailed account of the methods used in manufacturing the Springfield, 1903 model service rifle; also descriptions of the modified Enfield rifle and three types of machine guns (1917)
http://www.archive.org/details/unitedstatesrifl00colvrich

Glenn:D
 
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