Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Question for Mauser 98/ Jim T. Lewis experts...

I saw a custom rifle today for sale at the LGS. It's got a mauser action and I am not very knowledgeable about those. The left side of the action is stamped with "CESKOSLOVENSKA ZBROJOVKA,A.S., BRNO" and below that "VZ.24".

Question 1. What can you teach me about this particular action?

Question 2. It's got a 2 position Buehler safety lever. That I am not so excited about because in the SAFE position it does not lock down the bolt and in the FIRE position, it seems very easy to accidentally bump the lever moving it to FIRE position possibly unknowingly. Question...is that standard?
There are times during a hunt when I would prefer to carry a round in the chamber, but only if I can trust the safety to remain in the SAFE position.

I believe it's a gun and stock built by now deceased gunmaker Jim T. Lewis, in .300 Win Mag. Cheap I think at $400.00.

Thanks...

Sporterized Yugoslavian military Mauser rifle, not much to tell you about it. Solid action, should hold up well in a .300 Win Mag cartridge. Are you sure the safety doesn't lock the bolt?

$400 is a pretty good price depending on condition and quality of work by the gunsmith.

This is NOT a Yugo...the Czech built VZ24s are considered some of the best built mausers ever produced.

I have also heard they are the best. I've never seen a custom gun made on one but the military action ones I've handled seem very solid.

I traded for a FN Supreme Mauser recently. It too was 300 Win mag. I really got into it right. I think the guy had shot it and after one round the thrill quickly left. It was in a Browning Safari stock and the only negative, sort of , was the FI stamped into the bbl. Shoots great.

Now 400 for a custom rifle or a very good rifle made by a gunsmith on that action should be over 400. I'd look real close and perhaps buy it.

I'm like you on the aftermarket Mauser low bolt safety, I had one once and it was knocked off safe in the brush.

This is what you guys need for a safety, the two on the bottom

Yep screwed that one up, Czech not Yugo.

Definitely Czech. Whilst the Yugo M48 and M48A were good rifles in their own right, they are definitely no VZ24.

I wouldn't consider them the best but they are good actions. One of the nice things about them is they have modern heat treating from the factory and do not need to be re-hardened. IMO, great choice for a magnum round.

Speaking of magnum rounds in a M98, it can be hit or miss if they feed properly. The magazine box wasn't designed for them, nor the feed rails. I would ask to see rounds cycled through it if at all possible.

As to the value, who knows. M98's range from $15 to $15,000. If you like it and it feeds smooth enough I can't see where you would get hurt too bad at $400.

This. The legendary Mauser smoothness and reliability come from the feed rails being part of the action. Those rifles are build for one and only one cartridge. Change the cartridge and all of that goes out the window... I saw a lot of Mausers that had been converted to fire a cartridge other than the original chambering when I was in the gun business. Maybe 1-2 of them fed properly, and it was worse with belted cartridges.


Okie John

All this and the safeties JKob pictured (listed in Brownells as Wisner Chapman 2-position Model 70-style safties) run less than $150 to purchase & have installed.

Can't imagine how you could go wrong tho I don't know that 'smith's name.