Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 35 Whelen or 9.3x62mm Value in a Full Custom Mauser 98

I am considering some things here. Resale value and desirability factor being equally important. The rifles are going to be built on FN Commercial Mausers and stocked in Exhibition Grade wood. With Match grade cut rifled barrels. Have open sights, full rust bluing and nitre blued appointments. Quick detach bases and rings with a quality optic. Would love to hear opinions....

R

If you do most of the work yourself and don't apply a value to your time, you may get your money back when you sell?

If those are the two choices I'd find the latter more appealing. Heck, I might even ask to pick it up and give it a closer look at a show before handing it back and saying I may be back later. Honestly, just build the one you want.

It's on a Mauser and unless it has some really beautiful wood and the work is outstanding I doubt there would even be much interest in it. There are a plethora of inexpensive Mausers both converted military or commercial that you can get rebored to either of those calibers for $200 that I don't think you could get the cost of the materials out of it.

You can buy a new CZ full stocked 9.3x62 for $800.+ and a new Sauer for just over $600.

How about the value of one on a Pre64 Model 70 Magnum Action in 375H&H? Bet that would be worthwhile....

Wouldn't buying a pre64 375 barreled action be a really unnecessary step in building an FN commercial M98 actioned custom rifle?

In the custom world, you NEVER come close to recouping your investment. I have thought about this exact project, but the numbers I crunched put me off. I did figure out that in many cases, you can buy someone else's custom for a fraction of what it would cost to build, so if you want a nice rifle to use I recommend that route. If you want an investment, you're going the wrong direction.

That being said, of the two, I think the 9.3x62 is a more fitting choice for a Mauser 98. That combination was made for each other.

Yes it would. I'll post that in another thread. Just tying to see what's worth my time and energy and what's not.

I'm an 86 Lever and Ruger 5 shot guy. To convert and restore those pays well and the value typically increases. Hence the questions about Bolt guns...

I would think they would have the same value if you sold the rifle with dies.
I don't see a need for "match" grade components when the rifle will never be in a match. A standard Douglas o r Shilen should be fine. Bypass the sights and that expense. A good quality optic is just that, good and quality, no need for a back up plan. Unless this rifle is gonna be a wall hanger, go with X or XX wood. No reason to put $1400 wood on a rifle that is gonna get rolled on when the horse falls on it.

This ^^^^ If you want to gain a perspective on custom rifle resale value, take a look at Hallowell's website below. Figure the cost to re-create some of those rifles in today's dollars.

Hallowell Custom Rifles For Sale

Custom cars, custom guns...the original builder/owner loses close to 1/2 his original investment, no matter how clean.

It seems a bit silly to worry about recouping the cost of building a custom rifle while at the same time paying 25 - 40000 for a new pickup which you will never recoup the cost of either, or your shoes, or your sujts, or your tools, or just about anything else you purchase, except if your lucky maybe your house.

Just build the damn thing and enjoy it.

Better to have it built planning on never selling it, rather planning on wearing it out.

Those are some nice looking rifles! A.O. Niedner's 86 year old great-nephew is a member of my congregation. I'd love to have that old 7x57 to show him some of his uncle's work. I wonder if the stock is a Shelhamer stock.

Yes, they are killer for sure! Loving the way they look.

If it has to be one or the other and you are using a M98 I would do the 9.3X62 without hesitation. I would swing in the opposite direction if you told me you we're going to start with an old Springfield 1903 action.

For me a 9.3X62 seems most suited for a commercial 98 large ring Mauser. 35 Whelen seems most at home on an American action like a model 70.

I recently sold a Hamilton Bowen 500 Linebaugh Nimrod for a bit over twice what I paid. I bought it from the original owner for 2/3 of what he paid to have it built. It just depends. Buying used is the way to go if you find something you like, that fits you well, etc.

I would be very happy with a .35Whelen chambering , but if I was to have a mauser assembled to make the next owner happy,
more chance with 9,3x62...