Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles 8mm Mauser M-98

My dad brought one home after WWll & his youngest brother has it now, won't part with it, I but would like to have one of my own. Any of you on here ever come across a sporterized M-98 in 8 MM caliber, give me a holler.

There’s a couple for $550 on Guns International.

i bought one at an auction 3 or so years ago and it was cheap (under $150). i knew the stock bad, so i bought a Richard's Wolverine stock and i'm happy with it.

1944 '98 Mauser in 8x57

Kindly tell us exactly the use to which you intend to put such mauser. . Hunting, target, plinking, defense, rack adorning, 'fondling with intent'... For most purposes, 'if' you can get by with a quality mauser 98 pattern commercial sporter such as a Husqvarna, just my opinion, you're in considerably deeper clover! They're also available out there in 8x57.

The just plain old traditional "war surplus" utility milsurp sporter has been usurped by a fan club "with intent to restore". Some beyond all reason other than "pure "fun value added!" Certainly not of economically "balanced values". But for you potentially, "pay to play" That may well be the marketplace which you find yourself gaming.

Nowadays, you'll be competing with such folks in a climate where "parts value can easily exceed that of the whole". Direct effect in said higher prices. Indirect effect in parts swaps - make 'er fit and perhaps inferior quality mix-master resulting builds!

Opposite extreme of the spectrum is reflected in the term "Custom"! The ultimate abused descriptor for "gloss-over" as factually, ultimately, 'obtuse'. The term is neutral, but where not very specifically further defined such as by attribute(s). Red Flags fluttering.

So you can name your poison, but you'll likely finding yourself facing one of those two ball parks enhancing, "plain Jane" good value "pretty good as multifunction rifle that GI's returning from WWII, made into "functional milsurp legends".

My suggestion that you first answer the "Purpose" question posed above and then seek further guidance of the experts here. I'm not! But after answering some fundamental questions to help them help you!

Below a couple of my more less "traditional" milsurp sporters as of extremes of "minimalist, including cut down mil stock", to fancier commercial stock, commercial micrometer sight, low scope bolt (for whatever reason).

The Mauser 98 patterns as German "AZ" WWI small ring action, the Czech large ring action sporterization from fifties era. (Neither for sale.)

Good Luck and...
Just my take.
John

[quote=iskra]Kindly tell us exactly the use to which you intend to put such mauser. . Hunting, target, plinking, defense, rack adorning, 'fondling with intent'... For most purposes, 'if' you can get by with a quality mauser 98 pattern commercial sporter such as a Husqvarna, just my opinion, you're in considerably deeper clover! They're also available out there in 8x57.

The just plain old traditional "war surplus" utility milsurp sporter has been usurped by a fan club "with intent to restore". Some beyond all reason other than "pure "fun value added!" Certainly not of economically "balanced values". But for you potentially, "pay to play" That may well be the marketplace which you find yourself gaming.

Nowadays, you'll be competing with such folks in a climate where "parts value can easily exceed that of the whole". Direct effect in said higher prices. Indirect effect in parts swaps - make 'er fit and perhaps inferior quality mix-master resulting builds!

Opposite extreme of the spectrum is reflected in the term "Custom"! The ultimate abused descriptor for "gloss-over" as factually, ultimately, 'obtuse'. The term is neutral, but where not very specifically further defined such as by attribute(s). Red Flags fluttering.

So you can name your poison, but you'll likely finding yourself facing one of those two ball parks enhancing, "plain Jane" good value "pretty good as multifunction rifle that GI's returning from WWII, made into "functional milsurp legends".

My suggestion that you first answer the "Purpose" question posed above and then seek further guidance of the experts here. I'm not! But after answering some fundamental questions to help them help you!

Below a couple of my more less "traditional" milsurp sporters as of extremes of "minimalist, including cut down mil stock", to fancier commercial stock, commercial micrometer sight, low scope bolt (for whatever reason).

The Mauser 98 patterns as German "AZ" WWI small ring action, the Czech large ring action sporterization from fifties era. (Neither for sale.)

Good Luck and...
Just my take.
John

Post script. I noted the two Posts as concurring with comments! Preferring "classic". Also a considerable bargain price for specimen. Only notation, the fact of "lefty configuration" as "value affecting. Fully joining the preference for the "classic pattern" for sure! Just far more prevalent than the more common American proclivity! Second, that great price for the milsurp sporter captured for peanuts and not reflective of by any means 'typical'. The one of valuing-typical perhaps affected, left hand configuration as audience limiting. Still considerable value at your price paid!
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there's a darn nice Yugo 48 listed on Accurate shooter

This is the route I’d go and skip the sporterized…

Surplus yugo 8mm ammo has popped up here and there lately as well. And while it’s priced nowhere near where it used to be it’s still very reasonable and keeps my yugo warm and happy

I have an 8mm Mauser 98 that someone "sporterized" by removing some of the original stock pieces. I think it's all original and matching otherwise. Nice old gun. I probably paid too much for it, but the seller worked with my wife and was needing money for something else. I've only taken it to the range once just to say I did.

Got a couple and I just love 'em in the military stock they came with.

When I shoot them, or even hunt with them, I just load them up to be bolt action 30/30 equivalents.

Always use Speer 170 SMP bullets tho.. those things plow thru all sorts of stuff, running hot at 3100 fps or slow at 1800 fps.

I've got 5 Mausers, 3 with 29 inch barrels and two with 24 inch barrels, all with the military 'furniture' on them.

The two scoped ones, have plain old 4 power Tascos on top. They see service at 100 to 150 yds...more than enough.

i use the 1944 '98 Mauser for hunting and target shooting. when i first got it, its military stock was cut down or sporterized. i took the gun apart and inside of the stock was black and white mold. i decided to get a Richard's Microfit Wolverine stock in black walnut grade a fancy. the stock needed sanded (240, 320, 400 grit, bronze wool and cheesecloth) and 4 or 5 coats of Minwax Antique Oil. then i used polyurethane oil mixed with mineral spirits to make it shine.

i did the same thing on my son's Apache Gold '16 Spanish Mauser in 6.5x55.

I have a Heym sporter in .308 with many military-esque features: clip guide, slide-off floorplate with set screws, thumb cut, but also a Sako-ish stock, two-position wing safety, and bolt handle forged for scope use. It appears to be a transition model from their murky past, very similar to, but not identical to some of the store-brand rifles they built. Definitely not a sporterized I sent pics to YouTuber USOG and he said he’d never seen one with that combination of features. It came from Alaska, but I have to wonder how it got there; maybe brought home from Germany by a serviceman? It’s the lightest factory wood-stocked 98 I’ve seen. If my eyes were better, I’d use it with the nice irons, but I have an enclosed red dot on it ala Wild Boar Fever.

Well I'd sure never try bumping 170's up to 3100 fps in a clunky 98 , 2800 and change maybe in my m700 with a 24" barrel. Mb

My first center fire was a 8x57 98 Mauser. Dad rebarreled it to 6mm Remington after that first deer season. That barrel was a “Sharon” barrel. I put a “C” grade varmint Herters stock on it. It wore a Weaver K6. It was easily a 1/4” group shooter with 75 grain Sierra and SPEER varmint bullets - later Remington bullets too.

It seems not very many appreciated the 8x57 back then.
I have a guild 8x57 with rib etc. it’ll probably shoot mostly cast bullets.

Now, if I can figure a 700 Classic in 8x57 into my budget…

I need to sell a rifle first.

I have a sporterized KAR 98 that I dubbed The Mauser from Hell. A buddy gave it to me about 10 years ago, and I spent years getting it straightened out. It was a sincere basket case. The sporterizing had been done back in the 70s, and the original owner had been an alcoholic on his way out. He would get drunk and booger up his rifles.

After several years and many $, I finally got it all straightened out and it now sits as one of my favorite and most accurate deer rifles.



The Mauser from Hell

You need to define what "Sporterized" means to you...the stock cut off and sanded, or full blown custom? The difference in $ would be considerable.
You can still find 98`s that came back from WW II. My LGS has two now sitting on the shelve, but close inspection suggests they stay there.

Interesting tho, the generation that were "given" a Mauser by their Fathers is passing. That`s where these two came from.

If you want something in 8x57, buy a Rem Classic.

Isn't there a Remington forum somewhere here you can post in?

I picked up my sporterized 8x57 at the Post Falls Cabelas maybe a dozen years ago. It worked just fine with the 180 gr Nosler BT in Africa. Pretty nimble piece.




Here it is with the two others rifles that made the trip. A Walther Model B 7x57 far left and a custom pre-64 358 Win in the middle.

FYI, there is a 98 in Westmans G.S., Iron Mountain, Mi. that has been "customed", 800ish IIRC. B&L 2.5-8 B on it. It`s on consignment. Could call them.

This is a better conditioned rifle than what I`d mentioned in my top post.

Here's pictures of my 8x57 Mauser 98:

Nice, Bugger.

What’s up with the stock? Has a beautiful grain.