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Mitchell's Mausers

reload999reload999 Member Posts: 3,080 ✭✭✭
edited February 2014 in Ask the Experts
Anyone have a comment on buying a K98 from the above?
As advertised?
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    reload999reload999 Member Posts: 3,080 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Any good, or junk?
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    reload999reload999 Member Posts: 3,080 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I just saw an ad in the December issue of American Rifleman for Mitchell's Mausers - for Mauser 98k Model M48. Anyone know anything about this company? Is the rifle what they say it is?
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    reload999reload999 Member Posts: 3,080 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I know nothing about WWII collectibles. The ads Mitchell's Mausers run in the NRA mags and other mags make these Mausers look really good. Maybe to good?? Are the prices they are asking about right or high? If you would like to pick up a good quality WWII mauser with the intention of leaving your son something truely special and collectible where would be the best place to go? (I'm one of the crazy one's. I'm 61, my son is 9. The Lord is good!) I'm not a collector, I'm a shooter. But my father was in the U.S. Army Air Force flying bombing missions over Europe during WWII and it only seems appropriate that my son has a WWII rifle or 2 that will commemrate his and all of our heritage. Any thoughts, opinions or ideas are welcome. Thanks TODD
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    reload999reload999 Member Posts: 3,080 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Anyone here have any experience with them? The rifles on their website look good, maybe too good? are they original? stocks refinished? I'd like to have a very nice K98k and don't mind paying well, but I want matching and as original as possible. I will fire it, but I take great care with my guns, so don't mind shooting a really nice one. I'll appreciate any comments, pro or con regarding Mitchell's guns.
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    TRAP55TRAP55 Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Mitchell's are an overpriced abomination. The only reason they have matching numbers, is because they have been scrubbed of all markings, and new ones stamped. Nothing is original on these rifles, not even the parts to the rifle. The worse part is, they destroy collectable rifles to make these abortions. Mitchells should be burnt to the ground!
    Save your money. If you want something with war history, shop for a Russian capture or Czech refurb 98K. If you want a clean numbers matching shooter, a M-48 can be found at $300 or less.
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    rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I believe in absolute terms that the rifles that Mitchell's sells, aren't German made 98 K's. They are Yugoslav made Mauser variants. That were made in the communist era, Yugoslav, Zavasta arsenal. In the 1940's/50's time frame.
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    charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,579 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think they are way over priced to support the slick marketing.

    One of my favorite rifles is a 193 6 or 9 "S" in really nice shape that has been in the family since 1945. I gave my nephew a 1944 "byf" bubba special that I got for 10 pairs 30&50 cal. empty ammo cans.

    The last 200 rounds of new Remington brass I got years ago had several cases with offset primer flash holes. The old Winchester Super Speed brass was the best. The 196 grain soft nose Norma match bullets I acquired for like a cent apiece have harvested several Elk and Deer all with one shot. The Speer seconds I bought in bulk almost always shot good on top of bulk surplus 4895 or 4831.

    Lyman cast bullet 323470 shoots well. Best results obtained with bullet well forward, though loaded grease groves exposed isn't the best for field ammo.
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    jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    They are pretty. They are overpriced. They are at BEST matching post-war or late war Yugoslav rifles, at worse mixed bags of parts with forced rematch numbers.

    Mitchell's Mausers proprietary 8mm ammo however is actually quite good.
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    gary wraygary wray Member Posts: 4,663
    edited November -1
    I have no experience with Mitchell Mausers but if you want a "very nice 98k" and "don't mind paying well" why not by the real deal German WWII mauser? There are some good ones out there now on the market but they are pricey....but you are getting the real deal and not some worked up Yugo.
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    reload999reload999 Member Posts: 3,080 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the replies. I suspected they might not be original, but had no idea they were this bad. I already have nice original Yugo and Czech Mausers. Wanted a k98 but most look bad. I figured Mitchells were too good to be true...stocks looked too new.
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    Horse Plains DrifterHorse Plains Drifter Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 39,358 ***** Forums Admin
    edited November -1
    Here is a nice one from the aucton

    http://www.GunBroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=395658387
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    beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by reload999
    Anyone here have any experience with them? The rifles on their website look good, maybe too good? are they original? stocks refinished? I'd like to have a very nice K98k and don't mind paying well, but I want matching and as original as possible. I will fire it, but I take great care with my guns, so don't mind shooting a really nice one. I'll appreciate any comments, pro or con regarding Mitchell's guns.


    They are nice, but as mentioned, that's because they're effectively modern recreations of WWII Mausers using sundry scrubbed parts (many post war, and not even German). For what you get, they're also considerably overpriced.

    If you want an authentic WWII era German K98 Mauser, stay as far away as possible from Mitchell's, and look for a real one.

    The bad news, is that surplus supplies of authentic German Mausers dried up years ago. There are effectively no legit German Mausers out there for importation any more. Even the "Russian Capture" rifles, which are exactly what they sound like. . .Russian captured German Mausers rebuilt to functional status, often from mismatched parts, and often with peened-over markings, have all but entirely dried up too.

    The good news is that despite the above, there are still plenty of authentic Mausers around, though they're pricey. Despite that, since they have tremendous historical interest, and since the number of them is never going to go up, I think they're pretty sound investments. Pay a fair price for one and it will not only never go down in value, it will probably appreciate a little faster than inflation.
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    reload999reload999 Member Posts: 3,080 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Horse Plains Drifter
    Here is a nice one from the aucton

    http://www.GunBroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=395658387
    Nice looking rifle, but if built new in 1942 and taken home by a GI after the war, when could it possibly have had time for the numbers to become "arsenal mismatched"? Far as I know, all numbers were meticulously matched during initial production.
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    GrasshopperGrasshopper Member Posts: 16,747 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by reload999
    quote:Originally posted by Horse Plains Drifter
    Here is a nice one from the aucton

    http://www.GunBroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=395658387
    Nice looking rifle, but if built new in 1942 and taken home by a GI after the war, when could it possibly have had time for the numbers to become "arsenal mismatched"? Far as I know, all numbers were meticulously matched during initial production.


    Possible but doubtful--imo,,
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    Horse Plains DrifterHorse Plains Drifter Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 39,358 ***** Forums Admin
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by reload999
    quote:Originally posted by Horse Plains Drifter
    Here is a nice one from the aucton

    http://www.GunBroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=395658387
    Nice looking rifle, but if built new in 1942 and taken home by a GI after the war, when could it possibly have had time for the numbers to become "arsenal mismatched"? Far as I know, all numbers were meticulously matched during initial production.
    Some of that stuff seen some hard service, so to my thinking, it sure could have been gone over between 42 and 45.
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