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mauser 45-70

deerhunter42deerhunter42 Member Posts: 115 ✭✭
edited April 2015 in Ask the Experts
I have a chance to buy a mauser 45-70 good cond. Er shaw barrel fajen walnut stock for 499.00 is that a good price

Comments

  • charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,579 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    So is this a Siamese Mauser? I like Shaw barrel's. Can you test fire it before buying to check the chamber and feeding? I have a Mexican Small Ring in 45-70 that I would gladly pay way more than $500 for its twin. Price is about parts alone - if it was put together well I think it would be fair.

    added It takes a real gunsmith to convert a 98 from 8mm Mauser to 45-70 and have it feed correctly. Maybe make up 4 dummy rounds for testing.

    They would likely let you test the feeding with factory dummies.
  • deerhunter42deerhunter42 Member Posts: 115 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think its a 98 a action no test fire its in a pawn shop no returns u buy u own
  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Just off the top of my head it seems a bit steep. Most sporter type Mauser rifles in various calibers sell closer to 350. I watch for them and own several, none in 45-70 however. Is it drilled and tapped? any scope included?
  • deerhunter42deerhunter42 Member Posts: 115 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Barrel is drilled for open sights receiver has scope bases
  • asphalt cowboyasphalt cowboy Member Posts: 8,904 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by deerhunter42
    I think its a 98 a action no test fire its in a pawn shop no returns u buy u own


    Action proving dummies are fairly inexpensive.
    http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/general-gunsmith-tools/cartridge-dummies/centerfire-rifle-dummies-prod40859.aspx
  • CapnMidnightCapnMidnight Member Posts: 8,520
    edited November -1
    I have a Siamese Mauser in 45-70 with a Douglas barrel and a very nice stock. I would not sell it $500.
    As has been stated, feeding is the big thing with bolt action 45-70s.
    Spend a few bucks, buy some dummy rounds and test the rifle, before you buy it.
    W.D.
  • nononsensenononsense Member Posts: 10,928 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    deerhunter42,

    Your description while probably accurate is not nearly enough for any of us to make a value judgement on this rifle. We need to see the rifle and with detailed photographs. An ER Shaw barrel does not add to the value and in most cases significantly decreases the value due to the lack of quality. They are a third tier manufacturer at the very best and mostly used for cheap building projects.

    The Mauser of choice for this absolutely ignorant conversion is the Siamese Mauser. This is due to the bolt face and above all, the slant box magazine. Late in the 40's and early in the 50's and 60's when imported Mausers were dirt cheap, no one thought anything about experimenting on them simply because they were cheap and plentiful. Well, now that thousands of the Siamese Mausers have been destroyed by amateur hacks and gunsmith hacks, the price for decent Siamese Mausers is significantly higher and they are much harder to find in better condition.

    Without pictures, I think it's about $250 - $300 high. To be more valuable than that, it would have to feed like poop through a goose from the magazine first time every time. This is unlikely.

    Best.
  • navc130navc130 Member Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I passed up on two 45-70 conversions in the last four years - a Siamese Mauser and a British Enfield. The Enfield was particularly nice, done by Gibbs. Both were $350 each. They were a "not need but nice to have" situation. For $250 I probably would have bought the Enfield. Most likely they took the scope off and sold it on ebay, commonly done by the shops.
    My take on military conversion rifles is: how much would it cost to build that rifle today. If the selling price is lower than that and I WANTED the rifle then I would buy it. I can tell you this, at that price, the shop is doubling their money (at least). You can always make an offer.
  • dfletcherdfletcher Member Posts: 8,162 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by navc130
    I passed up on two 45-70 conversions in the last four years - a Siamese Mauser and a British Enfield. The Enfield was particularly nice, done by Gibbs. Both were $350 each. They were a "not need but nice to have" situation. For $250 I probably would have bought the Enfield. Most likely they took the scope off and sold it on ebay, commonly done by the shops.


    Not "apples to apples" I know, but $350.00 is what I paid for my Gibbs 45-70 a few years back, and it was drilled & tapped for a scope mount - not one of the "press fit" mounts.
  • deerhunter42deerhunter42 Member Posts: 115 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    CallShop they sAid gun is a Siamese mauser no feeding issues said could lower price a little from 499.00 worth it
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