what kind of rifle is it - The Firearms Forum

tow hook · 07-07-2011, 07:08 AM

i had this rifle handed down to me by my dad this past weekend, all i was told was he bought it in 67/68 at a local sporting goods store. from what i can tell it's a Mauser?. but that's it. i'm disipointed in the lack of markings on the gun. the only markings are 30-06 and the sn# 9785. but on the bottom of the bolt there is a eagle mark with the #'s WaA63. to bad my camera can't make it much clearer then i shot i have..

the only info on the code i have found on the eagle mark was... and it's a match for sure.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...&ct=clnk&gl=us

the pics

thanks,
any info would be help full.
Brian

flintlock · 07-07-2011, 07:24 AM

I had a similar one about '68 myself. Good smooth Mauser action, looks like the same rifle. The one I had came from an outfit named Golden State Arms, out of California if I remember correctly. It was an '06, and it was an accurate rifle.

woolleyworm · 07-07-2011, 07:40 AM

Yep, it's a sporterized 98 Mauser. Many of them came back from Germany and were sporterized here. After the war, there were many many surplus Mausers.

Hawg · 07-07-2011, 11:13 AM

The stripper clip hump was ground off and it was drilled and tapped for a scope so no going back original. Looks like a fine rifle tho. I prefer them that way.

Jim K · 07-07-2011, 03:28 PM

FWIW, WaA inspector 63 was assigned to Mauser Oberndorf from 1936 to 1939.

Jim

tow hook · 07-07-2011, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawg

The stripper clip hump was ground off and it was drilled and tapped for a scope so no going back original. Looks like a fine rifle tho. I prefer them that way.

my dad had a scope put on back in the mid to late 70's from the tails i've been told it didn't help him get any deer..

what would a clip hump look like ?

tow hook · 07-07-2011, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woolleyworm

Yep, it's a sporterized 98 Mauser. Many of them came back from Germany and were sporterized here. After the war, there were many many surplus Mausers.

humm the barrel was from germany and the stock over here ? and was made to fit it ?

any reason for the lack on info on the gun it's self ? every other brand wants you to know what you have in big bold letters. but this barrel has just a few marks/ stampings on it ?

tow hook · 07-07-2011, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim K

FWIW, WaA inspector 63 was assigned to Mauser Oberndorf from 1936 to 1939.

Jim

humm, was it poss that the barrel was made in that time frame 36 to 39 ?

thanks for all the replys. no one near me was able to tell me more then the brand name of this rifle..

woolleyworm · 07-07-2011, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tow hook

humm the barrel was from germany and the stock over here ? and was made to fit it ?

any reason for the lack on info on the gun it's self ? every other brand wants you to know what you have in big bold letters. but this barrel has just a few marks/ stampings on it ?

Sometimes, the action was the only part that was reused. The original military stocks were long and nothing much to look at. Companies here in the States would strip down the actions, re-chamber them and dress them in a little nicer wood. These companies weren't huge outfits like Remington or Winchester so they didn't have much budget to do much else than put out a good shooting gun. These guns were sporterized many years ago before commercial advertising and slapping logos on every square inch became mainstream.

jack404 · 07-07-2011, 08:48 PM

Tow hook , sad fact of "sporterizing" mil arms , and i am guilty of this myself when younger

many marks are removed and the barrels restamped to comply ( cal, rating and inspection number)

we sporterized many mauser and jap rifles when younger and Lee Enfield's ( sorry but true eh)

we could buy 100 rifles for $3000 rip a barrel off, toss it in a lathe if ok or swap it out for another, if a barrel was pitted we'd bore it and reline it to 22/250 or .308 , trim the stock and wood, polish and lighten the triggers, take off 2 1/2 lb or more in total weight, toss on a cheap but decent scope and toss them out the door for $200-$300

back then a weeks wages was $250 , army wages was $350 every 2 weeks , we where young , hungry and wished a sideline to army living , and dumb ...

Jim K · 07-07-2011, 08:56 PM

It was not a commercial import or it would be marked with the name and address of the importer. It is most likely a GI bringback Mauser that someone here had a gunsmith rebarrel and sporterize. (The .30-'06 barrel is not the original barrel and was not put on in Germany.)

Many, many thousands of those rifles were brought back and the majority were treated just as that one was, cut down and altered for hunting. The original rifle, if in good condition and left alone would probably be worth around $1500 today; as it is, a no-name sporter is worth around $250.

Jim

jack404 · 07-07-2011, 10:00 PM

yes jim is correct , i have partaken in butchery ..

and think of what they'd be worth .. all the jap rifles with the MUM ..

all the LE's ww1 and 2

Hawg · 07-07-2011, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tow hook

what would a clip hump look like ?

Where the top of your receiver is smooth and even next to the bolt release, this is what it used to look like.

3/2 STA SS · 07-08-2011, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jack404

yes jim is correct , i have partaken in butchery ..

and think of what they'd be worth .. all the jap rifles with the MUM ..

all the LE's ww1 and 2

If we all ''what if'ed'' ourselves to death we would go crazy. I know I would with ''what I have sold'' or traded in the past 25 years.

Jim K · 07-08-2011, 12:24 PM

I sometimes made an effort to keep a customer from having a nice gun chopped up, but in the end the customer is always right, and ultimately a gunsmith knows that if he doesn't do the work, someone else will, and maybe do a worse job.

One consolation is that I bought some of those cheap guns and kept them intact, so the more that were worked over the more mine increased in value.

Jim

TommH · 07-09-2011, 04:54 PM

I bought a nearly identical '06 conversion in about 1964 from Sears or Monkey Wards for $57. It had that stock and finish with all the rust pits and markings ground off the receiver, and rebarreled. The choice was that or they sold a crappy Swedish 6.5mm military Mauser for $30.

tow hook · 07-10-2011, 08:14 PM

thanks for all the replys. this rifle seems to have some history behind it. i hope to use it more then my dad did.

07-07-2011, 07:08 AM	#1
tow hook Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: western pa Posts: 6	what kind of rifle is it i had this rifle handed down to me by my dad this past weekend, all i was told was he bought it in 67/68 at a local sporting goods store. from what i can tell it's a Mauser?. but that's it. i'm disipointed in the lack of markings on the gun. the only markings are 30-06 and the sn# 9785. but on the bottom of the bolt there is a eagle mark with the #'s WaA63. to bad my camera can't make it much clearer then i shot i have.. the only info on the code i have found on the eagle mark was... and it's a match for sure. http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...&ct=clnk&gl=us the pics thanks, any info would be help full. Brian -->

07-07-2011, 07:24 AM	#2
flintlock Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Upstate NY Contributor Posts: 897	Re: what kind of rifle is it I had a similar one about '68 myself. Good smooth Mauser action, looks like the same rifle. The one I had came from an outfit named Golden State Arms, out of California if I remember correctly. It was an '06, and it was an accurate rifle.

07-07-2011, 07:40 AM	#3
woolleyworm TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SW Fort Worth Contributor Posts: 4,885	Re: what kind of rifle is it Yep, it's a sporterized 98 Mauser. Many of them came back from Germany and were sporterized here. After the war, there were many many surplus Mausers. __________________ . What are you gonna do, talk the alien to death? -- (on Sigourney Weaver's worry about Guns in Aliens) "Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands." "I carry a small gun to compensate for my huge Blue press." .

07-07-2011, 11:13 AM	#4
Hawg Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 1,559	Re: what kind of rifle is it The stripper clip hump was ground off and it was drilled and tapped for a scope so no going back original. Looks like a fine rifle tho. I prefer them that way.

07-07-2011, 03:28 PM	#5
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: what kind of rifle is it FWIW, WaA inspector 63 was assigned to Mauser Oberndorf from 1936 to 1939. Jim

07-07-2011, 08:48 PM	#10
jack404 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Australia Contributor Posts: 17,622	Re: what kind of rifle is it Tow hook , sad fact of "sporterizing" mil arms , and i am guilty of this myself when younger many marks are removed and the barrels restamped to comply ( cal, rating and inspection number) we sporterized many mauser and jap rifles when younger and Lee Enfield's ( sorry but true eh) we could buy 100 rifles for $3000 rip a barrel off, toss it in a lathe if ok or swap it out for another, if a barrel was pitted we'd bore it and reline it to 22/250 or .308 , trim the stock and wood, polish and lighten the triggers, take off 2 1/2 lb or more in total weight, toss on a cheap but decent scope and toss them out the door for $200-$300 back then a weeks wages was $250 , army wages was $350 every 2 weeks , we where young , hungry and wished a sideline to army living , and dumb ... Last edited by jack404; 07-07-2011 at 08:58 PM..

07-07-2011, 08:56 PM	#11
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: what kind of rifle is it It was not a commercial import or it would be marked with the name and address of the importer. It is most likely a GI bringback Mauser that someone here had a gunsmith rebarrel and sporterize. (The .30-'06 barrel is not the original barrel and was not put on in Germany.) Many, many thousands of those rifles were brought back and the majority were treated just as that one was, cut down and altered for hunting. The original rifle, if in good condition and left alone would probably be worth around $1500 today; as it is, a no-name sporter is worth around $250. Jim

07-07-2011, 10:00 PM	#12
jack404 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Australia Contributor Posts: 17,622	Re: what kind of rifle is it yes jim is correct , i have partaken in butchery .. and think of what they'd be worth .. all the jap rifles with the MUM .. all the LE's ww1 and 2

07-08-2011, 12:24 PM	#15
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: what kind of rifle is it I sometimes made an effort to keep a customer from having a nice gun chopped up, but in the end the customer is always right, and ultimately a gunsmith knows that if he doesn't do the work, someone else will, and maybe do a worse job. One consolation is that I bought some of those cheap guns and kept them intact, so the more that were worked over the more mine increased in value. Jim

07-09-2011, 04:54 PM	#16
TommH Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 1	Re: what kind of rifle is it I bought a nearly identical '06 conversion in about 1964 from Sears or Monkey Wards for $57. It had that stock and finish with all the rust pits and markings ground off the receiver, and rebarreled. The choice was that or they sold a crappy Swedish 6.5mm military Mauser for $30.

07-10-2011, 08:14 PM	#17
tow hook Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: western pa Posts: 6	Re: what kind of rifle is it thanks for all the replys. this rifle seems to have some history behind it. i hope to use it more then my dad did.