8mm Mausers??

[dc dalton]

Didn't want to hijack Ronnie's thread about Mausers but I have been seeing a lot of them for sale lately, especially at gun brokers.

I was looking at a Yugo (yeah I know one freaking track mind) and in some research I did I found several people raving about them so I thought I would "ask the experts" here.

Advice on the guns themselves?

Price and availability of ammo?

Anything else I might want to know before I decide to buy?

thanks!

[Karl/PA]

8 mm. (actually 7.92) mausers have been around for over a hundred years now are are probably the most proven design. Many modern rifles are based on the mauser design.

There is a whole grocery list of mausers available and some very good bargains are still possible. If you're looking for a good shooter, I would look first for Czech VZ24. These seem to be the best of the German mausers and is the one that is most sporterized. The market is also flooded with Russian captured mausers. Russia rearsenaled these enmasse. None have matching bolts, at least I've never heard of even one. And many still have the waffen marks on them.

As for ammo availability, its everywhere. From dirty Turk surplus to hollow point big game ammo and everything in between.

[Dredly]

Mine shoots good, no complaints, kicks hard, no recoil pad, just a metal plate, but its a nice shooting gun, definately not a gun you are going to burn 50 rounds at the range with. Also not overly friendly for mounting optics on.


My Ruger M77 also runs a Mauser action in 06, shoots great also,

[P-11 shooter]

I hunt with a bastardized (sporterized) turkish mauser.

The gun is a freaking tank. I've never had a deer run more than a few feet, but if you don't get it with the first shot you can always club it to death with the steel butplate.


I love my mauser.

[dc dalton]

Originally Posted by Karl/PA

And many still have the waffen marks on them.

Now that in itself would make me buy one, being VERY German (and damn proud of it I might add) that would be cool.

So they are "kickers" are they? Then let me ask this ... are the a "tougher" kick than an Enfield? Reason I ask is a friend brought one to the range a few months back and I was black and blue for weeks (sorry I'm skinny as a rail and there's not much padding to stop the tank weapons)

[P-11 shooter]

Originally Posted by dc dalton

Now that in itself would make me buy one, being VERY German (and damn proud of it I might add) that would be cool.

So they are "kickers" are they? Then let me ask this ... are the a "tougher" kick than an Enfield? Reason I ask is a friend brought one to the range a few months back and I was black and blue for weeks (sorry I'm skinny as a rail and there's not much padding to stop the tank weapons)

I have the enfeild "jungle carbine" and it kicks like a mule.

The mausers....depends on the ammo. Surplus ammo kicks harder than modern, soft point factory. I heard they load the modern stuff to about the same pressures as a 30-30, and it's not too bad.

enfeild kicks way worse.

It does have an adverse affect on deer though I've never had one take more than a few steps, and one just fell over in it's tracks. I owe that to good shots as much as anything.

[dc dalton]

Thanks shooter, makes me feel a little less "timid" (what can I say, guess I'm a pussy)

[str8shooter]

I bought mine with history and shootability in mind. I ended up with a Turkish Mauser, with the arabic proof stamps dated 1893. Shoots like a champ, and I found some non-corrosive ammo at the VFGS. Most of my collection is for history's sake, and the Mauser is a must have for a collector. If not the Turkish Mauser, I'd have looked at the Swedish, but to have an accurate shooter working as good as new after being handed down from country to country and surviving 5 wars and 115 years, I couldn't be more pleased. The fact that they can be had for under $200 is just icing on the cake.

[StaigerD]

If anyone is looking to buy one, the Delmont Sport shop in...Delmont, has 2 of them.

[dogngun]

I have owned a lot of them. I think they are one of the best rifles ever made, and the 7.92 Mauser is a fine .30-06 class cartridge.If you load it, it may be right next to the '06.

I saw a Yugo last week that was a refurb that had been stored since it was refurbed, and it was like getting a new Mauser for about $250, a rugged, accurate, powerful rifle that will last several generations without problems.

I'd shop carefully and find the one you think is best, even if it's a bit more money. You can't go wrong with one of these as a shooter.

FWIW, my grandfather was a German soldier in WWI ahd I'm sure he was very familiar with these rifles...

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