Help me sell a vintage rifle?

[Son of Dorn]

Strictly speaking this might go better under the PX section but since it's not an actual ad, I decided to put it here.

So, gents, I'm thinking about selling one of my rifles, an unaltered/mil-issue all-matching Swedish Mauser 1896. Nothing too special, although it was the first gun I ever bought. And I'm wondering how I should do it. Gunbroker account? Just put up a listing here? Put up a listing here with a link to the GB listing?

Asking 'cause 1. I've never sold a gun before and I don't know what the best way to go about doing it is, and 2. I want to list it where it has the best chance of being sold and I don't know how many people on here would be interested in a rifle like that.

Any help and suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
S.o.D

 

[Jscb1b]

Keep it. Your first firearm that you bought yourself is as precious as your firstborn. Do any of the gun stores near you do consignment? Go online and search for prices. And post pictures.

 

[Jscb1b]

Looking on gunbroker, they sell around $500. Good luck!

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Keep it. Your first firearm that you bought yourself is as precious as your firstborn. Do any of the gun stores near you do consignment? Go online and search for prices. And post pictures.

This.

Never sell guns.

Sirhr

 

[cattleman99]

Sell yourself before you sell your guns

 

[Jscb1b]

Sell yourself before you sell your guns

Gun whore?

 

[tunaman]

This.

Never sell guns.

Sirhr

This, and the fact that the M96 is one of the best shooters out there and win far more than their fair share of C&R matches.

I have two of them and they are tack drivers for sure.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

This, and the fact that the M96 is one of the best shooters out there and win far more than their fair share of C&R matches.

I have two of them and they are tack drivers for sure.

^^^ This, too.

Get your head out of your gluteus, Dorn! Keep this.

But what do I know.

Sirhr

 

[cattleman99]

Gun whore?

Not me, I don't own any guns

 

[Jscb1b]

Not me, I don't own any guns

?

 

[Flint62a1]

Keep it

 

[Son of Dorn]

Alright, alright, I won't sell it! It was only a hypothetical question anyway!

 

[1J04]

Is this still available?

 

[acudaowner]

you can't be a gun hoarder and be selling guns , buy another gun you know you want to . Collect them all move out furniture to make more room , you'll never miss the couch it does not match the decor anyway . Wall mounted racks are the way to go , kids can be replaced well into your 80's . Wives are a dime a dozen , Sweetish mail order brides will love you long time remember pre nups are your friend . lol

 

[Son of Dorn]

Is this still available?

At the moment, it's not for sale. I was thinking about selling it, not set on doing it. Sorry.

 

[Son of Dorn]

you can't be a gun hoarder and be selling guns , buy another gun you know you want to . Collect them all move out furniture to make more room , you'll never miss the couch it does not match the decor anyway . Wall mounted racks are the way to go , kids can be replaced well into your 80's . Wives are a dime a dozen , Sweetish mail order brides will love you long time remember pre nups are your friend . lol

Well the intent was to sell the Swede Mauser to help finance the custom German Mauser. 'Cause I do wanna buy another one and some extra project $$ is not a bad thing. But I'll hold onto it.

As for kids, no worry about those 'cause I'm not even 30 yet and have no desire for that hassle quite yet, thanks very much. Wives/Swedish mail order brides? No, no thank you. Can't do it. Not today. Or ever. Not my thing.

 

[Dan M]

Take good photos and be accurate in your description.

As originally built, a M1896 had a barleycorn front sight and a v notch rear...in the 1940s they were retrofitted with rectangular front sight posts and the V notch filed into a U profile. If you happen to have a barleycorn/v notch sight equipped rifle...don’t sell it...it is a rarity.

Also, look at the wrist of the stock below the trigger guard...there will be a single inspection crown. If a major repair was made to the arm, there will be a crown with a letter or letters below, indicating the arsenal where repairs were made. If there is only an inspection crown, I would keep it...they are seldom seen.

 

[Son of Dorn]

Take good photos and be accurate in your description.

As originally built, a M1896 had a barleycorn front sight and a v notch rear...in the 1940s they were retrofitted with rectangular front sight posts and the V notch filed into a U profile. If you happen to have a barleycorn/v notch sight equipped rifle...don’t sell it...it is a rarity.

Also, look at the wrist of the stock below the trigger guard...there will be a single inspection crown. If a major repair was made to the arm, there will be a crown with a letter or letters below, indicating the arsenal where repairs were made. If there is only an inspection crown, I would keep it...they are seldom seen.

Has the rectangle/U-notch sight; wrist shows a crown and a second crown with what looks like CB under it, which would seem to be Karlsborg Tygstation. Inspector's initials are O.G., for what that may be worth. Bore disc... Little pie slice has the mark over "1", which indicates bore condition was very good once upon a time; big pie slice has the mark over "9", which... indicates the barrel ID is somewhat looser than 6.5mm?

 

[Dan M]

There should be two bore diameter numbers in that sector of the disk...starting with 6,51 and 6,46...I am assuming that it is 6.59. Should still shoot well, especially with M41 ball.

I have also handloaded with Hornady 160gr RN and they shot really well, approximating M94 ball.

The Crown Cb is for Carlsborg, the old spelling of Karlsborg, as you noted.

 

[Son of Dorn]

There should be two bore diameter numbers in that sector of the disk...starting with 6,51 and 6,46...I am assuming that it is 6.59. Should still shoot well, especially with M41 ball.

I have also handloaded with Hornady 160gr RN and they shot really well, approximating M94 ball.

The Crown Cb is for Carlsborg, the old spelling of Karlsborg, as you noted.

Negative, the 6,51/6,46 are not there. Only (like so, underline instead of triangle tick mark)

Top row: 2 3 4 5
Bottom row: 9 0 1

This style (not my pic, mine has no number in the torpedam oeverslag section either):

Of all the parts I can see, the buttplate, rear sight ladder, and the rear sight adjustment button (but NOT the slider itself) have tilted crowns, which by my understanding would indicate they were replaced with parts from Husqvarna.

 

[Dan M]

That looks like an M38 disk... 6.59
Yes, Husqvarna parts.

 

[Son of Dorn]

That looks like an M38 disk... 6.59
Yes, Husqvarna parts.

Well those parts are from Husqvarna but the rifle itself, and I'm assuming everything else, is Carl Gustafs Stadt Gevarsfaktori and dates 1899 on the receiver. Serial 134XX. Oh, muzzle is threaded for what I've read is a blank firing device, so there's that too.

 

[sandwarrior]

Well the intent was to sell the Swede Mauser to help finance the custom German Mauser. 'Cause I do wanna buy another one and some extra project $$ is not a bad thing. But I'll hold onto it.

As for kids, no worry about those 'cause I'm not even 30 yet and have no desire for that hassle quite yet, thanks very much. Wives/Swedish mail order brides? No, no thank you. Can't do it. Not today. Or ever. Not my thing.

This is when you need to get your ass out on the corner in a G-string. Trust me, you'll make money! Dignity is another thing. Myself, pmc and sirhr have all done it, as well as a number of others here. lol ?

What I'm really saying here is DON'T SELL IT! Unless you already have another one on the line and you know it's better. If looking to fund a project, find extra work or sell "less essential stuff", i.e. wife's shoe collection. You will find after owning one of these, when they are gone it takes a long damn time before the right one comes around again. Ten years for me. And yeah, I wish I'd never sold the first one, and that one?...no I didn't have to sell it like some other rifles. I thought they'd be around forever.

 

[Son of Dorn]

This is when you need to get your ass out on the corner in a G-string. Trust me, you'll make money! Dignity is another thing. Myself, pmc and sirhr have all done it, as well as a number of others here. lol ?

What I'm really saying here is DON'T SELL IT! Unless you already have another one on the line and you know it's better. If looking to fund a project, find extra work or sell "less essential stuff", i.e. wife's shoe collection. You will find after owning one of these, when they are gone it takes a long damn time before the right one comes around again. Ten years for me. And yeah, I wish I'd never sold the first one, and that one?...no I didn't have to sell it like some other rifles. I thought they'd be around forever.

Fair 'nough. And as I already said, I was only considering selling it, not set on doing it. I plan to hold onto it.

 

[Jscb1b]

I like the sentimental value. It is the first one you bought. You can hold it in your hands and be proud. YOU worked for it! Not some free shit army shit. The first rifle I bought with money from the sweat of my brow is a SKS. It has been with me high and low. Sorry for rambling.

 

[sandwarrior]

I like the sentimental value. It is the first one you bought. You can hold it in your hands and be proud. YOU worked for it! Not some free shit army shit. The first rifle I bought with money from the sweat of my brow is a SKS. It has been with me high and low. Sorry for rambling.

That was two lines...that's not rambling. Good point though. I still miss/kick myself over the first rifle I bought....and sold. I can honestly say with that one I needed the money. Part of what nags me all the time, though, is I didn't get enough for it and it really did shoot pretty good.

 

[BrentlyWhite]

This.

Never sell guns.

Sirhr

What Sirhr said. I have sold too many guns. Never again.

 

[Son of Dorn]

What Sirhr said. I have sold too many guns. Never again.

And as I've already said, I'm not selling it.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

Details on the custom Mauser you want built?

 

[Son of Dorn]

Details on the custom Mauser you want built?

Oh, it's nothing special. Only somewhat custom, really. Plan to refurbish an old Gew. 98 sporter. Replace the barrel with a new one from Lothar-Walther, either repair or replace the stock and have it bedded, add express sights and a scope mount. Rechambering it from 9x57mm to 9.3x62mm. A decent, solid take-all-comers hunting rifle with 100% Old World styling.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

Oh, it's nothing special. Only somewhat custom, really. Plan to refurbish an old Gew. 98 sporter. Replace the barrel with a new one from Lothar-Walther, either repair or replace the stock and have it bedded, add express sights and a scope mount. Rechambering it from 9x57mm to 9.3x62mm. A decent, solid take-all-comers hunting rifle with 100% Old World styling.

Nice! Definitely post it up here when finished.. what kinda stock you plan on?

 

[Son of Dorn]

Nice! Definitely post it up here when finished.. what kinda stock you plan on?

I surely will. And if I can't keep the stock that's on it, I want to replace it with another walnut one. Maybe copy the one it has. S'got a crack in it, see. Repair would be preferable but if it's not doable, I'll replace.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

What would yall say is the best bluing process for protection..?? Hot bluing vs Cold bluing, etc..??

 

[Son of Dorn]

What would yall say is the best bluing process for protection..?? Hot bluing vs Cold bluing, etc..??

I have understood it that hot bluing is better but I can't say with certainty. Most people use coatings nowadays, anyway.

 

[Dan M]

Rust bluing is the most durable of the blued finishes. It is quite time consuming but produces a beautiful classic blued finish. It is expensive to have done. See Turnbull Restoration for examples of rust bluing.

Hot bluing is the preferred method of finish by manufacturers due to the relative speed of the process. The finish tends to be glossy compared to rust bluing.