Mitchell's Mausers

[DP425]

Might not be exactly "vintage sniper rifle" topic, but it seems this might be the best area to ask.

What are everyone's thoughts on their higher grade K98's? I wouldn't mind having a really nice one. I've always been a fan of the lines of the mausers.

 

[Dsparil]

Re: Mitchell's Mausers

nicely done but overpriced. a lot of mismatched parts and some re-engraved to look as if though they're matching. Personally, the way they're set up, I wouldn't mind buying one. I'm not a collector by any means. So depends, deeply, upon what you're looking for.

 

[Veer_G]

Re: Mitchell's Mausers

I have one. For what it is, it's great. Most of it matches without being forced, the barrel looks like it never saw much use, and it's dead-nuts accurate for a 70 year old, open sights rifle, as well as being strikingly handsome.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Mitchell's Mausers

One of them is on my "for when the ship comes in" list, along with an L-W production replacement barrel chambered in .30-'06.

 

[ArcticLight]

Re: Mitchell's Mausers

I read on MANY MANY sites that Mitchells takes Russian captures, flattens out the stamps and re-stamps them to make the numbers match, as well as using reproduction parts such as the sling, cleaning rod etc....

IT's a lot of money but you could build one for about this price:

Stock: $100-$200 (Repro)
rifle: $379 (Big-5)
Scope $500 (Repro)
Sling etc ($40)

That's just under a grand.


However being that they make the numbers match and they do shoot good - EVERYONE agrees on that....

Not a bad deal.

Ed at Militech arms also builds them but he uses the original BYF models.

 

[ORD]

Re: Mitchell's Mausers

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dsparil</div><div class="ubbcode-body">nicely done but overpriced. a lot of mismatched parts and some re-engraved to look as if though they're matching. Personally, the way they're set up, I wouldn't mind buying one. I'm not a collector by any means. So depends, deeply, upon what you're looking for. </div></div>

+1!

If you are buying to shoot/customize/etc., then just know you may be paying too much for what you are actually getting.

If you are buying it to "collect" or for its value as a "collector's item"...FORGET IT!!

 

[ArcticLight]

Re: Mitchell's Mausers

Can ya post a pic of a Mitchell Mauser?

how's the scope on it? Pretty solid and accurate?

 

[BasraBoy]

Re: Mitchell's Mausers

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ORD</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dsparil</div><div class="ubbcode-body">nicely done but overpriced. a lot of mismatched parts and some re-engraved to look as if though they're matching. Personally, the way they're set up, I wouldn't mind buying one. I'm not a collector by any means. So depends, deeply, upon what you're looking for. </div></div>

+1!

If you are buying to shoot/customize/etc., then just know you may be paying too much for what you are actually getting.

If you are buying it to "collect" or for its value as a "collector's item"...FORGET IT!! </div></div>

+ another 1

Personally I wouldn't consider them. Heard too many bad things about them over the years.

 

[ArcticLight]

Re: Mitchell's Mausers

If I buy one it will be from Militech, a good BYF model.

Depends on the money right now, got a bit tied up in the market and I'm just making back what i lost the past month.

Plus I have a 98k so I may just build it myself and have my smith locally do the work...

 

[saleen]

Re: Mitchell's Mausers

They absolutely do re-stamp them, and I'd wager that the "rare" stamps such as SS runes and death heads that they charge a ransom for are forged. The re-stamped force.match serial numbers don't look right, and I suspect thY the bolts.are new as they are in the white, not blued. The stocks are usually HEAVILY.sanded and some show evidence of bleaching or chemical treatment.

Personally I think they take Russian Captures and ship them to a former block nation like Serbia where all the work is done by a contractor (read plausie deniability) .

Some are really nice.rifles, but they have zero collector.appeal. I'd suggest looking for a nice Czech post war gun, then replace.small parts like the large.trigger guard


Saleen

 

[Dsparil]

Re: Mitchell's Mausers

I'd personally ask for one of the $300 ones with a good clean bore and crown, hooded front sight, cleaning rod and the extended metal buttplate. Have it reblued like new with laminated wood stock and add a restored 8x Zeiss Zielacht scope to it and run some 200gr match prvi through it. It's prolly my next project after I get my OBR going.

 

[ArcticLight]

Re: Mitchell's Mausers

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: saleen</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I'd suggest looking for a nice Czech post war gun, then replace.small parts like the large.trigger guard

Saleen </div></div>


Big -5 has the Czech Russian captures for $379.
There is one more in town here....

That's what I am doing. I may take the new stock that Basraboy is sending and put it on mine - it's not a sanded it's a re-make, and then do the scope etc...

On the other hand my stock has personality. After I steam some dents and do some "Minor" cosmetics I hope it looks as nice as Basra's does..

 

[DP425]

Re: Mitchell's Mausers

Well good to know they are not as reputable as they advertise. Guess I'll be staying away from that. Too bad- the pictures they have up show some very attractive classic mausers.

 

[saleen]

Re: Mitchell's Mausers

Unfortunately the pictures are not representative of their lower priced ones.....
And I have a problem with their "Accident of history" advertising. They merely pimp shine a typical mixmaster RC and sell a story. They charge a premium and prey on uninformed would-be collectors who believe them because they run full page ads in every publication that will sell to them. This is true of their "rare snipers" too because they are simply made up using the same Ukranian kits on ebay.

On the plus side, you can modify them without worrying about destroying their originality because it comes pre-destroyed.

I bought one from them for that very reason years ago, but when I finally received an acceptable specimen after a few returns, I realized that I had nearly $900 in the rifle before factoring in the scope and installation. Way too much!

You won't regret going with a different source for the base rifle. Just be patient and wait for the right one to come along.


Saleen

 

[ArcticLight]

Re: Mitchell's Mausers

Good advice.

As ed said, you won't find a matching BYF sniper rifle out there - it's in a private collection. If you knew someone that had one, you'd be on that list to acquire it if/when he chose to sell it.

So when anyone has anything "Vintage authentic rare" - I click my back button.

There's a guy on e-bay in Frankfurt who DOES have the authentic scopes, they all come with the long slide rings on them - meaning if I go to a short sided rail it's going to show the ring marks hwne I take the rings off - not acceptable.


Not acceptable unless I can get JW3 to refurb it for me