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Thinking about buying this rifle

Clickjack

Active member
Mauser S/243 98K rifle made in 1936. It is a mostly matching rifle to include most of the bolt and several of the small parts. The stock is not matching but I believe it is correct for the time this rifle was produced. All of the imperial proof marks are present and clear and there is no import mark anywhere that I can see.

Advise? Value?
 

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Mauser S/243 98K rifle made in 1936. It is a mostly matching rifle to include most of the bolt and several of the small parts. The stock is not matching but I believe it is correct for the time this rifle was produced. All of the imperial proof marks are present and clear and there is no import mark anywhere that I can see.

Advise? Value?

Hi
Look´s like a nice rifle, but the laminated beech stock doesn't fit on a 1936 Borsigwalde rifle. It should have a walnut stock. The proof marks are Weimar style eagles, not imperial.
Regards
 
Hi
Look´s like a nice rifle, but the laminated beech stock doesn't fit on a 1936 Borsigwalde rifle. It should have a walnut stock. The proof marks are Weimar style eagles, not imperial.
Regards

He wants 800.
How much would finding a walnut stock run?

Why Weimar in 1936? I thought the Nazi were in control at that point?
 
He wants 800.
How much would finding a walnut stock run?

Why Weimar in 1936? I thought the Nazi were in control at that point?

They were in control but still holding on to the guise that they were not in full re-armament mode and didn't transition to the Nazi eagle until late 37' if memory serves. Also the time of going to laminate stocks. Finding a good walnut stock, "good" being the operative word. Is not always easy and finding a good price is about as fluent as finding a cheap price on beer, depends on where you look. My opinion (and I sell stocks) is they sell from $150 and up depending on condition. And 90% of what you will find is beat up, worked over stuff mostly from post war countries/use. it's a minefield that requires experience to spot a good one. I sold a nice 1936 eagle/211 stock last year for around $325 hipped. Norway capture stock with all matching pieces originally to itself. These have essentially dried up. Not many Norway used stocks left anywhere. I had 50+ of them, down to 2 now. Look up tagmil or tagmilone on ebay, he has some Norway used stocks and may have a walnut 211 but his prices are a bit higher than most.
 
He wants 800.
How much would finding a walnut stock run?

Why Weimar in 1936? I thought the Nazi were in control at that point?

Also, 800 is not bad if it has matching parts. It's what I sell mismatch shooters for and you can sell off the non matching stock to recoup possible costs of a walnut stock if you replace it.
 
A rather elusive mfg/date, rare if the condition were there. Its worth picking up even mismatched like this...

People argue when the Republic died, but arguably it was in 1933 with the enabling act, certainly by the time Hindenburg died in August 1934, - Hindenburg was the last possible escape from Hitler, as bleak as it was resting upon a senile man surrounded by opportunists, the Army was led by cowards or men affraid of the youth in the Officer Corps. The eagles are similar to Republican era eagles, but different in style, - they are not similar to Imperial eagles, other than the symbolic use of a eagle.

Typically, collectors call these early NS eagles ("nazi" another ignorant application of a label, authored by the leaders of the German resistance in exile, most of which were far left themselves, - like national socialists themselves... the far right foolishly collaborated with the national socialists during the crises that lead to the fall of the Republic, but they were radically different and had very different support among the populations, - the national socialists appealed to the disenfranchised youth, colleges young men in the military, and later the working class, not to the propertied class/aristocracy and middle class in general. Only in NS fervent nationalism, and to some in the far right who were antisemitic, was national socialism acceptable, and this primarily due to the hostility/fear the far right had to communism, which although both national socialism and totalitarian communism were near identical, the "nazis" at least allowed the facade of private property and didn't mass murder the propertied classes and middle class... that was the only real distinction between nazis and communist, in every other meaningful way people were property of the state with no inalienable rights, something this country is headlong on its way to experiencing) Weimar eagles, but they are "nazi" because Hitler's reign of terror began in 1933 and the last vestiges of the republic died with the enabling act (and the only honorable men to oppose it were the SPD, many of whom paid with their lives.. and I despise the SPD, but at that moment they stood up to Hitler and were the last to do so... though to be fair to the KPD/communists, they were excluded in the same fashion Spanish left/communists excluded deputies when they illegally seized power in Spain)
 
Also, 800 is not bad if it has matching parts. It's what I sell mismatch shooters for and you can sell off the non matching stock to recoup possible costs of a walnut stock if you replace it.

From the seller:
“bolt is all matching except for one part, the safety switch. The receiver is also all marching to the bolt except for one part, the bolt release.”

Also Stock is wrong & No cleaning rod.

Should I wait On a matching rifle or is this about as good as it gets for the price range? (I’d love an all matching Nazi era rifle but I figure if it’s shootable it’d be prohibitively expensive.)

How does a non-import, non-RC end up non-matching?
 
My guess? Someone made a hunting/sporting rifle out of it. Then someone brought it back to military configuration once their value came out of the basement years back. And your choice to wait or not. This is a pretty typical price for a m/m shooter and not an easy yr/code to find. And better to shoot than an all matching rifle as there is a lot less of a possible "hurt the value" experience.
 
If the bolt is truly matching (factory matching), I think $800 is a fair price, but much depends upon the sum of parts, - the quality of the matching bolt (as in is it factory or ordnance depot or humper matching); the trigger guard group being factory, the maker/date of the stock which can be determined with the right photographs.

All these can make or break a valuation of the rifle, whether it is a fair deal, good deal or great deal. If the rifles restoration was done with high quality parts and the bolt & TG are factory parts, then it could be a really good deal, especially if the stock is early and nice. I would probably risk it if I could confirm the bolt and TG, not too much downside, but if the parts are not factory it becomes an increasingly marginal deal.
 
..is this about as good as it gets for the price range? (I’d love an all matching Nazi era rifle but I figure if it’s shootable it’d be prohibitively expensive.)

How does a non-import, non-RC end up non-matching?

Those do exist. I'd previously told another new member 3 'matching' rifles were purchased recently in this price range. dot 43 and 44 (BobinOhio has the nicest IMHO) in our cases. byf 43 and 44 were also made in massive amounts and can be found in this range. Most everything else (and super mint) rifles are up, usually significantly up in price. Those 2 parts in particular break and were replaced, often after the rifle go to the US.

FWIW, Loewe's comments on the sum of the parts and the effects on value are spot on.
 
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I'll add this after looking at the stock in particular more closely on the computer. We like to see sharp crisp edges on any machine cuts (we can see the recoil lug closely) and they all look sharp with minor handling wear breaking the edges in certain areas. If the stock has crisp markings and the fittings match the stock then the value of that set is pretty substantial, especially if it's a more elusive maker.
 
I'll add this after looking at the stock in particular more closely on the computer. We like to see sharp crisp edges on any machine cuts (we can see the recoil lug closely) and they all look sharp with minor handling wear breaking the edges in certain areas. If the stock has crisp markings and the fittings match the stock then the value of that set is pretty substantial, especially if it's a more elusive maker.

It seems like a nice rifle. But I don’t know much.

I was also looking at a byf 43 but only A few parts are matching like receiver and stock along with sling loops and misc parts but the bolt is not and it has import marks... most damning to me, it’s been scrubbed if it’s German marks.
 
It seems like a nice rifle.

..the bolt is not and it has import marks... most damning to me, it’s been scrubbed if it’s German marks.

It does for $800. but further details will determine just how much. Or not so much. Maybe he's not super firm on price either. I'd look for more stock marks and anything else to get a better sense.

As for the second one you describe... hard pass.
 
These guys have given you an excellent assessment of this rifle as well as some valuable insight into the time period that this rifle was made. (Loewe as always is able to put the context into focus for any individual rifle, and after all the context makes it all the more interesting!)

I would be intrigued by this rifle if for no other reason than I don’t see many of these around at all. So, as Loewe said, assess the rest of the parts on the rifle to determine originality. If it’s all matching or mostly matching (and NOT FAKED) I think 800 is a good price. If you can get more pictures of the other markings from all over it, post them up and you’ll get your answers! Good luck!! :)


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Oh and as to the other rifle you mentioned, run away!!


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should my rifle have a hooded site or is this from before they added that? I looked up s/243 and saw others with a hooded front site.
 
Oh and as to the other rifle you mentioned, run away!!


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Oh I did.

Where is the for sale / Want to buy Section. I want a matching shooter in good shape from the war years. This seems like the perfect forum to look for that. But there doesn’t seem to be any place to post
 
Oh I did.

Where is the for sale / Want to buy Section. I want a matching shooter in good shape from the war years. This seems like the perfect forum to look for that. But there doesn’t seem to be any place to post

Forum trader further below on the main page.
 

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