Rescuing a sporterized Kar98b?

[AN-94]

I was able to confirm that the action drops right into the stock but there is something interesting that did catch my eye and led me to an interesting hypothesis: The slight cut for the bent bolt is original and that there are in fact 2 styles of relief for the bent bolt on Kar98b stocks. The area for the bolt handle on the old style stock resembles the Gewehr 98 with the wider flat on top. However, due to the width of the flat, it would interfere with the turning down of the bolt handle so a direct cut is made through the flat to give the bent bolt enough clearance to be turned down (Jory's b block also has this cut). The later style would simply decrease the width of this flat and this style is carried over into the K98k. Just another evolutionary step from the Kar98b that found its way on the K98k.

 

[Cyrano4747]

If you can get it down in the $500 range, due to the matching metal work I would pick it up.

Being as rare as it is. . . . Some guys might say more.

I'd be tempted to just plunk down the $800. It wouldn't be a steal, and it might be slightly over paying right now, but it won't be over-paying in 5 years and that's the kind of gun that you can go a LONG time between seeing ones in anything like acceptable condition. And for a gun like that yeah, I'm including good metal and buggered wood as "acceptable."

I can't count the number of times I've passed on a gun because it was just slightly over what I thought it was worth, only to be hunting the same gun years later at way more than I would have paid for the one I passed up.

edit: at the end of the day $300 isn't that much in this hobby.