Unfortunately, I own a Mauser from Mitchell

[JungChomsky]

Maybe I should’ve been more clear and I apologize for that: I didn’t mean “were they made during the occupation on German equipment?” Rather, “were they made on German equipment at all, in this case after the war?”

It’s looking like it was Yugo tooling not sourced from Germany. Got it.

No worries, I fired off my comment from the hip without thinking. I have seen nothing to indicate that the tooling used to build the M48s was anything other than Yugoslavian. Kind of a pet peeve of mine how often I hear that M24/47s and M48s were "based on the k98k"

 

[tsmgguy]

Late to the party but this looks like a factory fresh Yugo M48B with matching serial numbers and no problems. You're lucky to have it!

These were very well maintained while in storage. The Yugos knew that preservative grease is hydroscopic, in that it attracts and holds moisture from the air that eventually starts to eat away at the gun. These guns were cleaned, inspected, and pickled again every ten years or so while in government storage. Mitchell's cleaned off most of the exterior grease, but I recommend that you disassemble the bolt and get the grease out of there as well. Heavy grease in the bolt can really slow down the firing pin, making the rifle unreliable at the range. Light machine oil is appropriate for the firing pin.

You'll know your M48 is functioning well when it'll reliably fire surplus Yugo 8mm from the 1950's thru 70's, which is notorious for its hard primers. This stuff used to be widely available. It's corrosive, so clean well after firing. It's really well made, full power ammo.

150 Round Pack - 8mm Mauser 196 Grain FMJ Yugo 1950s M49 Spec Brass Case Corrosive Primed Surplus Ammo | SGAmmo.com

150 rounds, packed in 10x15 round boxes, of 8mm Mauser 196 grain Yugo 1950s Surplus ammo. This is clean looking brass case ammo with a non-magnetic FMJ bullet. Some of the is ammo may be on stripper clips, some may not, special selection not available. This is 1950s vintage ammo with a corrosive...

www.sgammo.com

 

[Remfan]

Might as well shoot it and enjoy. Beats pulling the trigger on an all matching 98k and having the stock crack or worse. Just my opinion.

 

[lovemauseractions]

Nothing unfortunate about owning a Mitchell Mauser so long as you did not over pay. When Mitchell's was charging $499 for you could get an unissued M48B for $149 to $199 from other distributers. Sure you did not get accessiors and fake certificate but that stuff matters to few at the end of the day.

More importantly you could get what was essentialy a new post war Mauser to make into a custom rifle for far less than purchasing a commerical action from anyone else and it essentialy has no collector value. You could shoot it as is and have a rifle on par with a $1200 Winchester or use it for a custom build.

The M48A and B are fantastic rifles as is or for a very nice custom build.

Back int he day you could also get NOS Yugo 8x57 barrels for $25 to $35 each in the white. I am getting ready to put one on a shot out, rode hard VZ24.

If you wanted to get milled bottom metal for the you M48A that was really a B those where cheap and widely available too.

So no matter what you do keep it stock or use it for project build absolutely nothing wrong with the M48 even if sold by Mitchell's other than they price gouged compared to the rest of the market when those hit the market origanaly.

Like a good many things in this world it is about perspective more than anything else.

The best rifles have forged recievers and bolts everything else no matter how good the groups on paper are just cost cuting ecconomy rifles sold at a premium. Peter and Paul Mauser change the bolt action rifle world forever! I wish I had bought 3 or 4 M48A/B rifles instead of just one whent hey they where $148 to $199!!!

 

[Dannygator]

Most of these are great refurbished guns !!! I bought mine about 20 years ago.Its dead nuts accurate at 300 yards.I think I could go 500 but can't see that far..lol Mitchell's actually got in trouble for stamping fake Swastikas on them because it doubled the value.The ones without were around 300 dollars..and they had some scarce ones with swastikas they were selling for almost 700.They got greedy.Aside from that they are great rifles !!!!

 

[Muncher 1953]

Most of these are great refurbished guns !!! I bought mine about 20 years ago.Its dead nuts accurate at 300 yards.I think I could go 500 but can't see that far..lol Mitchell's actually got in trouble for stamping fake Swastikas on them because it doubled the value.The ones without were around 300 dollars..and they had some scarce ones with swastikas they were selling for almost 700.They got greedy.Aside from that they are great rifles !!!!

but they ruined the collectibility of them by refinishing them & restamping numbers, then issuing a worthless cert of authenticity. you’ll find few mitchell’s fans here. if they’d only imported & resold them, their name wouldn’t be a dirty word among collectors!

 

[lovemauseractions]

What Mausers did they ever sell that had any shred of collectability. Just because something is a Mauser and is old does not automaticly make it anything of collectable significance! You mentality is like sellers on Ebay that think just because something is old it must be rare or worth a lot of money! The beauty of the M48A and M48B especially is that they have no real collector value but could be had in NOS Unissued condition for not a lot of money. I got my M48B unissued condition from Dunhams SPorting Goods for $149 + tax. So Mitchells managed to remove the $149 of value from it?

You know you have to choose to be offended, outraged, upset, bitter, etc..... Mitchells Mausers was not taking highly collectable rare rifles and removing value from them. In many cases I do not think they did anything outside of clean the cosmoline off and package up the rifles with nice acc.'s and over charge people.

More American soldiers at the end of WWII destroyed collector values of more rifles than Mitchels Mausers likely ever sold! Should we be upset with long dead soldiers for destroying collector value? What about the 1,000's of Gunsmiths around the world that used post war surplus Mauser's to build hundreds of thousands of sporterized rifles? They are all long gone by now too! Should we spew nonsensical hate on them as well? It was our grandfathers that where doing duffle cuts and making soldiers toss bolts in one pile and rifles in another pile. It was our hero's that where cherry picking trophys that they then treated like dog dirt once home in the USA.

Can you touch anything really better today for $500? You essentialy have a rifle on par with a Winchester Model 70. Shoot it and enjoy it. I put all milled metal on mine, Put a different barrel on it and restocked it. Do note I kept the original barrel, wood, and hardware so that I can put it back to stock or the next person to own it can put it back to stock! The 3 holes for the scope base can easily be filled. It has ZERO collector value as a M48B. In 1998 a WInchester Model 70 Super Grade in 338 Win Mag cost me $475 +tax at Gander Mountain. My oldest son was born just a few days after I purchased that rifle. IF Mitchell's Mausers was selling unissued M48A/B rifles around that time for $499 cleaned with NOS acc.'s and bayonet etc....You where easily getting something on par with a Model 70 when you take into account the full length stock, handguard, fantastic iron sights, steel but plate, oiler, cleaning kit, cleaning rod, leather ammo pouches, NOS bayonet, frog, scabard. At the time you could go to Numrich Gun Parts and for less than $50 I got milled bottom metal and all the milled parts to replace the stamped parts. There where companies that made the Scout Rifle Scope mount that would go on the rear iron site location that required no modifications to the rifle.

 

[Muncher 1953]

What Mausers did they ever sell that had any shred of collectability. Just because something is a Mauser and is old does not automaticly make it anything of collectable significance! You mentality is like sellers on Ebay that think just because something is old it must be rare or worth a lot of money! The beauty of the M48A and M48B especially is that they have no real collector value but could be had in NOS Unissued condition for not a lot of money. I got my M48B unissued condition from Dunhams SPorting Goods for $149 + tax. So Mitchells managed to remove the $149 of value from it?

You know you have to choose to be offended, outraged, upset, bitter, etc..... Mitchells Mausers was not taking highly collectable rare rifles and removing value from them. In many cases I do not think they did anything outside of clean the cosmoline off and package up the rifles with nice acc.'s and over charge people.

More American soldiers at the end of WWII destroyed collector values of more rifles than Mitchels Mausers likely ever sold! Should we be upset with long dead soldiers for destroying collector value? What about the 1,000's of Gunsmiths around the world that used post war surplus Mauser's to build hundreds of thousands of sporterized rifles? They are all long gone by now too! Should we spew nonsensical hate on them as well? It was our grandfathers that where doing duffle cuts and making soldiers toss bolts in one pile and rifles in another pile. It was our hero's that where cherry picking trophys that they then treated like dog dirt once home in the USA.

Can you touch anything really better today for $500? You essentialy have a rifle on par with a Winchester Model 70. Shoot it and enjoy it. I put all milled metal on mine, Put a different barrel on it and restocked it. Do note I kept the original barrel, wood, and hardware so that I can put it back to stock or the next person to own it can put it back to stock! The 3 holes for the scope base can easily be filled. It has ZERO collector value as a M48B. In 1998 a WInchester Model 70 Super Grade in 338 Win Mag cost me $475 +tax at Gander Mountain. My oldest son was born just a few days after I purchased that rifle. IF Mitchell's Mausers was selling unissued M48A/B rifles around that time for $499 cleaned with NOS acc.'s and bayonet etc....You where easily getting something on par with a Model 70 when you take into account the full length stock, handguard, fantastic iron sights, steel but plate, oiler, cleaning kit, cleaning rod, leather ammo pouches, NOS bayonet, frog, scabard. At the time you could go to Numrich Gun Parts and for less than $50 I got milled bottom metal and all the milled parts to replace the stamped parts. There where companies that made the Scout Rifle Scope mount that would go on the rear iron site location that required no modifications to the rifle.

you must be a family member!

 

[luftpirate]

What Mausers did they ever sell that had any shred of collectability. Just because something is a Mauser and is old does not automaticly make it anything of collectable significance! You mentality is like sellers on Ebay that think just because something is old it must be rare or worth a lot of money! The beauty of the M48A and M48B especially is that they have no real collector value but could be had in NOS Unissued condition for not a lot of money. I got my M48B unissued condition from Dunhams SPorting Goods for $149 + tax. So Mitchells managed to remove the $149 of value from it?

You know you have to choose to be offended, outraged, upset, bitter, etc..... Mitchells Mausers was not taking highly collectable rare rifles and removing value from them. In many cases I do not think they did anything outside of clean the cosmoline off and package up the rifles with nice acc.'s and over charge people.

More American soldiers at the end of WWII destroyed collector values of more rifles than Mitchels Mausers likely ever sold! Should we be upset with long dead soldiers for destroying collector value? What about the 1,000's of Gunsmiths around the world that used post war surplus Mauser's to build hundreds of thousands of sporterized rifles? They are all long gone by now too! Should we spew nonsensical hate on them as well? It was our grandfathers that where doing duffle cuts and making soldiers toss bolts in one pile and rifles in another pile. It was our hero's that where cherry picking trophys that they then treated like dog dirt once home in the USA.

Can you touch anything really better today for $500? You essentialy have a rifle on par with a Winchester Model 70. Shoot it and enjoy it. I put all milled metal on mine, Put a different barrel on it and restocked it. Do note I kept the original barrel, wood, and hardware so that I can put it back to stock or the next person to own it can put it back to stock! The 3 holes for the scope base can easily be filled. It has ZERO collector value as a M48B. In 1998 a WInchester Model 70 Super Grade in 338 Win Mag cost me $475 +tax at Gander Mountain. My oldest son was born just a few days after I purchased that rifle. IF Mitchell's Mausers was selling unissued M48A/B rifles around that time for $499 cleaned with NOS acc.'s and bayonet etc....You where easily getting something on par with a Model 70 when you take into account the full length stock, handguard, fantastic iron sights, steel but plate, oiler, cleaning kit, cleaning rod, leather ammo pouches, NOS bayonet, frog, scabard. At the time you could go to Numrich Gun Parts and for less than $50 I got milled bottom metal and all the milled parts to replace the stamped parts. There where companies that made the Scout Rifle Scope mount that would go on the rear iron site location that required no modifications to the rifle.