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To Buy or Not to Buy? - Any opinions?

2K views 26 replies 10 participants last post by  enfield novice 
#1 ·
Checked Local Pawn Shop Today. As usual they truck out all the stuff they keep in the back to see if any take my fancy. This one did. It's being held for me if I want it but tempted as I was I don't know enough about the variants.
7.62 stamped on top yet and faint marks of ?? Barrel and receiver serial numbers match but 7.62x51 stamped on the barrel. Eagle present but looks fake to me. And a very strange looking Skull and bones under the stock that did not look right. Laminated stock not sanded all blue is very nice.The scope mount is really cool with a lever cam and dovetail. Scope is very nice and seems to be in great shape. I have an all matching 43 BCD and a 1916 Simpson Suhl GEW 98 but this one has me tempted and would value inputs and info Revolver Shotgun Trigger
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. Sale price to me…$150
 
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#2 ·
Boy I don't have a clue but I can't wait to see what information the more knowledgeable chime in with. I think you might have your 150 in the scope and mount alone.
 
#4 ·
Mmh sure no problem...its in Key West. No! oops sorry I meant Pensacola LOL. :laugh:Well so far no info forthcoming from the experts on here. Looks like a good hunting rifle and I don't hunt just target shoot.I like the cool scope and mount. It's a little out of my collecting focus but still a nice rifle. I have an Enfield 2A1 already so do have the ammo…….
 
#6 ·
Just looking on ebay the scope mount is worth that on it's own. So I am leaning towards getting it. I would love to know who did the conversion. By the way no import marks that I could see. I don't understand why the receiver top has been so well scrubbed but not the Eagle mark. Mind you that looks fake to me and yes that skull is so bogus it is funny. MM did not do any of these did they? The store did have one of those as well.
 
#7 ·
It looks like it could have originally been a Czech Vz24 with a scrubbed receiver. The rifle with the sum of the parts seems like it would be in the $4-500 range ($200 for the rifle, $300 for scope and base). The frankenberry carving on the wrist is priceless. $150 for a novelty like that is well worth it.
 
#11 ·
Thanks I followed the link. Lots of data. So this serial number has no Prefix, 4 numbers followed by Z4. The data in the link puts this as a brno and last in a sequence. All interesting stuff. So I think you are right. I am still wondering why the conversions to 7.62 and when it was done. And more importantly for safety reasons, who by?
 
#12 · (Edited)
There is little doubt that some of that is Bubba's work, but I suspect that there might be at least pieces of an Israeli Mauser of some sort underneath it.

The Israelis rebarrelled a whole lot of WWII Mausers from numerous sources into 7.62X51 and used them in combat up through at least the June, 1967 war. Many of those converted rifles ended up with a 7.62 stamped in the same place on the receiver ring as your rifle has it.

IMHO, it is worth MUCH MORE than $150 as a shooter, or even for parts. Despite all the Bubba faking, I would buy that rifle in a New York minute for that price.

The stock may or may not have been sanded, but it does have some god-awful not original shiny finish of some sort on it. I would strip that off, as a minimum.

I agree with the probable Czech origin of the action.

The trigger guard is NOT from a K98k. It (and the format of the (restamped) serial number on the barrel) makes me pretty sure the action is a Czech VZ24, which somewhere along the line got dropped into a K98k stock (it will fit).

That 'SS mark' on the stock is better known as a Frankenberry, and was made with a reproduction stamp that was initially intended to be used on the METAL to fake an SS provenance for the rifle. Those fake stamps are not all that hard to find. It is a little better looking than the run-of-the-mill fake Frankenberry, though.

The 'dirty bird' on the obviously replaced (since it is in 7.62 NATO) barrel is also from the faker's bogus stamp collection.

I am unsure if the Israelis stamped the receiver serial number on their replacement barrels (I am fairly sure they didn't), so that receiver serial is also probably a product of 'stamping Bubba'.

EDIT: I meant serial number on the barrel, not receiver. Unless that bubba has a truly impressive number of number stamps, I find it hard to believe that he was able to perfectly match the existing receiver serial number font. Perhaps he restamped them both.
 
#13 ·
Thanks Ron, Great info. The store was making no claims for the rifle (at least the guy I deal with was not) and the price reflected their uncertainty as to what it was as well, since it was less that half what they were asking for the other Mausers they had. Looking at the pictures i took, the font on the serial numbers on the barrel and receiver is identical. Once the Vz24 observation came up I did some looking and soon realized it was a K98 stock. I think Bubba got in pretty late on this one long after the scope was added and the stock changed. Looks like a very well cared for rifle. The dirty bird was throwing me a little and was an obvious fake since I did know that the Israelis and the Spanish had converted some and the last thing the Israelis would do would be to leave that symbol on there. So looks like it might be a fun one to add to the collection. Maybe find a nice Vz24 stock and figure out how to do a reverse bubba on the bird and on the frankenberry. Guess I need to head back to the store and tell them that if they can just lower the price on their "parts rifle" just a little bit more I will buy it.;)
 
#15 ·
I wouldn't bother putting it into a vz stock. The k98 stock is correct for an Israeli converted mauser. If you wanted to be totally correct you could put it into an Israeli stock without the takedown washers. Look on the bottom of the stock and see if it has 7.62 on it near the butt plate. Also, remember you would have to cut the vz stock to fit the scope base. Accept it for what it is and enjoy it.
 
#16 ·
Well I picked it up from the store this afternoon. Little wiggle room on the price. They backed into it and my invoice reads $146.23 plus 6% Tax = $8.77 plus the $5.00 call. Grand total out the door of $160.00. I am going to enjoy this I think.There was a post showed up in my email but don't see it on here from chas1784 that seemed skeptical of the price. When I look at the description on the receipt it answers a lot as to why it is priced less than the other 3 Mausers they had. (2 yugos and a Mitchell).. Quote" RIFLE, FIREARM N/A NONE #5983Z. 7.62X51, BOLT,WOOD RIFLE WITH SCOPE, OLDER 7.62X51 MILITARY RIFLE WITH LEATHER SLING" Nowhere do they mention Mauser. I have found that being respectful and friendly and sharing knowledge to some of the workers in the pawn shops I frequent has paid dividends and has given me the luxury in most cases of being able to take pictures then research and they will usually hold the gun in the back for me until I call. So the price stayed the same even when I told them what it was. Sad to say there is no 7.62 on the bottom of the stock that I can see so far. More pics to come later. Thanks to all of you who gave me some valuable data that enabled me to make an informed purchase.:thumbsup:
 
#17 ·
You lucky dog, and you were worried about paying too much, I mean, and in 7.62x51 nato as well, I mean, there are folks who only dream of having a repro sniper in that configuration much less and in .308 nato as well. I suppose it has a mint condition bore as well, etc, I mean, if drilled and tapped right with a mint bore, errrr, I mean, are you thinking you wished you had got it for twenty bucks less? I wish I could hop a free flight to Florida from the Oregon coast and do some shopping in yer neck of the woods with my c&r ffl, my local pawn shop would have put such a high price on it despite the fake skull marking that needs ground off that it would have sat there for a year or more, though I have got some good priced bubba'd or otherwise mitchells mausers with pristine bores for really reasonable prices, after they have exhausted their high prices for too long. I mean, I just paid $300 for a mitchells k98 with a flattened side of receiver never drilled and tapped that I believe was destined originally to be a sniper but didn't make the cut originally, but had to pay $300 for that mitchells mauser at a local shop.

Of course, it all depends on if the base was installed right, and not by bubba and a hand drill, with screws stuck in all angles like a snaggle tooth feller with falling out teeth.
 
#18 ·
Yes I was lucky on this one. You don't see much of anything for $150 although I have done really well with my purchases. Must confess that I also hesitated because it diverted me from my targeted Mauser, the one I really want..a G33/40. I have not seen one in the flesh yet though. By the way the Mitchells Mauser this store had was I think around the $330 mark asking price. Following the boards it is hard to tell regional pricing but I do see areas that seem to show up with cool Enfields and think Man I never see stuff like that around here. You see a fair amount of 308 as it is a good hog gun and is popular in Florida. You just have to hit the pawn shops at the right time. I missed a rifle just recently because just before a gun show, dealers come in and buy in bulk all the old stuff they have in the back. I have missed one because I decided to go home and research it, went back the following morning and it was gone. All part of the fun. I hit the same pawn shops almost every week so I think they made a fair profit from me and do it over and over rather than a one time rip me off approach.
The bore looks perfect and the scope mount is really well done. I will get some shots of it close up. I was more concerned about how legit the conversion was than anything else. I don't want a bubba conversion with a power drill and JB Weld. I don't stick scopes on my rifles as I don't want to mess them around being original and anyway I prefer iron sights and I am just a practice range plinker. I seem to do better without a scope. But since this is already fitted…Time to take it apart and see what I can find.
 
#19 ·
Well Now I bought it let's see what I have

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Started to take apart. Front Barrel band very snug so will save tear down till later. Photos so far show that this was really scrubbed. You can see the remains of a crest on the top of the receiver and also the remains of what seems to be the same serial number directly above the clear number. Have not run a patch down the barrel so a bit dusty still. All screw heads seem untouched. More to come perhaps there will be some clues under the wood.
 
#21 ·
From the remnants of the crest, it looks like it was originally a Lion Crested VZ24 (a pity, that. I REALLY like the lion crest).

the "circle Z" markings on the safety, the cocking piece, and (I believe) the bolt handle confirms the Czech origins for these parts as well.

Since the Israelis set their rifles up to be in K98k configuration, I do not find it all that surprising that your rifle ended up with a K98k rear sight base/handguard retainer.

The mostly scrubbed 'thing' above the serial number on the receiver appears to be the E(lion)XX prewar acceptance stamp for the Czech Army, where the XX is the year of acceptance.

I STILL think you done VERY good. I'm green with envy here.
 
#22 ·
Thanks Ron, I went searching that crest and what a shame it really is nice. I am intrigued as to what I will find under the wood line. I see that tiny 37 mark on the sight. I see no import marks as yet. Was there any company importing these and refinishing them? It looks like new with 100% blue.
 
#23 ·
This looks like someone put together a sniper from scratch. The 7.62 doesn't look like the Israelis did it. I'll bet it will be a tack driver.
 
#27 ·
Last set of pictures and some thoughts

Well I took down the rifle this evening. Pictures show what I found which was not much. Very well scrubbed. Following up on an earlier posters comment I looked closer at the markings above the serial number on the receiver. E3 "Lion" 33 or 35. The inletting for the scope is pretty old and seems to have been well executed. There seems to be little use of the rifle since it was refurbished. Looks like it was well cared for. I tried to get a closer look at the scope mount "crack" but the screws have been peened inside the receiver and smoothed down so that is not coming off without drilling out the screw. Definitely too good for Bubba. My gosh 3 screws and 2 steel pins!!! Bubba would have just used 2 screws to save all the drilling work. Looking at the 7.62 marking on the receiver it appears to have been smoothed down prior to re-blueing. Well this is all from me for this adventure. Thanks for the help guys. Wood Brown Hardwood Photograph Line
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