tim03b

Are 8mm Mausers good guns, and is the ammo for these guns relatively cheap?

driftrider

Well, that depends on the gun itself. The German Mauser 98K is, in general, and outstanding action. There are exceptions, of course, like the late war rifles made when quality materials were limited, skilled labor was harder to come by (especially since the somewhat short-sighted Nazis had killed off a sizable portion of the skilled labor pool in the death camps), and production demands were up as defeat loomed closer. But a pre-war or early war (early 1944 and earlier), provided it is in good shape, are usually outstanding rifles. I've seen Mausers that have ranged from NIB (which was a Yugoslavian M-48), to beat to heII. The biggest thing to look for if you plan to shoot the rifle as-is, after examining the condition of the action for obvious signs of abuse or neglect, is to check the muzzle (ensiring the rifle is unloaded, of course. Removing the bolt is the best bet). Look at the rifling over down the first few inches from the muzzle. If it's clean and doesn't appear worn or damaged, you might have a decent shooter. If the rifling is obviously worn or even missing, then the rifle probably won't shoot worth a crap unless you cut and recrown, or replace, the barrel. The muzzle wear is from soldiers cleaning the rifles from the muzzle with steel rods and no muzzle guides rather than removing the bolt and cleaning from the breach (which is the right way, but soldier's in combat tend not to take apart their weapons when contact is possible). If there is a gunsmith available on site, it's also a very good idea to have him measure throat erosion and make sure that the headspace is ok. He might have already done so, but it doesn't hurt to ask (and if he gets annoyed, and certainly if he refuses, you might want to reconsider buying a gun there at all).

As for the 8mm Mauser cartridge. It's a fine cartridge. The velocity numbers aren't that impressive by todays standards, but it'll kill everything on four legs (and two, for that matter) in N. America at reasonable ranges just fine, though I'd, personally, want more gun for the great bears.

Mike

driftrider

Double post.[:@]

Mike