Hello All

I have posted this to warn others about this fraudulent seller on Gun Broker.

here is the original listing ... https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1034173843

A thoughtful wife bought this rifle for her husband as a Valentine's Day gift. But, she didn't know that you can't trust a seller on Gunbroker with an A+(585) rating. She didn't know to check the feedback to see that the seller had over 35 Negatives. (5 Negatives in the last 3 weeks) She didn't now that when the seller says MAGNUM in 3 places in the listing that he may be lying.

Even though many of us know guns, and that we know that Mauser did make Model A Magnum action rifles, we can't see in pictures the 5/15" difference in length between a Standard length action, and a Magnum length action. We look to the description.

After the sale, I had a chance to review the rifle in hand ... Here is what I found along with observations that were confirmed from Axel E., a World Renowned Expert on Mauser rifles.

This is a real type A Mauser Commercial rifle, built 1930 – 31 for retail by Manton, Calcutta. But, it is NOT a rare Oberndorf “Magnum” action rifle. It is a 10.75x68 rifle on a common standard length action.

In addition, the rifle was severely altered, which was not disclosed by the seller. Alterations that have totally destroyed its collector value. These include:

The rear receiver bridge was ground down, removing the clip guide ears, the front and rear receiver were drilled and tapped for a scope mount base. The bolt handle is a new low profile handle welded on in place of the original, and a low profile Buehler safety was installed to clear a scope.

These mutilations have totally destroyed collector value, even though it was a rare model A Mauser in 10.75x68 caliber. Original Mauser, Oberndorf Commercial rifles in 10.75x68 caliber are rare since most of them are of the B type. Only about 15% of the small number of these rifles are type A. But with the alterations, and its not being a rare Magnum, the value is only about HALF of what the lady paid.

As I said, the lady buyer didn't know about rifles, and she bought it as a gift for her husband, and went by the description. Only later was it found NOT to be a Magnum. We can't fault her for believing the seller, and trying to surprise her husband with a special gift.

The husband has now filed a complaint with the Credit Card Co. and received a temporary charge-back, but it will be months before all the back-and-forth arguments are settled, because the seller has stated that the listing says that he doesn't accept returns, and the buyer should have relied on the pictures.

The husband hasn't pushed the issue and told her that she was defrauded, because after all it was a Valentine's Day Present and she meant well. But unfortunately she got taken by a crooked dealer. Lets just hope it all gets settled, and the rifle gets sent back to the dealer, so he can try to stick it to someone else.

Beware this seller - page through and read all his Negatives.

.

What a shame!! Thanks for the heads up.

How do you find his reviews on Gun Brooker?

Where is he? I'll go knock on his door for a "visit".

quote:

Originally posted by stu70:
How do you find his reviews on Gun Brooker?

you need to log in and click on his A(587) rating.

They are located in New York.

Hi, Helmut...i had the same questions you explored re the 10.75 Mauser....this a true fraudulent scam by the seller.. who is allegedly one of G.B.'s "top sellers"...hopefully, the buyer has reported scam to G.B....regards, John

Hello John,

I can't believe Gun Broker keeps his account active with all the Negatives he has received. As he did with me, his negative feedback comments show that he ignores emails and phone calls and text messages. I looked up Gun Broker's buyer protection and it will pay up to $400 ... which is a joke on a $5640 transaction.

According to Speed the original Oberndorf Sporter Magnum Mausers were only ever offered in 404, 9.3x64, 8x75, 8x68, and 280 Ross, with the 404 and 280 Ross offered in Type A configuration only.
So the 10.75x68, as it came from Mauser, was only ever going to be on a standard length action.

My own Oberndorf Mauser 404, s.n. 109624 so same year range as the Gunbroker Mauser, started life as a 10.75x68 in the Type A Pattern #1 configuration which at some stage over in Rhodesia back in the 70's was refurbished and opened up for the 404 Jeffery cartridge.

The best thing to do with the Gunbroker Mauser now IMO is to complete the process and open it up for the more effective and useful 404 Jeffery cartridge.
I don't know why the rear receiver bridge was ground down, the worst butchery done on the gun, as scope bases are available to fit the rear receiver of Mauser 98's without the need to touch the rear receiver other than drilling and tapping. Have installed many of these myself on other military Mausers.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm hoping that she just gets her money back.

Right; don't do anything to it; the wife was just trying to be nice and is clearly not a collector.
Don't give up; he owes a full refund. I know, look at the pictures; all the description is on them and if you don't know what you are looking at, it's on you. I have read that on GB before. But in this case, he is a crook.
What can we do to help? He is too far away for me to visit him.

quote:

Originally posted by buckstix:
Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm hoping that she just gets her money back.

Probably should clarify my suggestion to go the whole hog and open the gun up for the 404 Jeffery, this was just a generalization in terms of the gun itself.
I do agree that the 'thoughtful wife' should get her money back. The gun is not a genuine magnum Mauser nor a collector's piece as such.

Go to GB, click on one of his other items for sale, click contact seller and let him know how you feel about this sale. Maybe it will help.

the purchaser's husband has emailed, and called and left messages, and sent texts, with no reply. ... they just ignore all. Maybe the charge-back wakes them up.

You'd think Gunbroker wouldn't put up with this kind of gross misrepresentation by a seller.

I hate to see anyone fooled and defrauded like this.

Thanks for posting.

It not being a magnum, while advertised as a magnum, is reason enough for me that a return should be allowed.

But, just so we know all of the relationships....

You've sold to 'her' before.
And, you also bid on this fraudulent Mauser.

Did you happen to help 'her' in finding this gift for her husband?

quote:

A thoughtful wife bought this rifle for her husband as a Valentine's Day gift.

My wife has asked to buy me a firearm several times.

I have always told her no.

She is a great wife but knows nothing besides how to pull the trigger and hit what she is shooting at. About firearms.

quote:

Originally posted by Stokes: Did you happen to help 'her' in finding this gift for her husband?

Hello, no.

She saw that her husband bid $100 early and thought he wanted it. So when he was out of town during the ending hours of the auction, she bid to buy it for him as a Valentine's gift. What she didn't know was that the husband only "tagged" it with an early bid to see how high it would go, because he new it was a junked gun.

Sad story, looks like she tried though and credit due her for that. Hopefully some good comes out of this.

Hope she used a CITI card and not
from Capitol One.

George

WELL ... LOOKS LIKE THEIR ACCOUNT WAS SUSPENDED BY GUNBROKER .... ITS ABOUT TIME !

UPDATE .... THE SUSPENSION WAS SHORT LIVED .... 4 HOURS LATER HE'S BACK IN BUSINESS ... GUN BROKER PUT HIM BACK IN BUSINESS .... THEY MUST HAVE LIKED THE FEES THEY WERE COLLECTING .... ? ? ?

With the changes made, it was a pretty nice "using gun" if priced right, but a shame as a collector at any price..

Well, the fraudulent seller just got another NEGATIVE from a guy that paid about $3,500 for a Luger that was faked.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1042425415

But the fraudulent seller is still selling on Gunbroker. Gunbroker has done nothing to stop him.

WELL ... FINALLY ... AFTER OVER 45 NEGATIVES ........ GUNBROKER HAS SUSPENDED HIS ACCOUNT ................ HOPEFULLY FOR GOOD ...

AR is one of about 5 places and its associated people I would ever buy a old/custom gun in the world and not have a single concern.

After 26 years on GunBroker without a problem, I finally ran in to a shit seller that had 5,000+ reviews. Customer service at GB was more than useless. GB CS rep called me and called the seller, then considered the matter resolved. Even though I presented physical evidence of fraud, GB won't shut the seller down.
It's in the hands of the ATF and prosecuting attorney's office now.

How does ATF get involved?

Just checked the GB link above and got this:

Clauss-FCR A(610)
No longer a registered user

Seems like his run is indeed over.

Well, he's back ... using a different seller name ... he was Clauss-FCR but now is WorldClassCollections .... but same 43 negative feedbacks. and in his first 4 sales under a new name, he has another negative - that's 1 for 4 .... that suspension was short lived. So much for GunBroker keeping their site free of such bad sellers ... https://www.gunbroker.com/a/feedback/profile/4892790

* 9/25 UPDATE * Well now he has moved to Guns International and selling under the name World Class Collections - unfortunately they don't have feedback on Guns International to keep track of his dealings. https://www.gunsinternational....lasscollections-.cfm Some items are cross-listed on Gun Broker - wonder how that works for the bidders on Gun Broker (see his last negative there) 2587

Unreal? Austrian Magic? Finest? Ultimate? A one in a lifetime?

buckstix: He must be some troll or it is some kind of a sick joke, isn't it?

Jiri