A friend of mine asked me if it is right to drill this old Mauser to mount a scope. I'm no Mauser guy so I thought I'd post pictures. Very nice old Sporter, stock is really laid out nice, has bone or horn buttplate and grip cap.
Any comments on value, history or whether or not to mount a scope are appreciated. Top of the receiver is stamped "b c d".
Receiver and bottom metal are matching numbers, bolt and cocking piece numbers match each other but not matched to receiver.
If drilling the receiver is not recommended what other scope mount options are there.?
Thanks.

Like you I'm no Mauser expert.

But at my age no scope means the rifle won't be shot. Unless it has some great collector value I would look to drilling it.

There are some non drill mounts out there. I have never used one. Here is an example.
http://www.brownells.com/optic...ounts-prod12461.aspx

Nice old custom Mauser with military action and barrel but without any matching numbered action so IMO no reason why not mount a scope if needed.

WWII K98k "cigarette rifle" or a sportered bringback. No collector value. If accurate, D&T for some Talley mounts and find a vintage Weaver K4 steel tube scope to look period. Make sure the rear hole for the front base is drilled ahead of the lug seat! Also, remove the rear sight base and military front sight (if present). Have a 'smith fabricate a simple ramp front base and solder on, along with a rear tangent sight base from a 1909 Argentine carbine modified and soldered on also. That will make it look like a pre-WWI Mauser. A front sight band from a 1909 Argentine carbine can also be soldered on upside down at the barrel step. Then re-contour and fit with a sling loop. That will disguise the step in the barrel. Remove the existing loop of course.

Are the numbers matching? That looks like a really nice 1944 K98k Gustloff Werke Mauser.

Just re-read the post and see the bolt does not match the receiver.

WW2 bcd 44; Gustloff; common and already butchered; drill it all you want.
Get rid of the original rear sight and base; looks like hell on a sporter.
You will need to weld on a low bolt handle unless you use a very high mount. Again; don't matter on this one. BTW, these bcd 44s are usually case hardened very hard.

That looks better than the very few Mitchell Mauser RC rifles I've seen. Is there any history with the rifle?

My advice is it is so near milspec is put it back into a military stock and either keep it or sell it and get a sported already drilled, tapped, bolt bent etc.

And sell the stock separately. This rifle may be worth more as amilspec plus the sporting stock sold off than as it is presently.

OK bolt nos don't match but it can be restamped surely....

Drill and tap it for a scope if you want it is your rifle.

What is it's current value as is?

I usually recommend restoring military rifles to their original configuration, but bcd44s with mismatched bolts are common. Restamping the bolt will not enhance it's value and I can tell....
Having said that, if it was restored it would be worth more than it is now. I have un-numbered stocks and bands saved for just such cases, but the bolt needs to be matching unless it is a rare 98k.

Thanks for the replies everyone.
I will tell my buddy to have it drilled and have the bolt worked over if he wants to scope it.
No history on the rifle, he picked it up several years back in a private party deal through local classified ads..

Interesting analysis there. Except that the chequering looks a bit square I would have thought it had some pretensions.

If it is to have a scope, yes, the Weaver suggestion does give some "bring-back" feel. Alternatively you could look on a certain Internet marketplace for a post-war Zeiss/Hensoldt or Nickel scope, which could complement the old-German look of the stock.

Mounting it might be an adventure but the bits can eventually be bought s/h on line, too, saving you the Recknagel impoverishment. Get a gunsmith to solder claw-mount bases on (properly, so the reticle stays centred) and you might even avoid drilling the action.

Restore it, but you need to be up on to speed K98ks to gather the correct parts as in time frame/manufacture/subcontractor componants for that late war Gustloff werke 1944 rifle to be as correct as possible.

quote:

Originally posted by D Humbarger:
Restore it, but you need to be up on to speed K98ks to gather the correct parts as in time frame/manufacture/subcontractor componants for that late war Gustloff werke 1944 rifle to be as correct as possible.

If restored properly what would it's value be?
The bolt and shroud numbers match each other but do not match the action and bottom metal numbers which also do match each other.

I have all the correct parts and stock to restore your bcd44, but the bolt will still be mismatched, which is a killer for a WW2 collector, and bcd44s are not rare by any means. You will pay $500 for all the new parts, and then have a rifle worth $500 when you are done. OTOH, it is not worth that much as it sits.