I have found a Turkish Mauser at a local pawn shop that appears to be in good shape (nice wood) and have thought of getting it for some future custom job. It's listed as an 8mm, is stamped on the receiver as 1936 along with a whole bunch of Arabic writing, and is selling for $169. Is this a decent action and is the price reasonable? Thanks for any info.

Bit spendy, ain't it? I got mine at Big Five for 50 bucks.

I am also interested in using the action on a custom project. Suggestions?

It also sounds like its a model 93 not a 98.

As others have said, that is way too much. The Turk mausers were made in several configurations, some were the mdl 93 small ring, and others a mdl 98, but threaded for the smaller barrel stub of the small ring action.

They generally are not a good choice for a custom gun unless you get them really cheap, and do the work yourself. The VZ-24 check mausers are a much better option for a starting point, if you can find one in good shape.

That all said, unless you really must have a true mauser based rifle, a used modern rifle will be a less exspensive starting point after you add up the cost of making a military mauser action capable of holding a scope, and with a decent trigger.

Do a search on this forum for the mauser, and custom mauser, and you will find some wonderful information on what is involved in making one, and what the costs are.

Here is a .308 win I built using a vz24 action.









It cost me less than $200 because of some horse trading. It has a shilen #2 barrel cut to 21". I am building another just like it in .30-06 but with a 24" Shilen #1 barrel and PME three position safety. Total cost on that is still under $400.

Thanks to all for steering me straight.

Ditto to what was mentioned above. When I had my Fn '98 customized I also discussed the Turks with my smith, as I have a couple nice ones sitting around. He screwed up his face and said I would be better off putting my money down a rathole. He has done a few at customers' insistence, but really doesn't think much of them as a custom base.

And, yes, the price is way too high. I got mine for $39 about two years ago.

Z1R,

That's a nice looking rifle! Especially for $200! How's it shoot?

My guess is that it is a 1903 Turkish Mauser and will be laser marked as such on the muzzle, along with the importer, CAI.

They were for sale 4 for $100 delivered to C&Rs, with right of refusal. That is guys were getting them for $25 each and sending them back if they didn't like them. That was 3 or 4 years ago, and I did not have a C&R license, and I bought 20 of them for $50 on sale at BIG5.

They are really good guns.
Not easy to sell one at a gun show after the market has been so saturated with them, but really good guns just the same.

Here is one I turned into a 45 acp:





The three in the middle of this picture are 1903 Turks. They can be distinguished from 1938 Turks but the round cut out in the back of the large ring to allow stripper clips to be used in the slightly short action.
picture of Mausers

If that rifle has a shiny bore with sharp rifling, that is a good price. The chance of that is about 3%, based on my samplings of 1903 Turks.

If there is a better gun out there, it is a VZ24.
http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Czech_VZ24_8mm_Mauser_Package.html

--
A society that teaches evolution as fact will breed a generation of atheists that will destroy the society. It is Darwinian.

Thanks Zach!

It shoots well enough. I only have five aimed rounds through it, all I had time for after the last silhouette match. It put all five into about an inch at 100 yds. Recoil was pretty negligable for a 7.5 lb rifle.