It was missing the upper handguard and cleaning rod. They had the K98K priced at $300 which I thought was high because the front of the stock was loose and sliding around, at the time I had no idea what this was, but of course this was a 'duffle cut'. I fondled both, having never played with a bolt gun I had no idea what I was doing, but I wanted a German made used in WWII. They pulled out a numbers match 1940 K98K that needed some work and a 1950's era Mosin that was beautiful. Went to the lgs and asked if they had any. I wanted a bolt action bad narrowed it between the Mauser and Mosin. This is a pitfall that can trip up someone looking for a base to build from as the difference cannot be judged just by looking.Įither way, back to my question: Whatre you buying it for? Yugos are good quality but are a little more of a pain to build as their dimensions are shorter than a true '98. The best for builds always were the Turks or Czechs because they tended to follow the original '98 design pretty closely (meaning aftermarket parts would fit both) and were often more cost effective. The best all around Mausers I have ever seen are ones that were manufactured in Germany for foreign markets or ones made in Sweden (basically any that were factory chambered in 6.5mm). Plus, they have the nifty little eagle proofmarks. Most of them were actually used and used hard. The real thing people covet about the German Mausers is the history. Any made towards the end of the second world war and some made in specific locations have some serious quality control issues due to expedient manufacture or slave labor or both. Do you want a base for a build? Do you want a collector piece? Do you want an old shooter to drag along with your Mosin? Etc.Īs far as German Mausers go, some are actually of lesser quality. The answer to the question of what Mauser is "best" is relative to your reason for purchasing it. There are soooooooo many variants even within the different countries of origin that its impossible to address all the facets of this subject with just a one liner. Mausers are a subject you could sit here discussing until the end of time.