Another Garage Sale find: FN Mauser

[cellar701]

I can't let Dave have all the fun at garage sales...

I picked this one up through a garage sale transaction a few months back. Kind of unusual based on model, condition and lack of import markings. It's 7x57 with crest for Venezuela contract. I haven't cleaned it, and haven't looked in bore other than to see it's still coated with cosmoline... I'll let you judge the exterior condition.

Any Mauser fans out there?

It was made pre- WWII, probably early 1930's.

 

[HerrMesser]

I collect mausers but haven't run across any SA ones. That is a nice one .

I belong to another forum and they post a mystery gun daily and today's is the Venezuela Model 24/30 which is what yours is.

Rad

 

[cellar701]

Since you collect them you may appreciate this: I also saw a very nice 71/84 Mauser at a local shop this past week - I hadn't seen one of those for sale in many moons. Different types of Mausers pop up every once in a while. There are so many variations of the great rifle...

 

[Heliman]

Nice! So what is the value of these....... a friend has one that is very minty and has not a clue as to value.

Dave

 

[cellar701]

Ah, I knew Dave would show up when we talked about Garage Sales!

I honestly don't know proper value. I've seen listings where "minty" ones sold for $1200, and listings where pretty nice ones with some non-matching (numbered) components sold for $700. My guess at a proper value is in the $850 to $900 range, but that is strictly a guess by someone who is not a Mauser collector. The one shown on this thread is pristine except for some armory/handling marks on the wood.

The Venezuela contract Mausers appear to be less common than other variations.

Perhaps HerrMesser will come back and give us his opinion on value of these old Mausers!

 

[Heliman]

Ah, I knew Dave would show up when we talked about Garage Sales!

I honestly don't know proper value. I've seen listings where "minty" ones sold for $1200, and listings where pretty nice ones with some non-matching (numbered) components sold for $700. My guess at a proper value is in the $850 to $900 range, but that is strictly a guess by someone who is not a Mauser collector. The one shown on this thread is pristine except for some armory/handling marks on the wood.

The Venezuela contract Mausers appear to be less common than other variations.

Perhaps HerrMesser will come back and give us his opinion on value of these old Mausers!

Well, I DID go garage saling today, but found nothing...... I guess you can't expect to strike gold too often, but a good catch now and again keeps you interested!

Dave

 

[44-357]

very nice great old guns.

 

[ajw65]

Sweet. We never get guns showing up at yard sales in California.

One time, however, my wife bought a box of old purses at a yard sale, and one of them contained some unfamiliar green vegetation. We asked our college age neighbor what it was. Turned out it was worth more than the purse...

CDFingers

Yes it is nice to be able to buy a gun without the government being involved.
Did you sell the green stuff?

 

[Snake45]

Seems like only last week (but it's been over 20 years ago) that I bought a K98 that the Israelis had converted to 7.62/.308 for possible reserve use. Dirt cheap (I think Century Arms sold them by the truckload) and I originally planned to do something "interesting," one way or the other, with it. But now if I mention modifying it in any way, or sometimes even shooting it, "gun people" nearly go into swoons, telling me it's a "rare collectible" and far too "valuable" to even think of such things. Ah shucks oh well. :?

 

[cellar701]

I recently traded / sold a Spanish "Guardia Civil" Mauser which had been converted to 7.62 NATO cartridge. It was based on the 1893/1916 short rifle 7x57 in original configuration. It was a nice example and went into a small collection/museum. Not the same as your 98, but interesting conversions of these old rifles by governments for use by their reserve forces.

 

[deserttrans]

That one is a beauty for sure

 

[HerrMesser]

I don't have any real knowledge as to what it would be worth. You might check if there any selling on Gunbroker or you might go to gunboards military mauser forum and ask there.

http://forums.gunboards.com/forumdisplay.php?5-The-Military-Mauser-Forum&s=1227adfe8a9f419f0b00b9154f3a5a86

The last mauser I got I traded a P 90 for it and a lot of ammo. Wife got a little irate over that as she had won it in a raffle.

Rad

 

[Unconverted]

Cell,

Nice, old, mid-1930's, Model 24/30 Short Rifle. Ones without import stamps are indeed harder to find. IMHO, you should be able to get $700 from a highly motivated buyer, but you may have to wait to get that much.

 

[M'BOGO]

Very nice find.