Looking at buying one sight unseen.  Seller says bore is very good, strong rifling.  Finish and wood appear to be in decent shape.


I'm intending to shoot this gun as often as time and $$ allow.  Assuming there's nothing broken on the gun, is there anything in either the design or build quality of these rifles that should steer me away from buying?   I've seen people on the internet claiming Soft Steel and headspace issues,  but for every review that says that there's another that says "the soft steel complaint is Bullshit", so IDK. 

Thanks for the help

I believe these are the 1893 Mauser action rifles that were originally 7mm.  If it is .308 caliber, I would be very careful.  I have seen these fired on our range with no ill effects, however the 93 action was not as strong as the 98 action and didn't have some of the safety features the 98 did.

It's 8x57.   I think? its a 98 action, as its a WWII-era gun.  The earlier 1916 was an 1893 action IIRC.

The Spanish M43 Mauser is a very strong K98 action. Spain used the same action for the FR8 in 7.62X51

It's worth 200 to 300. I regularly see these in great condition at the local gun show for $300

Nice guns just not sought after. I should pick one up someday

I don't know of there current value.
I did buy one, with bayonet, in 1989 for $100. La Coruna stamped.
It was by far the worst rifle I have ever owned. Shotguns shot tighter patterns.
The stock turned out to have crazy warp.

I wound up going with a similarly-priced Yugo M24 with a less beat up stock.  

IDK if this is just a Mauser thing or not, but the (matching S/N) bolt on the Yugo is not as smooth as my M91/30, which is really surprising.  

Still have to shoot it to form a full opinion.   

I've never seen ANY bolts that are as smooth as the Mosins I've had...