User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 4/29/2014 5:02:46 PM EDT
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/29/2014 5:55:21 PM EDT
[#1]
Very cool. It's an early 20th century commercial Mauser 98 sporting rifle produced by DWM.
These were sold by Hans Tauscher of New York City prior to WW1. Mr. Tauscher was a famous DWM/Mauser sales rep in that era. One of the sporting variants he sold in the US was the "Spitzer Bullet" model, like yours. Here's a page from his 1913 catalog, showing this variant: 
They originally came with barleycorn-style sights, whereas your example has had the original rear sight removed from the dovetail and a set of peep sights installed at some point. It may be a later addition, or this may have been original, since the 1913 Tauscher catalog listed Lyman peep sights as an upgrade option: 
The bolt also appears to have been modified by being "swept back", with the stock inlet accordingly. And there are holes for a scope mount drilled and tapped on the left side of the receiver, with a small portion of the stock removed. I don't know if these are original, or were later modifications. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/29/2014 5:57:29 PM EDT
[#2]
I don't know what you've got but it is cool. Spitzer- Bullet doesn't sound like it is german though sooooooooo.........
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/29/2014 6:07:34 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Very cool. It's an early 20th century commercial Mauser 98 sporting rifle produced by DWM. These were sold by Hans Tauscher of New York City. Mr. Tauscher was a famous DWM/Mauser sales rep in that era. One of the sporting variants he sold in the US was the "Spitzer Bullet" model, like yours. Here's a page from his 1913 catalog, showing this variant: http://www.landofborchardt.com/images/article/htc13.jpg They originally came with barleycorn-style sights, whereas your example has had the original rear sight removed from the dovetail and a set of peep sights installed at some point. It may be a later addition, or this may have been original, since the 1913 Tauscher catalog listed Lyman peep sights as an upgrade option: http://www.landofborchardt.com/images/article/htc24.jpg The bolt also appears to have been modified by being "swept back", with the stock inlet accordingly. And there are holes for a scope mount drilled and tapped on the left side of the receiver, with a small portion of the stock removed. I don't know if these are original, or were later modifications. thanks for the info! what is something like this worth? is the 3 on (pretty much every part) the serial number? I suspect so. -J |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/29/2014 6:13:53 PM EDT
[#4]
I assume that 3 would be the serial number, if it's marked on the right side of the receiver and all the smaller parts.
As for value, I couldn't even hazard a guess. I know only a few hundred to perhaps a couple thousand of those were ever produced, and I'm not sure how many still exist in the US. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/29/2014 6:18:11 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I assume that 3 would be the serial number, if it's marked on the right side of the receiver and all the smaller parts. As for value, I couldn't even hazard a guess. I know only a few hundred to perhaps a couple thousand of those were ever produced, and I'm not sure how many still exist in the US. yeah, the magazine bottom metal has a 3, the stock, in the barrel channel, all small parts, too. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/29/2014 6:36:54 PM EDT
[#6]
is this a $600 gun, or a $1200 gun? i want to use it for hunting, it is light and fast,
if it is a collector gun, i would sell it and buy a contemporary hunting rifle. thanks, Joe |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/29/2014 7:34:03 PM EDT
[#7]
I think it is probably worth $5000 or more. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/29/2014 8:18:18 PM EDT
[#8]
With a single-digit serial, pre-WW1 sporting mauser in nice condition, it's an actual antique, and could be getting into four or five figure prices to a collector. From what you've said, you're definitely going to want to get it appraised and sell it off to buy a hunting rifle, and maybe a nice new(er) car with the proceeds.
You need to have that rifle evaluated and appraised by an antique mauser specialist. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/29/2014 11:37:17 PM EDT
[#9]
I'll go to the Wal-Mart[b]s{/b] and buy you whatever rifle you want...
Awesome find. 
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 3:31:00 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
is this a $600 gun, or a $1200 gun? i want to use it for hunting, it is light and fast, if it is a collector gun, i would sell it and buy a contemporary hunting rifle. thanks, Joe As I said earlier, I can't even hazard a guess as to value. These don't come up for sale all that often, so there's not really a frame of reference for an amateur like me to use to gauge value. You'll need to speak with an expert. (Actually, several experts. Get a second and/or third opinion.) The guys down at your local gun shop can't help you with that, nor can the guys at your local big box sporting goods store like Bass Pro Shop. Instead, I'd suggest contacting Mike Clark at http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/ and Dennis Kroh at http://www.empirearms.com/. If they can't help you, see if they can point you towards someone who can. You'll need to take a lot of detailed photos in order to get an accurate appraisal, or they may even as you to send your rifle in so they can view it in person. But it's definitely a collector's gun. Even though the modifications to the bolt and the holes for the scope (and possibly the peep sight) aren't original, it could still be worth quite a bit to the right collector. Buy another rifle to hunt with. For comparison, here are some shots of a "Spitzer-Bullet" Mauser 98 in original standard condition. Note the standard turned down bolt handle, standard rear sight leaf, and lack of holes in the receiver. 
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 4:33:34 AM EDT
[#11]
Thanks for the info. I shot off emails to those guys.
jeez, I was gonna deer hunt with the thing! 
thats kinda like finding a shelby cobra in a barn, and doin donuts with it in the yard
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 5:32:46 AM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thanks for the info. I shot off emails to those guys. jeez, I was gonna deer hunt with the thing!
thats kinda like finding a shelby cobra in a barn, and doin donuts with it in the yard But the thing is, Shelbys were meant to be driven, and this Mauser was meant to be shot and hunted with. It has likely seen more than a few hunts in its lifetime. You can certainly use it (just don't abuse it), with the understanding that further wear and tear would lower the collector's value. However, it sounds like a better plan would be to sell it to a collector in its current condition for a nice profit, and get another "working rifle" from a portion of the profits. Please keep us updated. I'm very interested in the appraised value of this rifle, as well as whether the mods to the rifle are original factory options (even though I suspect they aren't). |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 7:53:31 AM EDT
[#13]
i would hunt with it, but thats just me
thats a super nice hunting rifle people hunt with high dollar shotguns all the time. jsut hunt with it and enjoy it |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 7:59:08 AM EDT
[#14]
sell it, use the funds to buy a dozen modern hunting rifles. Sell it to a collector who can preserve it for future generations. Thats a rare find.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 8:48:38 AM EDT
[#15]
so, how did you end up with it ?
My father has a sporterized CE43 K98 mauser, someone put a monte carlo stock on it, polished the bolt, and put a Lyman rear peep sight on it similar to yours. I wish it were in original configuration and not dicked with 
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 10:35:27 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My father has a sporterized CE43 K98 mauser, someone put a monte carlo stock on it, polished the bolt, and put a Lyman rear peep sight on it similar to yours. I wish it were in original configuration and not dicked with See, that's a whole 'nother animal. Military Mausers that have been sporterized are significantly less valuable to collectors than military Mausers in original condition, or Mauser sporting rifles in original configuration. But even though this sporting Mauser has been partially modified at some point in its life, I think it will still retain significant collectors value due to the rarity of the underlying rifle itself. Plus, it was a sporting rifle to begin with. In my opinion, a further sporterized sporting Mauser will take less of a hit to its value than a sporterized military Mauser. However, I'm only an amateur, and I'm interested to hear what an expert may have to say about it. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 11:05:49 AM EDT
[#17]
my buddy offered me $800 for it, and I almost took it!
i dont want to be greedy, I would probably trade it for a good hunting rifle. like a kimber or something. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 11:24:59 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
my buddy offered me $800 for it, and I almost took it!
I know there are a lot of surprising numbers being thrown around in the thread, but keep in mind that I don't think anyone here really knows the value of this rifle, purely because there are no other similar rifle sales to compare to. So it may turn out that the rifle's value is closer to $800 than the $5000 to $10,000+ some people have tossed out earlier. Honestly, I have a hard time seeing this rifle going for the price of a new car, or even in the five figures range. But I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be appraised at several thousand dollars. Just trying to keep things in perspective, so you aren't disappointed if it only (  ) appraises for $2-4k, instead of the $20-40k you were dreaming of based off some of the responses here. But who knows...
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 11:56:02 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I know there are a lot of surprising numbers being thrown around in the thread, but keep in mind that I don't think anyone here really knows the value of this rifle, purely because there are no other similar rifle sales to compare to. So it may turn out that the rifle's value is closer to $800 than the $5000 to $10,000+ some people have tossed out earlier. Honestly, I have a hard time seeing this rifle going for the price of a new car, or even in the five figures range. But I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be appraised at several thousand dollars. Just trying to keep things in perspective, so you aren't disappointed if it only ( ) appraises for $2-4k, instead of the $20-40k you were dreaming of based off some of the responses here. But who knows...Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
my buddy offered me $800 for it, and I almost took it!
I know there are a lot of surprising numbers being thrown around in the thread, but keep in mind that I don't think anyone here really knows the value of this rifle, purely because there are no other similar rifle sales to compare to. So it may turn out that the rifle's value is closer to $800 than the $5000 to $10,000+ some people have tossed out earlier. Honestly, I have a hard time seeing this rifle going for the price of a new car, or even in the five figures range. But I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be appraised at several thousand dollars. Just trying to keep things in perspective, so you aren't disappointed if it only ( ) appraises for $2-4k, instead of the $20-40k you were dreaming of based off some of the responses here. But who knows...hell, a thousand bucks would work for me! Im waiting for a couple of guys to email me back, the gun might go on the EE soon! some of these collector guys are a pain to talk to. One guy couldnt get it out of his head that it was a sporterized military gun. until he saw the pics. I guess they see hacked up sporterized military guns all the time, and it is a rarity to see a factory gun.-Tm |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 12:13:50 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I guess they see hacked up sporterized military guns all the time, and it is a rarity to see a factory gun.-Tm Exactly, which is why your rifle is so rare. My suggestion, take pictures, fully detail / document it.. post it up on gunbroker.. it will roll.. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 12:26:49 PM EDT
[#21]
It may help, when dealing with the collector types, to let them know that this "Spitzer-Bullet" rifle was a pre-WW1 DWM variant of the Mauser "Armee Modell C" sporting rifle. While they may not have heard of a DWM "Spitzer-Bullet" rifle, they may have heard of the more common Mauser Model C (aka Type C) hunting rifle.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 12:30:29 PM EDT
[#22]
is it ok to shoot this rifle with the 196 gr. full-blammo european hunting ammo?
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 12:31:03 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It may help, when dealing with the collector guys, to let them know that this "Spitzer-Bullet" rifle was a pre-WW1 variant of the Mauser "Armee Modell C" sporting rifle. While they may not have heard of a "Spitzer-Bullet" rifle, they may have heard of the more common Model C (aka Type C) hunting rifle. thanks for the info. you seem to know your way around mausers! |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 12:34:25 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It may help, when dealing with the collector types, to let them know that this "Spitzer-Bullet" rifle was a pre-WW1 DWM variant of the Mauser "Armee Modell C" sporting rifle. While they may not have heard of a DWM "Spitzer-Bullet" rifle, they may have heard of the more common Mauser Model C (aka Type C) hunting rifle. +1, good suggestion. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 12:37:24 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
is it ok to shoot this rifle with the 196 gr. full-blammo european hunting ammo? Quote HistoryQuoted:
is it ok to shoot this rifle with the 196 gr. full-blammo european hunting ammo? If it could handle WW1-era 7.92x57mm ammo, it should be able to handle modern hunting ammo loaded to SAAMI or CIP spec. Just ensure that it's actually chambered in 8mm Mauser. These were also originally available in 7x57mm (aka 7mm Mauser). And there's always a slight chance that it may have had the chamber recut at some point for some wildcat 8mm or 7mm cartridge. Quoted:
thanks for the info. you seem to know your way around mausers! Mainly because I have access to lots of info from more knowledgable folks, both in print and on various surplus rifle collectors' messageboards. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 2:01:12 PM EDT
[#26]
I'd shoot a rifle like that... but probably not lug it around in the field deer hunting... Probably only at the range. I've got a very pedestrian Savage 111 in .30-06 for deer hunting... its got a synthetic stock and a decent scope... and more than accurate enough. And I've got maybe $600 into the whole thing so if it gets dropped, scratched, wet, etc... I wouldn't feel bad like I would that historical Mauser because I can always buy another Savage which will be just as good as the one I have.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 2:09:47 PM EDT
[#27]
wow, that is a hell of a find
|
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 4:31:36 PM EDT
[#28]
so uh, how did you get it ?
I wouldnt shoot it, Unless its confirmed that its only an $800 rifle, and not a $5000 rifle. There have been cases where original mauser stocks have cracked from firing- some figure just from age and dryness. that will put a HUGE hit on your value. I wish I could look at a potentially $5000 rifle and say "hell, Id trade it for a $800 kimber" NO WAY ! Id trade it for a Kimber and $4200 cash ! Ive got other toys to buy! Dont shoot it. yet. and if you do, make damn sure you clean it right after especially if you use corrosive ammo. |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 5:20:03 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I think it is probably worth $5000 or more. up here in that condition I bet you are right |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 6:23:27 PM EDT
[#30]
Even relatively clean/unmodified Pre-war Oberndorf Mauser factory sporters aren't bringing 5K (high grade/Kurz action guns excepted).
I'd say the D&T job on the left rail, and the US peep/aperture sight have turned a 1300-1600 rifle into a 6-800 dollar "shooter". It's a shame that the hole spacing appears to be for a Weaver side mount.....A proper German AKAH mount would look nice on the gun.... I'd shoot it.....but beware heavy loads...and no surplus ammo of any make......you'll find lots of pre-war european sporters with split stocks at the wrist and tail end of the receiver from the constant battering of hot/heavy ammo |
|
|
|
Posted: 4/30/2014 6:28:39 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Even relatively clean/unmodified Pre-war Oberndorf Mauser factory sporters aren't bringing 5K (high grade/Kurz action guns excepted). I'd say the D&T job on the left rail, and the US peep/aperture sight have turned a 1300-1600 rifle into a 6-800 dollar "shooter". It's a shame that the hole spacing appears to be for a Weaver side mount.....A proper German AKAH mount would look nice on the gun.... I'd shoot it.....but beware heavy loads.....you'll find lots of pre-war european sporters with split stocks at the wrist and tail end of the receiver from the constant battering of hot/heavy ammo NOW we're gettin somewhere. thanks, dude. I have to agree.-TM |
|
|
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
