Saw these rifles a few times...  Mauser 98 action with a HK-type 17.75" barrel and flash hider.

Anyone ever owned or shot one?  How much is a fair price?

Yeah, I own two of them.  One full military I bought for $100 at the gunshow, and one sporterized that I bought for $170 at a gunshop.  Considering all the work like mounts, scope modified bolt, and synthetic stock were done it was a pretty good deal.

The FR-8 is a 98 action.  There is a sister rifle known as the FR-7 that's based on the weaker 96 action.  You can tell at a glance as the 98 based FR-8 has a straight bolt handle, and the FR-7 has a 90deg bend.  It also says "FR-7" or "FR-8" right on the receiver, which is a dead giveaway[;)]

The FR-8 is plenty strong for the 7.62 NATO, but the FR-7 may not be.  Spain used a 7.62 reduced round at the time when they adopted the CETME so that full auto would be somewhat controllable.  They desiged the CETME to work with either full or reduced rounds, and I'm not too sure if the idea really worked or what. The Japanese did the same with their "Type-64".  Anyway, the FR-8 is a safe gun for any safe 7.62NATO type ammo.  

The barrel is a hammer forged CETME barrel basically.  The HK type flash suppressor is just that.  It has the wire cutter device, 22mm GL capability, and will take whatever will go on an HK.  There's a "gas tube" looking thing under the barrel.  That's where your cleaning kit goes, and the bayonet lug.  The front sight is eccentric, adjustable for elevation by screwing it in or out, and windage by turning it as well as the post is off-set.  It's not a great windage adjustment, but it works good enough.  The rest of the rifle is pretty much a Mauser 98.  No drama there.  The rear sight is welded to the receiver.  It is a rotating disk that has various ranges on it and you rotate it to look through different apertures for whatever range.  Short range is an open "V".  It's sort of like a Canadian C1A1 sight in operation, but the sight picture looks just like an HK-91.  They're very handy guns as the short barrel makes them fast acting.  Accuracy is typical of a 98.  The barrel's a really good one, the trigger is typical military, but it can be replaced by an aftermarket 98 trigger without any difficulty.  I have owned many 98s, and the FR-8 shoots as good, or bad, as any of them.  The sights are really cool though.  I really like the way they work, and they're tough and easy to use.  You could probably make one as accuarate as any gun, and still keep the barrel.  The CETME hammer forged barrels are good.

I mounted an ART scope on my sporter.  The trigger sucks still, so that's the next step (like I don't have enough gun projects going on), but it will really drill holes in paper.  100yd groups are in the mid-2inch range with the Federal cheapo red box stuff.  Good enough for what I need it for, and I'm sure it will get better with a replacement trigger.  My military one has a much better trigger, but I'm not hacking on that.

Prices for a full military one run about $225-250.  I wouldn't think it would be worth much more than that.  They are unique, but still just a 98 Mauser.  If you have a chance to buy one in that range, I'd do it.  I don't think they'll be a great collector investment, but they'll dry up sooner or later.  The bottom line is they are an enjoyable gun to shoot.  What more can you ask for a couple hundred bucks?

Ross

Ross: ever see replacement barrels for one?  I have one (FR-8) I got (screwed on) from hunters lodge and the barrel has seen better days.  Patterns rather than groups the shots.  

No, I haven't even looked for one.  You could try Gun Parts Corp, or Springfield Sporters.  He has alot of Mauser stuff.  Alternatively you may want to check out a CETME/HK barrel to see if you could thread the end somehow and use it.  You may be able to use a 98 barrel in .308 and make the right cuts in it for the front sight base and thread the end for the FS.  

As far as an original, your best bet would be a parts gun.  Good luck finding one no matter how you do it.

Ross

I got one. It's a neat carbine length .308. I fired mine a few times with the original stock but discovered that that stock had cracked badly behind the recoil/stock mount pillar? I was unable to get a replacement original stock so I restocked it with a drop in (finish it yourself) Fajen laminated stock. Now it's kinda strange looking with the sporter stock/short assault rifle barrel but it gets comments and shoots ok. My understanding is that the Spanish manufactured "98" actions are somewhat softer than German manufacture so I'm leery of shooting high power ammo in it.

Try this place for more info on them:
[url]http://www.storm.ca/~debin666/html/the_fr-8_page.html[/url]
Lots of good stuff there on these rifles.

Thanks for the reply, folks!

I broke down and picked one up at Big5 Sporting Goods.  $189 with sling and $19.99 for the bayonet.  I had to go to three different stores to find the best one.  But I have a few questions...

1) When the bolt is retracted open in its rearmost position, it swings freely a few degrees. Is this normal? Other Mausers (and even a Moisin-Nagant) in the store seem to do this.

2) When the bolt is retracted open in its rearmost position, the extractor swings slightly a few degrees along the bolt. Is this normal?

3) The bayonet seems to have slight play when mounted to the barrel. Is this normal?

4) The steel is completely caked with cosmoline. Even the slots in the flash suppressor are clogged with cosmoline. The steel appears very dark brown (not rust, I think, I hope). The FR-8's in the other Big5 stores were virtually bone dry (Why do they vary so much? They were all imported by Century.). What's the best way to get this stuff off without ruining the wood?

5) I don't think the rifle came with a manual, where can I find disassembly instructions for a Mauser 98 online?

Thanks!

1)yes

2)yes

3)yes

4)Somebody could have gotten bored and cleaned the other ones.  There's no telling with Century stuff what goes on.  Completely disassemble the rifle and do the metal parts separate from the wood.  The safest way is to use a good gun solvent and ALOT of elbow grease.  I use carb cleaner on metal parts and it gets rid of cosmoline without harming the metal, though it's some work.  Remember to lube everything after as it will be bone dry no matter what you use.  I've only had to take cosmoline off of wood a couple times, and I haven't found the best way yet.  I'll wait for someone else to tell you how to do the wood, and use it myself.

5)Again somebody will have to come up with one.  I can manage most rifles if I look at it long enough, but sometimes it takes a beer or two.  I can handle the Mauser, but I don't have instructions, and I ususally have to look at it every time (with a beer) to figure it out.

Ross

8200RPM: I don't think the price you paid was too bad. I got mine about 6? years ago right after Century started importing them and if I remember right, I paid $130 then.
I haven't shot mine in quite a while....need to get it out and take it to the range.

Thanks Ross!

What kind of condition are your FR-8's in?

Do you know of any good resources (print or online) for Mausers?

Thanks again.

As for the cosmoline, simple green should get it off the wood.  That is all our armorer will allow us to use for removing cosmoline period, beside CLP.  It works ok on metal, but does require a bit of elbow grease.