Mitchell’s Mausers

Post photos, if it's a Yugo model, you probably have an M48, not a K98k.
Here we are. Opening this old box up, turns out yes it is an M48A. Got photos of any markings I could find, mostly serial numbers which all seem to match except for those on the bayonet and its sheath, but whatever on that part I guess. Also has some Serbian writing which, according to Google translate and a Reddit thread of someone looking for the same translation, says "FNRJ [Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia] Enterprise 44," apparently being the name of the factory where it was refurbished? It also came with these pouches and their contents.

The story behind why I have this at all is that my grandpa, a WW2 vet, used to have an actual kar98k which he found unfinished in a workshop somewhere in Europe, sent back, and had it finished after the war before losing it somewhere down the years and buying this as a replacement. The original was eventually found, but it went to some distant relation while I got this one. And so here I am, knowing essentially nothing, on the search for any useful information about this.
 

Attachments

  • 20230827_153719.jpg
    20230827_153719.jpg
    127.7 KB · Views: 33
  • 20230827_153735.jpg
    20230827_153735.jpg
    134 KB · Views: 34
  • 20230827_154921.jpg
    20230827_154921.jpg
    44.5 KB · Views: 39
  • 20230827_154312.jpg
    20230827_154312.jpg
    74.7 KB · Views: 40
  • 20230827_153805.jpg
    20230827_153805.jpg
    31 KB · Views: 39
  • 20230827_153823.jpg
    20230827_153823.jpg
    33.1 KB · Views: 33
  • 20230827_153849.jpg
    20230827_153849.jpg
    45.7 KB · Views: 29
  • 20230827_153907.jpg
    20230827_153907.jpg
    53.2 KB · Views: 27
  • 20230827_154014.jpg
    20230827_154014.jpg
    35.1 KB · Views: 26
  • 20230827_154027.jpg
    20230827_154027.jpg
    43.7 KB · Views: 26
  • 20230827_154238.jpg
    20230827_154238.jpg
    51.9 KB · Views: 24
  • 20230827_154250.jpg
    20230827_154250.jpg
    30 KB · Views: 24
  • 20230827_154403.jpg
    20230827_154403.jpg
    39.7 KB · Views: 24
  • 20230827_154446.jpg
    20230827_154446.jpg
    43.9 KB · Views: 31
If this was an inheritance from a beloved family member, own it, remember him though it. Shoot it and enjoy it. Not everything in life is about money.
Either way I still want to know more about it. Anyway, I have other more meaningful stuff of his to remember him by than the discount replacement rifle that he kept in his attic untouched for I don't know how many decades.
 
Either way I still want to know more about it. Anyway, I have other more meaningful stuff of his to remember him by than the discount replacement rifle that he kept in his attic untouched for I don't know how many decades.
It couldn’t have been too many decades. Mitchells started around 1996.
 
Sure advertised em enough in the gun rags in the past. Around $300 to start as I recall. Yep OK to blaze away with.
 
My grandfather bought a Kar98k through Mitchell’s about 10 years ago. Gave it to me as a birthday present. The thing is gorgeous and came with the “certificate of authenticity” saying it was made in ‘44 at the concentration camp in Mauthausen, Austria. It baffles the mind to think there’s no legal recourse for false advertising. It’s just heartbreaking that it’s fabricated history.
But I will say, I’ll never get rid of it. Killed a nice buck with it a few years back, even though it shoots about 8 inches high at 100 yards. Had to damn near aim at the ground to heart shot it!
 
I was unaware of these until I saw one at a local pawn shop about a year ago. I think they had a price of $1200 on it. Even then, before I knew absolutely anything about K98s, my spider sense was saying "that thing looks too clean/too new to be legit". Always trust your spider sense.

Someone bought it about a week later.
 
My grandfather bought a Kar98k through Mitchell’s about 10 years ago. Gave it to me as a birthday present. The thing is gorgeous and came with the “certificate of authenticity” saying it was made in ‘44 at the concentration camp in Mauthausen, Austria. It baffles the mind to think there’s no legal recourse for false advertising. It’s just heartbreaking that it’s fabricated history.
But I will say, I’ll never get rid of it. Killed a nice buck with it a few years back, even though it shoots about 8 inches high at 100 yards. Had to damn near aim at the ground to heart shot it!
you shot it through the HEART? Dang, man that’s good meat! (I have a friend who covets deer heart & liver, she gets mad if I shoot one through the heart, especially) She made out this year, small deer, but had a large heart.
 
Fun to shoot because you’re not ruining anything of value. I’d buy another one any day over a $400 piece of crap budget rifle. Ignore all the angry comments of people that never owned one.
 
Either way I still want to know more about it. Anyway, I have other more meaningful stuff of his to remember him by than the discount replacement rifle that he kept in his attic untouched for I don't know how many decades.
I have fun shooting mine. Take it any day over a modern day $400 budget rifle-any day.
 
Gotta Love the "Certificate of Authenticity." 🤔😉😂

Yes, this was made in the Concentration Camp of Auschwitz. Etc. Etc. (Good Stuff.)
 
Back
Top