Mitchell’s Mausers

[Cyrano4747]

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.

Your not ruining anything of value shooting a gun that hasn't been worked over by a bunch of fradusters either. K98ks aren't fragile guns, putting some rounds through one isn't the end of the world.

That said, guns that were ruined by Mitchel's do make for good candidates for faux sniper conversions. The gun's already been ruined, no reason to not drill and tap it and make it into something fun.

 

[Wjmartins]

Just found this thread after googling Mitchel’s Mausers.

Newb here.

Mine is a model 48, my wife purchased it for me as a birthday present in 2002 for $300 and I have never really looked at the thing in detail. Back in 2002, I fired a few hand loads through it with a 4” group at 100 yards, figured I need to work a bit more on building up those loads, and that was it, never touched it again.

I just joined a private range and among all my rifles thought it may be fun doing some open sight shooting. So out came the M48.

Sad to hear all the bad wrap here, but looking at the rifle in detail, with all the stuff that came with it, it appears authentic Yugo and well preserved. I don’t think it was ever fired before I got it. All serial numbers match, don’t see any signs of modifications and everything functions perfectly.

Will have it at the range this week end, but if it shoots well, who cares about Mitchel’s name.

 

[Cyrano4747]

They heavily cleaned the Yugo rifles, pretty sure they also renumbered parts on them. Some refinishing too I believe. It should be noted that when Mitchell's was selling Yugo rifles for $300 you could buy the same gun, a little greasier and without a worthless certificate of authenticity, for $70.

People get mad at them because they ruined otherwise collectable rifles, and because they also engaged in a lot of deceptive practices. At one point they were running advertisements implying that the Yugoslavian rifles were Nazi guns or at least made on German tooling. They weren't.

It's a slimy company.

I'm glad you like your rifle. Enjoy shooting it. But people have very solid reasons for disliking them.

 

[biggymu]

Just found this thread after googling Mitchel’s Mausers.

Newb here.

Mine is a model 48, my wife purchased it for me as a birthday present in 2002 for $300 and I have never really looked at the thing in detail. Back in 2002, I fired a few hand loads through it with a 4” group at 100 yards, figured I need to work a bit more on building up those loads, and that was it, never touched it again.

I just joined a private range and among all my rifles thought it may be fun doing some open sight shooting. So out came the M48.

Sad to hear all the bad wrap here, but looking at the rifle in detail, with all the stuff that came with it, it appears authentic Yugo and well preserved. I don’t think it was ever fired before I got it. All serial numbers match, don’t see any signs of modifications and everything functions perfectly.

Will have it at the range this week end, but if it shoots well, who cares about Mitchel’s name.

This forum is primarily a community of very detail oriented collectors of original German firearms. Rifles that have been worked over like Mitchell’s naturally draw fire from more advanced collectors. The average guy can purchase, fire and enjoy them. Most are angry at Mitchell’s marketing that fools those less experienced into thinking they have a collectible firearm. Enjoy your rifle and if it leads you deeper into the field of collecting, ask opinions here before you spend more hard earned money. Nothing wrong with your wife buying you a rifle!

 

[moconfed]

Just found this thread after googling Mitchel’s Mausers.

Newb here.

Mine is a model 48, my wife purchased it for me as a birthday present in 2002 for $300 and I have never really looked at the thing in detail. Back in 2002, I fired a few hand loads through it with a 4” group at 100 yards, figured I need to work a bit more on building up those loads, and that was it, never touched it again.

I just joined a private range and among all my rifles thought it may be fun doing some open sight shooting. So out came the M48.

Sad to hear all the bad wrap here, but looking at the rifle in detail, with all the stuff that came with it, it appears authentic Yugo and well preserved. I don’t think it was ever fired before I got it. All serial numbers match, don’t see any signs of modifications and everything functions perfectly.

Will have it at the range this week end, but if it shoots well, who cares about Mitchel’s name.

Considering these forums are primarily focused on the k98k rifle (wacky, right?) and not Yugoslavian M48 rifles, it looks like you are a man of your word about not caring about names.
Mitchel has earned the bad wrap.

 

[heavy_mech]

Mitchel has earned the bad wrap.

Wanking K98s and their advertising earned them that flak.

 

[Herk1994]

Mitchell’s destroyed a lot of relevant Russian capture rifles, they’re garbage.

 

[Cyrano4747]

Here are two of my favorite Mitchell's pictures.

First off, the funny one:



It's a 1917 dated Spandau Model WWII German Mauser K98k guys!

I wish I knew what was in the box. The charitable read would be it's a humped Gew98 that they just didn't want to make a new box for. It could also be one of the SS rebuilds that got caught up by the Russians, went through the RC process, and then trickled back to the US that way. That idea is. . . less amusing. I mean, I don't like humped imperial guns either but at the end of the day a bog standard Spandau 1917 is less of a loss than one of the SS rebuilds.

And now for the one that's just fraudulent.



Everything in that is a goddamned lie.

1) Mauser K98k rifle "designated M48"
2) produced with German technology and tooling
3) in occupied Serbia
4) preserved since WW2. The gun wasn't made during WW2.
5) the final line about it being a WW2 Mauser.
6) the implication that the 1943 on the crest has anything to do with the year the gun was produced. Now they don't outright SAY it, but it's clearly what the reader is meant to take away. For anyone who cares the communist Yugoslav crest had 29-XI-1943 on it to commemorate the date that the post-war political organization of the country was decided on - 29 November '43.

Then there's all the rest about it being all matching etc. Now, I have no doubt that a fair few of them were, since a lot of the M48s that came in were. But I've also heard that they renumbered parts if it wasn't already matching and defended that as part of their "refurb" process. Same with re-bluing. Supposedly this was more of a problem on the later rifles, the ones with the advertisements where they were more clear about them being post-war Yugoslavian, since the ones of this era were the earlier imports that were of generally higher quality. Can't confirm that myself so take it as collector lore, but it tracks with how the company is absolutely confirmed to have behaved with the RC K98ks.

Plus how they keep hammering in on German quality and German steel and German reliability. Don't get me wrong. The Yugoslavians could make a fine firearm. In fact, I'll be the first one to line up and explain how all that emphasis on German precision and quality etc. is frequently BS, and doubly so when you're talking about the waning days of WW2. I'm 100% there for that conversation if people want to have it. But, competent craftsmen that they may be, the Yugoslavians very much were NOT Germans, and the men and women of the generation who produced this rifle would probably have punched you for implying they were. Given, you know, recent history coloring their attitudes towards their Teutonic neighbors to the north.

Anyways, Mitchell's sucks and it's a testament to how badly they sucked that, at least a decade (more?) after they finally went out of business that we still have people coming around to ask about them and if the guns are any good.

 

[Wjmartins]

Considering these forums are primarily focused on the k98k rifle (wacky, right?) and not Yugoslavian M48 rifles, it looks like you are a man of your word about not caring about names.
Mitchel has earned the bad wrap.

You are correct, the rifle is a Zastava M48BO, wrong forum.
I guess the only thing in common is a similar design and the same ammo.
Sorry for bugging you guys and many thanks to those who helped.

 

[Vinootz]

I’m guessing this thread is read mostly by collectors of real Mausers. But I have to say: If someone restamped and cleaned up a firearm when there were so many available, what’s all the animosity? Mitchell’s traveled to the eastern hemisphere, negotiated purchases, searched for those firearms, shipped them back, cleaned them up and marketed them. This takes money. You’re entitled to make money in business. As I’ve posted before I got a Karabiner 98k - authentic or not, it’s pretty, no rust, shoots 1 1/5 groups at 100 and is better than any piece of s**t budget rifle . And I shoot the shite out of it and even decorate my hobby room with it. For $399
I’m quite satisfied and have loads of fun in more than one way. I’m sorry but I don’t relate to the hate. And by the way, if you want a good investment buy real estate and stocks, not firearms. LMAO. What a crock of s..t some folks sound like.
So what if they put lipstick in a pig. Virtually every corporation in the world does that- whether you all realize it or not.
Get a god damn grip with all the negative emotions displayed by a bunch of people that likely never even bought a Mitchell’s.
Lots of naive Knuckleheads- farewell all.

 

[moconfed]

I’m guessing this thread is read mostly by collectors of real Mausers. But I have to say: If someone restamped and cleaned up a firearm when there were so many available, what’s all the animosity? Mitchell’s traveled to the eastern hemisphere, negotiated purchases, searched for those firearms, shipped them back, cleaned them up and marketed them. This takes money. You’re entitled to make money in business. As I’ve posted before I got a Karabiner 98k - authentic or not, it’s pretty, no rust, shoots 1 1/5 groups at 100 and is better than any piece of s**t budget rifle . And I shoot the shite out of it and even decorate my hobby room with it. For $399
I’m quite satisfied and have loads of fun in more than one way. I’m sorry but I don’t relate to the hate. And by the way, if you want a good investment buy real estate and stocks, not firearms. LMAO. What a crock of s..t some folks sound like.
So what if they put lipstick in a pig. Virtually every corporation in the world does that- whether you all realize it or not.
Get a god damn grip with all the negative emotions displayed by a bunch of people that likely never even bought a Mitchell’s.
Lots of naive Knuckleheads- farewell all.

Sounds like you need a hug.
Reddit is calling you. Bye

 

[Vinootz]

Not by any of you- lol. And it’s likely folks expressing emotions the way many do on this thread that actually need the hug. Nice try imbecile.

 

[Muncher 1953]

I’m guessing this thread is read mostly by collectors of real Mausers. But I have to say: If someone restamped and cleaned up a firearm when there were so many available, what’s all the animosity? Mitchell’s traveled to the eastern hemisphere, negotiated purchases, searched for those firearms, shipped them back, cleaned them up and marketed them. This takes money. You’re entitled to make money in business. As I’ve posted before I got a Karabiner 98k - authentic or not, it’s pretty, no rust, shoots 1 1/5 groups at 100 and is better than any piece of s**t budget rifle . And I shoot the shite out of it and even decorate my hobby room with it. For $399
I’m quite satisfied and have loads of fun in more than one way. I’m sorry but I don’t relate to the hate. And by the way, if you want a good investment buy real estate and stocks, not firearms. LMAO. What a crock of s..t some folks sound like.
So what if they put lipstick in a pig. Virtually every corporation in the world does that- whether you all realize it or not.
Get a god damn grip with all the negative emotions displayed by a bunch of people that likely never even bought a Mitchell’s.
Lots of naive Knuckleheads- farewell all.

yup, but they ruined a LOT of otherwise collectible firearms & did it w/carnival barking, bordering on outright lies, sold to a bunch of unknowing guys who believed they were getting something real. Glad you like yours, bye!

 

[Gerst]

Not by any of you- lol. And it’s likely folks expressing emotions the way many do on this thread that actually need the hug. Nice try imbecile.

Why the bitterness? You didn’t buy the rifle, your wife did, as a gift to you. Leave it at that and be happy.

This is a collectors forum. You are not a collector.

 

[Wjmartins]

Why the bitterness? You didn’t buy the rifle, your wife did, as a gift to you. Leave it at that and be happy.

This is a collectors forum. You are not a collector.

LOl, that was quite an introduction to this friendly forum.

You got the wrong guy, I’m the one with the Honey who bought me a M48BO and dared to post an innocent question.

Here is question number 2.

Has anyone here paid $3,000 plus for a brand new Mauser M12 or $16,000 plus for a M98?

Am I allowed to ask the question, or do I first have to go find an authentic German Mauser, become a prestige collector and then I can come back?

 

[moconfed]

Why the bitterness? You didn’t buy the rifle, your wife did, as a gift to you. Leave it at that and be happy.

This is a collectors forum. You are not a collector.

Vinootz is the neck beard from reddit. Wjmartins is the guy with the M48 that's trying to be a wise guy with post #55

 

[Herk1994]

This is entertaining.

 

[biggymu]

LOl, that was quite an introduction to this friendly forum.

You got the wrong guy, I’m the one with the Honey who bought me a M48BO and dared to post an innocent question.

Here is question number 2.

Has anyone here paid $3,000 plus for a brand new Mauser M12 or $16,000 plus for a M98?

Am I allowed to ask the question, or do I first have to go find an authentic German Mauser, become a prestige collector and then I can come back?

I’ve paid more than 16k for a K98k, not an M98. Your post was innocent enough, and we encourage new people interested in learning.
Ask any relevant questions you want. The forum has subgroups that encompass many different types of firearms, mostly concentrated on WW2 Germany. There is a sub forum for off topic collecting.
The other guy was getting kind of rowdy, and that will end badly.

 

[Herk1994]

I’m guessing this thread is read mostly by collectors of real Mausers. But I have to say: If someone restamped and cleaned up a firearm when there were so many available, what’s all the animosity? Mitchell’s traveled to the eastern hemisphere, negotiated purchases, searched for those firearms, shipped them back, cleaned them up and marketed them. This takes money. You’re entitled to make money in business. As I’ve posted before I got a Karabiner 98k - authentic or not, it’s pretty, no rust, shoots 1 1/5 groups at 100 and is better than any piece of s**t budget rifle . And I shoot the shite out of it and even decorate my hobby room with it. For $399
I’m quite satisfied and have loads of fun in more than one way. I’m sorry but I don’t relate to the hate. And by the way, if you want a good investment buy real estate and stocks, not firearms. LMAO. What a crock of s..t some folks sound like.
So what if they put lipstick in a pig. Virtually every corporation in the world does that- whether you all realize it or not.
Get a god damn grip with all the negative emotions displayed by a bunch of people that likely never even bought a Mitchell’s.
Lots of naive Knuckleheads- farewell all.

I think someone needs a potty mouth avatar.

 

[Wjmartins]

I’ve paid more than 16k for a K98k, not an M98. Your post was innocent enough, and we encourage new people interested in learning.
Ask any relevant questions you want. The forum has subgroups that encompass many different types of firearms, mostly concentrated on WW2 Germany. There is a sub forum for off topic collecting.
The other guy was getting kind of rowdy, and that will end badly.

Appreciate your reply.

I use to be a gun smith, in another country before I came to the US. Had to leave everything behind. No longer do it for a living, but have a shop with all the equipment which can be used to do custom work as a favor or hobby.

Since I have learned my M48 is basically worthless, I may look for a K98 in bad shape and do some restoration. That would probably defeat the purpose of value though?

The standard stock on the M48 is in perfect condition, but looks awfull in Elm. I will probably do a Claro Walnut stock and pieces and then let it be.