Did I Pass Up a Deal or Not? K98

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I'm wondering after the fact if I passed up a deal or not?

It was a K98, S/42 37, no import marks. Receiver had almost no bluing, barrel had most bluing intact. Matching S/Ns everywhere. Small amt of rust under rear leaf sight.

Problems: Someone probably duffel-cut the stock and then bubbarized it as a deer rifle. No fore-stocks or metal upfront. You can see all 3-steps in the barrel (looked odd to me) as there is upper word on it.

Asking price was $250. A bit of research seems to indicate that buying a non-original K98 stock would cost me another $250 making the gun no real bargain.

I was also curious if the bubbarized stock kicked it out of the C&R category?

Those that know their K98s . . . did I make the right decision to walk away from it?
 
A total of ~ $500 including a replacement stock IMHO wouldn't be too high for the U.S. market.,
but I wouldn't deem it a bargain.
Correct stocks for a S/42 1937 should be out the in bigger numbers than most other codes/years.
Mario has a few http://k98stocks.com/ and I have read nothing but very good reviews about his stuff.
If you change your mind, you would want to go for a WaA 63 w/ flat butt plate.

However, as a LOT of S/42 1937's were sent to Portugal in lieu of the M937's ordered (that's the one
with the ears around the front sight) one should give the l/h side of the buttstock a close look:
These stocks were marked with the Port. crest on the stock, which is the only difference to the
Wehrmacht issued K98k.
I saw several of them having been lightly sanded in order to erase that mark and sell them as
genuine "German issued" stocks. The mark was faintly visible is most all cases, though.
 
JurgenG, do you know of anyone making K98k military-style repro stocks??
I was able to find sporting stocks for K98k actions but not original military style.
I'm thinking of getting one of those miss-matched 'soviet capture' barreled actions and mating it with the new stock
thanks in advance
 
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Thanks Juergen.

It was the first S/42 37 K98 that I had ever seen. I had no idea that they are a common variant.
 
I would think that with a decent barrel and a non drilled and tapped reciever, an all matching '37 k98 would be worth at least $250. If you find a good stock for $150, you have an all matching rifle with period stock for $400. I'm no expert, but I know a non import marked all matcher is rare and desired states-side. That said, I bow to Juergen's awesome collection and knowledge. [bow]
 
I would think that with a decent barrel and a non drilled and tapped reciever, an all matching '37 k98 would be worth at least $250. If you find a good stock for $150, you have an all matching rifle with period stock for $400. I'm no expert, but I know a non import marked all matcher is rare and desired states-side. That said, I bow to Juergen's awesome collection and knowledge. [bow]

I wouldn't want to put a repro stock on it and it doesn't look like good K98 stocks are available for less than ~$240 (plus shipping), so I'd be close to $600 with shipping included (gun and stock . . . gun was not in MA).
 
That makes quite a difference.

Not so much as sales tax was probably not much less than shipping would be and since I have a C&R FFL, it would be direct. It's the added expense of a stock (with hardware) and shipping that to me that kicks it up to the ~$575-600 range.
 
I look at the key word Matching S/Ns. Todays junk is ,well you know the rest.
 
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