Super-nice M48 Mauser from AIM

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(Subtitled: A Mitchell's Mauser for $109 or Uneeda 'Nother Cantina C&R Thread)

A Yugo M48 Mauser just came and it's a wow! It's practically new.

All-matching numbers, light wood- puts a Mitchell's Mauser to shame. Actually, it looks exactly like the $399 one in their ad. AIM has the only M48's left (I think). Ahem, a Yugo 24/47 costs more than this at $119.

Did pay the $10 handpick. I asked for light wood and a good bore- will see about the bore. Rifling seems sharp. Although that can be the luck of the draw and seem like a waste many times, I am not regretting the handpick now at all.

Came with a Yugo sling even- never seen one rigged that way.

Handguard and wood are a perfect match- nice and light. Thought I didn't need another Mauser. I was wrong. My last RC is an uggo next to this.

Bolt is ground flat on bottom- odd- and serial number seems high at V54,30X.

Can anybody help with further ID? Think it's a 48A from the stamped (and matching!) floorplate.

There are 16 little marks on it. Hope a bored soldier did that, and not an ethnic cleanser. Can sand out.

Remember, cheap-o's out there, Century still has 8mm Mauser ammo for 5 cents a round.
___

Just headspaced it. Passed NO-GO and of course Field.

Yugo M48BO on left, J.P. Sauer und Sohns Russian-capture Mauser K-98 (awesome grain laminate), K-31 w/St. Marie mount and a 50mm big honkin' scope.

 

[munk]

Nice.

munk

 

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Got the answer I was looking for: Turns out this rifle is an M48BO.

"The main distinction from all other Mauser rifles is the complete absence of any markings other than the serial number, a true "sanitized rifle". As a matter of fact, the official designation M48BO stands for 'M48 bez oznake,' or 'without markings.

"We were informed by the factory that this extremely rare variation was manufactured for Egypt prior to the Suez crisis of 1956. Only a very small pre-production run (less than 3,000) was completed, but only a few hundred were delivered prior to the war. "


and

"The M48 series came in four versions--the M48 (all milled parts) M48A (stamped magazine floorplate) M48B (increased use of stamped parts) and the comparatively rare M48BO (the BO=bez oznake, meaning "without markings.") The M48BO versions were new manufactured M48s as well as numerous captured, reconditioned and "scrubbed" German Kar 98k rifles (sometimes the latter were called M98/48N, the "N" standing for "Njemac," which is Serbo-Croat for "German.") The M48B/M48BO versions were made chiefly for export--and most of these were sent to Egypt, Iran and Algeria."

In pre-AK-47 days, the Mauser was the state-of-the-art choice for many.

Every rifle tells a story, if you have an ear for history.


Mike