Bargain! New barrel, new stock and they are good for another 100 years. I bet even worn out ones with matching numbers go away for soe decent money.
in a stock bolt form they are not particularly scope friendly. Military sights are not real friendly to old eyes either. So it becomes a reformating of the bolt handle and then drill and tap receiver might even need a bit of reshaping there also. Lot of variants on the basic 98 platform and the 95 platforms as were made in so many different countries or for same to their specs. South American and Mexico were found of the 7mm variant - same case just necked down to 7mm from 8 mm. There is also a second 8mm case just a bit different But I can't remember the nomenclature right now. Back quite a ways you could buy a brand new Santa Barbara 98 action in 3 different lengths and bolt faces- these were scope friendly lot of rifles built on those. I have a 375 Whetherby on one, caliber is not a miss type- not enough gain over the 375H&H ( these can be fired in the 375W) so Roy came up with the 378 a bit later.
Loudenboomers- Ha, I remembered the 7mm belted case unit - 7mm x 284 in a Xp100 pistol - not for the faint of heart.
This could be an answer, i hear you with the sights - a scope is mandatory. The 7x57mm saw quite some use in africa for hunting aka .275 rigby. I only shot the 7x57R version which has less bite to it still great cartridge. Maybe 8x68S or something like that?
I would have to research it now days. It's been a long time. I have been out of the Gunsmithing biz for quit awhile. Its not that I do not do some just not on a retail level any more. Now it comes to mind- earlier version was a .318 dia, later the .323 there is a letter designation on the case rim can't remember that right now. So in the Mauser 95's in 8x57 they could be .318 bore. 8 mm= .3149xxx
8x57I (Infantrie) and 8x57IS (Infrantrie Spitz) is what you mean, sorry took me a while to understand that. 8mm on Wikipedia. Another wee article on American Hunter. Theres proably better articles on the net about it, thats what i just found quickly.
I had a 8mm Maurer I hunted with as a teen, don't remember where dad got it from. He had a guy rework some of it, I think the safety and bolt handle and had a scope mounted. Took several WT deer with it. It had the Iron Cross stamped on it, with early 1900's date, IIRC...Was sighting it in one day with a good friend who really knew guns. He looked at one of the cases, told me I better go get a new rifle. Chamber is shot out, cases are swelling bad on one side.
My 3 I have, all shoot like a dream so I'm assuming They were not in "much use" My 1941, covered in the Luthwaffe Eagle and swatstika's is one of my better shooters. I also have a 1939 and a 1944 Russian capture. The 1944 looks "almost" like it came off the assembly line. None of mine came from "Mitchells" as far as I know, they were all private sale to me. My 1941 was the newest of the batch I bought in Maine, in the Kittery trading post. They purchased a personal collection and that was the only Mauser in the lot. Most all were hunting rifles and shotguns.
