Made a trip to Cabelas last night with my points really burning a hole in my pocket. Finally spotted a milsurp in the rack. Picked it up and it was a beautiful M48A (B actually) in unissued condition. Looked it over, everything matched and there are only a couple of very minor marks in the stock. Had to chuckle to myself a bit as I just got an unissued bayonet for one of these about two weeks ago and the wood color matched.

I checked the price, not bad but went to the book section to verify the value. For once they were actually selling for less than the book value so that looked good. Went back over, verified there were no other milsurps around and took it into the gun library. Checked the bore, didn't look like it had ever been fired. Start doing the paperwork on it and a sudden thought comes to me. I ask the guy, "This isn't a Mitchell's is it" He looks it over and seems to indicate it isn't so we proceed.

So I go do the paperwork, before finalizing I again asked a second fellow about it being a Mitchell's. He said that's out of his department. So I see a Mitchell's box behind the counter. But I thought about it and figured they didn't do anything to this anyway, this is how a lot of them are so went forward with it. It is a Mitchell's import but I don't think they touched it. I tried to get it apart to check for a refurbishment mark or verify the build number on the bolt/receiver but it is very tight and nothings moving.

Got a nice bonus of the ammo pouches, another bayonet which is not new and some other odds and ends.

I did read the booklet about the Mauser K98icon-M48 which I just bought an how it was made at the end of WWII and put into storage etc, checked every 5 years, etc which I think we all know is a lot of bull, the end of WWII part anyway. This would have been made late 50's-early 60"s I guess. I expect they did inspect them periodically.

So I feel good, but a little dirty at the same time. The best part, it was free. Didn't cost me a single cent. Love those Cabela's points.
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