Making a $450 sporter out of a milsurp

[jon_norstog]

To the list:

Well, the wolves have won. My brother and I are moving our elk hunt out out of the Lolo country down to SE Idaho. Open country, 7mm Mag country. Time to get a new gun!

I went to Doc's in Pocatello to see what he had I could afford. There was a variety of 7-mags, but one of them was a gun I understood: a sporterized K-98 with a $200 trigger, aftermarket copy of an Argentine '09 TG and magazine, and a plastic stock, never been fired. It was under $500. I bought it.

The clerk at Doc's said the previous owner put over $1100 into the rifle, then decided to sell it for what he could get.

You can still kind of see the Nazi eagle on the receiver. Stampings, if any are left, are hidden by the front scope mount.

Guess I'll go to the range with it.

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[Bill H]

Unfortunately, too true.

In this day and age, there is absolutely no reason to sporterize a military action. He could have bought a very good rifle and scope combo for that money, and could have sold it for close to that, had he wanted to sell.

I have about a dozen sporterized 03s and 98s, and every one cost more than a decent commercial rifle. Still, a few were good projects, and I got exactly what I wanted.

[Calif-Steve]

When I was a young kid growing up in Hawaii I saw piles of mint 03A3's cut up. No one would have considered keeping an 03A3 as issued. Many guys had .270 barrels screwed on and new Bishop wood and scopes mounted. It was a major industry. No more as new made guns are actually then hiring a 'smith for all that work.

[jon_norstog]

Steve,

When I was a kid I joined the NRA and got me a brand new 03-A3. It was navy gray instead of the usual green. Man! I couldn't wait to sporterize it. I even got a 4-groove barrel and a C-type stock. Threw away all that old wood. Took off the issue sight and put on a lyman peep sight.

I'm going to hell, I know it.

jn

[Calif-Steve]

Jon: I've got the exact same story. My Dad got me an 03-A3 and I bought a C stock mail order. I mowed lawns to pay for the C stock! I put the C stock on the rifle and my Dad went crazy. He wanted that C stock cut and the rifle sporterized, it just killed him. He won out as I was all of 16 at the time. Still stings, believe it or not. But realize EVERYONE did that back in 1962.

[jon_norstog]

We were FOOLS! that's what it was.

jn

[Bill H]

No, we were not fools. At that time, sporterizing an 03 made sense. My first one, purchased in 1959, soon had a sporter stock, bent bolt, and weaver K2.5 installed.

It was inexpensive and I still have it. It still shoots 1 inch groups.

Times have changed, labor has skyrocketed, and new guns are available at reasoable prices.

[kcw]

No, we were not fools. At that time, sporterizing an 03 made sense. My first one, purchased in 1959, soon had a sporter stock, bent bolt, and weaver K2.5 installed.

It was inexpensive and I still have it. It still shoots 1 inch groups.

Times have changed, labor has skyrocketed, and new guns are available at reasoable prices.

At the time the "Fair Trade" rules then in effect caused rifles, and many other goods for that matter, to be sold only at the manufacturers' Suggested List Price; thus new guns were comparitively expensive. Also demand was high, what with all those WWII vets and their kids getting into the shooting sports.
On the other hand, surplus arms were relatively cheap, as were the parts and labor to sporterize them. In the end an efficiently sported 98 or 03 served the novice just as well afield as did the much more expensive Model 70. And that's the way it was.

[jon_norstog]

Yeah, I remember .. that IS the way it was. Actually that's why I looked for a sporter in 7mm instead of a factory gun - I understand the sporter. It's true, factory rifles have gotten a lot more acccurate and a lot cheaper. But I took a look at that K98-based 7 mag, and I knew the 'smith was making nothing xcept a good hunting rifle.

I'm going out scouting the Island Park unit this weekend with my brother. We might do the Beaverhead if we have time. When I get back I'll take the rifle to the range and see if it shoots the way I think it will shoot.

[jisii]

While I would now never think of butchering a nice military rifle, when I was in my middle teens in the mid 1950s, I truly lusted for an 03 sporter with a Bishop or Fajan stock, a good aftermarket trigger, a Griffin & Howe or Jaeger mount and a decent scope. My lean finances at the time couldn't finance an 03 (about $40.00 then) and I ended up with a nice Mauser k98 action someone gave my Dad, a cheap aftermarket barrel ($15.00) and a $7.00 no-name stock. A Redfield receiver sight had to do for a while and a cheap scope came later. I think I had a total of $35.00 in it, without the scope.

Recently at an estate auction in Ft. Littleton, PA, I found the rifle I wanted to build back then (see PIC). At $250.00 out the door, I could finally afford it!


I'm guessing $250.00 in 2009 money is somewhere about $25.00-$35.00 in 1955 dollars. What goes arond comes around.

I recently acquired a 1917 dated DWM Gewehr 98 which has been butchered beyond all hope of restoration ($130.00 at another auction).


It has turned out to be an exceptionally accurate 8mm and is currently a sporter project which I really never envisioned. Just for fun!