1917 German 8mm Masuer Rifle

[TomG]

Hello all....Tom Graziano here from Monument, CO. I have a 1917 8mm German Mauser military rifle that my Dad converted for hunting use. I am selling it and would like to get some ideas on what the value might be? I have plenty of pictures if asked. I have some offers for $300 but want to make sure that is fair for a 1917 rifle....from a collectors vice users' standpoint.
Thank you all and Happy Holidays.

[C. Roger Bleile]

Tom,

From a collector's point of view, military rifles that have been sporterized have no collector value. Unless your dad was a famous gunsmith, the gun has no value to collectors of custom made rifles. Therefore your rifle only has shooter value. You didn't say if it has a scope mounted but that will effect the value. Without seeing the gun it is impossible to make even an educated guess as to its value but an offer of $300. is probably in the ball park. I will add that to American shooters and hunters, the 8mm Mauser is an unpopular chambering. This is partly because of very limited factory loadings in the US and also because there are two bore diameters (.318 and .323) that German army rifles were made for over the years and a person has to be able to read the proofmarks or slug the bore to be sure which you have. If the gun was made during WWII it will be the .323 bore.

If it were my father's gun I wouldn't sell it at any price unless it was part of a large collection containing much better guns. My late father only had three guns and I won't part with any of them.