Help - Problem with RC k-98

[A.D.A.]

Just got a RC K-98 from classicarms. The gun looked pretty good when I pulled it out of the box, but upon closer inspection it is counter bored (sold as pristine bore, "bright and shiney with crisp clean lands and grooves"), there is pitting in the grooves, the action and barrel move around in the stock to an alarming degree, it misfired 1/3 of the rounds I put through it (6/18), and it shot about a 9 inch group at 100 yards. Not too good for a rifle sold as an "great shooter."

I have not put any go/nogo gages on it, but plan to. I have thoroughly cleaned it, especially the bolt. Can any of you suggest any other areas I should inspect? I am going to shoot it again, this time from a rest to ensure that the 9 inch group was the rifle and not the shooter. Is there anything else I should be looking at?

I know that pictures would be nice, but I don't have a camera at present.

On the bright side, I called customer service and they are working with me. In fact, they have been really pleasant to deal with.

[M1 Tanker]

The counter bore sounds like a Russian thing. What concerns me the most is the movement in the stock...which it shouldn't have. I would send it back and ask for another one .

[kevin]

where you using yugo ammo? that could be the case of misfires, it has REALLY hard primers. I put stronger springs in my bolts and it really helped. ALso ive got a rifle that moves in the stock too, a russian sks, it shoots about 12 inch groups from sandbags just because it moves so much in the stock. My other sks's shoot nice groups.

I need to fix mine with some glass bedding or brass shims or something.

[Schultz]

I would send it back. Classic did that to me with an Enfield, Needless to say i don't deal with them anymore.

[A.D.A.]

Thanks for the responses.
Kevin - Yes it was Yugo ammo. However, the second time I shot it, it fired about 1/3 of the rounds I put in it. The guy I got the ammo from did not have similar problems with it. At this point I suspect a worn firing pin, worn spring, or improper headspace. I could not find a go/nogo gauge this weekend.

Shultz - When you dealt with them before, did you get a satisfactory Enfield or did you just get your money back? I am going to send it back, but not sure if I want to ask them for another rifle or just get my money. The reason I went to classic in the first place was threads from the old forum saying how great they were. On the other hand, they rated this rifle as a nice shooter, so how can I trust them.

Tanker - Since I first posted I have researched the counterbore issue and it is a Russian thing, just a cheap recrown. On the second trip to the range it shot an 11 inch group off a rest at 100 yards (that is 2" bigger than without the rest). The movement in the stock is not only front to back, the slop goes side to side as well.

[M1 Tanker]

Again ADA, that stock is bad...and is a major source of your accuracy problems. K98 stocks are very expensive, $150 and up, when you can find them for sale. I would seriously consider returning it.

[A.D.A.]

Thanks Tanker. It going back, no question about it. My only concern now is whether to request a replacement rifle or to just ask for my money back. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

[turbothis]

thats sucks. i want one. get another....

[drhall762]

I have dealt with them on several occassions. I have never had a problem though I have heard they do occur. Yours may be just the luck of the draw by a minimum wage warehouse worker. Don't know how many employees they have. I'd try to get another one. I'd bet they will be more careful in the selection.

Dave :sniper:

[Perro]

ALL surplus 8mm ammo has hard primers.
ive shot a ton of the turk, yugo, and romanian and they ALL have hard primers compared to .308. the turk being the worst in my experiance with a greater than a 60% failure rate in a bone stock RC k98.

adding a stronger firing pin spring helps with this, in any firearm that shoots 8mm.

[Seattlefungus]

All the K98's being sold with the German Eagles intact are Russian capture rifles. Before they put them into storage, they inspected the bores and if there was any bore damage they counter bore. They did it to the Mosin 90/30's, the M44 & the M38's too. I don't think most of the sellers know what a counter bore is.... I've bought from Century, Centerfire, Classicarms and Interordnance, about 80% were counterbore 1+ inch from the crown.

[my-rifle]

:1106:
Thanks Tanker. It going back, no question about it. My only concern now is whether to request a replacement rifle or to just ask for my money back. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

I've been dealing with Classic ever since I got into the milsurp hobby (5 rifles from them, one pistol, and four parts kits), and they've always given me good service. Ben there will usually state up front that he doesn't know Mausers - his specialty is Mosin-Nagants, but he will probably take it back and send you a new one. He really tries hard to please his customers. I have found hime to be an honest gun dealer.

[SteelCore]

I've been lucky or something on the counterbore issue. I have yet to pick up any Mosin and see counterboring....and I've held a few....dozen.

[Planning]

I've been lucky or something on the counterbore issue. I have yet to pick up any Mosin and see counterboring....and I've held a few....dozen.

i have bought several mosin nagants ( over 400, i sell about 10-20 a week) in the last 18 months or so and the only counter bore MN rifle i have found so far have been the m-38's. almost all of the last laminated stock 30 or 40 of them i got were counter bore ( looks like the just did them all whether they needed it or not). i sold most of them and the guys love them. for a MN they shoot great. except for looks i don't see counter bore as a bad thing.

i have not bought any m-38's or m-91/30's in 6 months, so the last batch of them may be counter bored also. i guess i need to find some to buy. i am out of m'38's and m-91/30's to sell for now.

[XO3319]

Have you taken the receiver out of the stock

your accuracy issue might be due to a cracked stock as well...it may be something you can't see like a vertical crack in the wood by the trigger

[A.D.A.]

:1106:

I've been dealing with Classic ever since I got into the milsurp hobby (5 rifles from them, one pistol, and four parts kits), and they've always given me good service. Ben there will usually state up front that he doesn't know Mausers - his specialty is Mosin-Nagants, but he will probably take it back and send you a new one. He really tries hard to please his customers. I have found hime to be an honest gun dealer.

I told Ben about the counter bore issue and he said to send the rifle back. He is going to send me another rifle and eat the shipping cost. He is going to hand select it to ensure there is no future problem. There was absolutely no hassle. He really did not seem to want to know all the reasons the rifle didn't meet my expectations after I explained it was counter bored. He was just concerned that I was not happy with the weapon. His goal was to ensure the customer was satisfied. Why can't all businesses be run with that kind of attitude? Now it just remains to see what the replacement rifle looks like.

[A.D.A.]

Here it is approximately 2 weeks later and my new K98 arrived. This gun is nice, really nice. I am more than impressed with its appearance. Matching numbers (not all but receiver, barrel, and stock at least), nice mirror bore (no counter bore), blue is flawless, etc. etc. This gun far exceeds my expectations. Ben at classic sure did ensure that I was pleased.

I have not had a chance to take it to the range yet (only had it a couple of hours), but if it shoots as good as it looks then I will have one of the nicest russian capture k98s that I have ever seen.

Range report to follow. I love happy endings.

[M1 Tanker]

ADA, the numbers on the outside of the stock are russian serial numbers, the germans didn't stamp numbers on the stock. The receiver/barrel are typically the only matching parts on a RC K98. Anything that is electropenciled is Russian also.

I'm glad he took care of you, the other one sounded like it had real problems. How about a picture?

[Seattlefungus]

I sold a M38 to a hardcore collector. He'd tried unsuccessfully for 2 years to find one to finish his collection without a counter bore. My was hand selected from Inter Ordnance, but it too had a 1 inch counter bore. Laminate stocks and no forced numbers. He took it. He told me the day he picked it up from his gun shop dealer, he had three offers before he got out the door. The went right to the range. First shot from 300 dead center, same with the next 5. Then he decided to try the 500, missed 2, then remembered they tended to shoot high and adjusted. next six dead on. Then he tried 700. 3 for 3 and the wind picked up. He said it was a hoot as there were these 2 fellows with there with Weatherby’s and about 3000 worth of optics and they couldn't hit shit. They had to come over and see what the hell he was shooting. They were a little sheepish when told it was an open sight Russian rifle from 1942 that cost him $155.00. He had a lot of info on all the models and said that the Russians did counter bore just about everything. Had something to do with the fact that they got a liter of vodka each break at 4 hour intervals

[SteelCore]

neither do I...it seems a perfectly valid way to ensure the rifle gets renewed accuracy without shortening the barrel....the principle seems sound in theory.

"Had something to do with the fact that they got a liter of vodka each break at 4 hour intervals"
-->Ahh. that's why the Russkis in industry were working triple overtime! :D

Gladta hear they go the K98 straight for you.

"They were a little sheepish when told it was an open sight Russian rifle from 1942 that cost him $155.00."
-->Heehee. Yeah, I have pix of tons of WWI snipers in belgium, shooting ancient bolt guns with Iron sights at 300+ M and hitting individual german officers in marching columns. How easily some modern shooters (prevalent in rifle hunters, espeically) have forgotten the use of irons and the Mk 1 eyeball.

I can't wait to run the mosins out to 300yds at the big range, now that it is warming up. My 91.30 outshoots the M-44, both in comfort and accruacy.

[nevada]

My Russian M44 is counterbored, it is a very accurate rifle.