What is the deal with these cheap aftermarket stocks for 98 mausers?

[FirstFreedom]

Lo, these many years they've been selling these horridly ugly plastic stocks for large ring mauser actions, with that cheeeeesy upper plastic portion which has a scope mounting rail on it:

http://www.atigunstocks.com/installa...0-install.html

For many years, before I was familiar with milsurps, I thought that surely there must be something in the nature of 98 mauser that *required* the use of these ridiculous-looking stocks with that upper, making them look like some sort of sci-fi movie space gun. But having seen many nicely-sporterized 98s over the years (not to mention commercial mausers), and seeing "regular" replacement sporter stocks for sale:

http://www.gun-parts.com/mauserstocks/P1010001.JPG

of course the silly ones are not necessary - so the question is WHY - why are the silly ones only sold for mauser 98s and not other milsurp rifles? I mean, evidently they must sell quite a few of them, because they've been on the market for years and years. Luckily, I've never had the misfortune to witness one of these heinous abominations in person, so I sure don't know who's buying them. I just can't figure out the why of it. Why sell them and why do people (evidently) buy them? I guess the answer must be, a cheap no-gunsmithing way to get a scope mount, but why wouldn't they also make similar then, for say, mosin-nagants or whathaveyou?

http://www.atigunstocks.com/product-mosin.html

Why must the 98s be singled out to suffer so? See, why couldn't they have at least done with the 98 stock, what they did there with the mosin stock? Or like with this enfield stock:

http://www.atigunstocks.com/product-enfield.html

[MacGille]

Ugliest damn thing i ever saw.

[Ruger4570]

If the ATI gunstocks were free and included a $50.00 bonus, I still wouldn't buy one. THey are on the verge of FUGLY. I want a classic look or nothing. Of course, what does my opinion matter anyways?

[MDman]

I bought one, like you said I was looking for a way to put a scope on my mauser. And personally the Monte Carlo stock style is the ugliest to me, second only to the thumb hole stocks.

[FirstFreedom]

lol, I guess I'll change my sig line since you "beat me to it" in stealing Tam's line, MDman. We think alike (except for looks of stocks).

[MDman]

That sig line is one of the few things I have read that really caused me to laugh out loud.

but when it comes to stocks you don’t care for the Mc millian style? which is what the ATI stock does a very rough version of.

[FirstFreedom]

Oh yeah, don't get me wrong - the p-grip portion and rest of it looks very good. It's just that top portion and the way it makes the barrel look coming out the front, that gets me.

[MDman]

yea...I did not know the rail on top was plastic, with as much kick as the mauser has I am pretty sure the scope is going to just fall off after a few shots.

did you notice that this mimics the steyr scout rifle?

http://world.guns.ru/sniper/steyr_scout.jpg

[Mausermolt]

if i ever even got the thought in my mind to change my K98's looks to this i would go to the tallest mountain i could find and shoot myself with it i think as you said they are an abomination to a great peice of history

[ConfuseUs]

Those stocks were made for the HiPoint company to make very economical Mauser style hunting rifles with but the company discovered how much it would cost to make real rifles and decided not to. Unfortunately the stocks had already been manufactured, so there was nothing left for ATI to do but try to sell them to people who own real Mausers.

Ha ha, just kidding. But if in fact this turns out to be the truth, I knew it all along!

[Jimro]

You know I have seen some pretty nice sporters in ATI stocks, a fellow who uses the handle FMSniper at the hide and sporterizing.com uses the regular bottom portion to make some real sweet shooters.

The upper portion he just throws away. When I made my "tactical mauser" I used a Boyds laminate stock, and it doesn't shoot any better than FMSNiper's in a cheaper ATI stock.

Jimro

[FirstFreedom]

That's interesting Jimro. They'd probably sell a lot more of those if they told you that you could just throw the top part away if you wanted to.

[ConfuseUs]

So the unfrickinbelievably ugly top part is trash that you can just toss? I guess that would mean you have an aesthetically acceptable sporter with that stock. I prefer the issue stock myself.

[Jimro]

A thread with some pics of FMSniper's work.

http://www.mausercentral.com/forum/v...ba21afa56f07b6

Jimro

[tINY]

Those stock exist because you can put a scope on a surplus mouser with no gunsmithing.

Anybody who can manage to mount a one-piece rail (drill fixture or not) doesn't really need one - I don't think anybody buys it for it's aesthetics.....



-tINY

[ConfuseUs]

...you can put a scope on a surplus mouser with no gunsmithing.

Both my Mausers would require hacking off the bolt handle and replacing it with the ATI bolt handle kit.
I might add that the moment anything other than a screwdriver or pin punch comes out, gunsmithing has begun IMHO.
Also, I've heard that the ATI bolt handle kits aren't very strong and so the bolt handle should be properly bent by a gunsmith anyway.

At any rate, a good sporterization of a Mauser will probably cost as much as just going out and buying a Rem model 798 anyway. It's a brand-new, factory made Mauser with none of the military stuff you don't want, and all of the civilian stuff you do want.

[Jimro]

I used an ATI bolt kit once, and after a liberal dose of loctite I had no problems with it. I don't recommend them tho, they just don't look very nice.

And if you want a sporter mauser a Rem 798, Charles Daly, or MarkX (they are all the same rifle, just different importers) are a pretty inexpensive option.

Jimro

[Bigfatts]

Wasn't that ATI stock designed to make it look like the Steyr Scout rifles? I agree about the looks though. I saw one in person and I threw up a little.

[FirstFreedom]

Thanks for the link, Jimro - they actually look pretty darn good without the top piece. Good info in that thread about stock preparation, bedding, etc., to make them shoot.