There is just something incredibly satisfying about yanking that straight piece of steel to cycle another round into the chamber as the extractor flings brass into next week. Not to say that straight bolts are superior to their angled brethren far from the contrary, in fact.

This may be due in part to the straight bolt handle, which has unfortunately died out due to bent bolts necessary for scoped guns and the prevalence of semiautomatic rifles. Very few, if any, modern rifles can claim such smoothness. Five feet of reach before firing makes for quite a formidable rifle. You can even stick a big giant bayonet on the end of it! This pairing has many potential functional uses: backscratcher, channel changer (for those times when the remote is just too far away), toothpick, and zombie poker, among many others. Next to Nagants, Mausers are essentially the AK-47 of bolt guns, but with loads more refinement. I have never experienced a failure to feed or failure to eject with my rifle and it is a fair assumption that most others in good condition will function equally flawlessly as well. Almost as if it’s been greased with butter, the Mauser action operates so smoothly that my particular rifle’s bolt can be worked easily with just one finger and with complete reliability every time the action is cycled. Still skeptical about a cheap, powerful, good-looking centerfire rifle for an extremely reasonable price with an illustrious history and potential to make money on the deal as time marches on like the soldiers that held it prior? Don’t worry, the Turk has you covered with more positives than you can shake your stick of butter at. Value for money alone is reason enough to buy a Turk, especially for those on a budget.

Think about it: how many other battle rifles can be bought for approximately $200 in good condition? Just three that I’m aware of: the Turkish Mauser, its kissing cousin M24/M48 from Yugoslavia patterned on the K98 (price depends on a number of variables), and the ubiquitous Mosin Nagant. Even if you simply stash it for resale later, you will more than likely profit on the deal as the incoming supply of old war rifles grows smaller every year and politicians become increasingly eager to fuel gun-buying hysteria. If you come across one in serviceable condition for $200 or less and you don’t already have at least two of these incredible rifles, buy it. For that reason, the Turkish M38 Mauser remains one of the best values in the whole firearms market. Make it three: death, taxes, and ever-increasing prices of cheap, powerful centerfire rifles. It’s often been said that two things in life are certain: death and taxes.

M38 turkish mauser