Here is my dilemna to an a old question. I like my Yugo Mauser 8mm (bent bolt) and thought about using it for hunting. Scopeing it out would just complete it for hunting but....I asked about putting a scope on it. Some told me there are Long eye relief scope mounts but they suggest I pass them up. OK. So I suggested I would have a Gunsmith drill and tap my rifle, to use a standard scope but the guys at the gunshop told me a Gunsmith would have to mess with the safety, and so forth and the work/cost would be more then what my rifle was worth. more trouble then it was worth. One said it might cost 2x the price of myactual Mauser. In all honesty, I am a real newbe to all this and I thought it would be so easy to just drill/tap on a mount and go from there. As far as altering the safety, I don't even mess with the safety because I tend to unload my rifle if i'm treking or not looking for game. I know some will tell me I might lose game with my gun not being loaded. Anyways, how difficult is it to put a mount on my Mauser Yugo M48? Is it that much work that its not worth the price? Any alternative mounts you guys would suggest I use? Please help me. :confused:

You'd have to get the scope up pretty high for the occular housing to clear the wing safety...but it can be done. So long as it is up in the air a bit, may as well go with a big objective lens scope (givien that you have to move it upwards to cear one end, may as well let that height be put to some use).

Will find that your face lacks support when firing, which seldom does your off hand groups any good. Can tolerate it from sand bags, but it's awkward in hunting situations.

Given the right mount, and high rings, no reason you can't have a scope mounted...are some no-drill-tap mounts that can be made to work.

Standard drill for scoping a military mauser - could be plenty of work, unless you mount it real high.

It'd surely be a lot cheaper to try out one of the forward 'scout' scopes; there are no-drill mounts that replace the rear sight.

I've got a 48A as well......

It is possible to mount a scope on a Yugoslav Model 48 on the receiver, and still use the unaltered bolt and safety. The secret is "See-Thru" mounts that place the scope above the bolt and safety arcs. I have a vintage Kar98k Mauser that a previous owner placed "See-Thru" mounts on and I use it with a scope and unaltered bolt and safety.

If a lower mount is desired, then the bolt will need to be forged or replaced with another one, the receiver will need to be drilled and tapped and a low scope safety would complete the setup. There are costs involved, but they are not that significant where I get gunsmith work done. All the best...
Gil

Higher mounts, gotcha....

Before I knew much about guns, I once had a .308 mauser fixed for hunting. It had a scope on it and had enough clearance for the safety but I sold it. I thought they came like that until I did my homework.

The no-drill mounts that go on the rear sight seem pretty cheesy. The one made by www.iron-elite.com looks promising since it stretches back long enough to use a regular scope. If you guys know which mount i'm talking about, does it not still move up and down, since it connects to the rear sight? How rigid are these mounts and do they hold zero?

Its a bit priceymount but should I consider this option or just have it drilled and tapped?

I have the same gun, and although accurate, found the sights on it to not hit 0 on their current setting which was impossible to change and somewhat frustrating. The farther the shot, the closer to the point of aim. I went ahead and got the millet scope mount and a pistol scope to try out the situation you are describing. I went through several trials and travails, and was unable to 0 the scope. Probably was too loose of a fit. I did things correctly, but found I was better off leaving it as is. I spent my money on a new rifle and have not regretted it. I use the Mauser for plinking, and have shot a hog with it. Thats about it in 3 years. I wouldn't waste my money on that rear sight-mounted scope mount if I were you.

I've had no problems with the scope and mount that replace the standard rear sight. It zeroed easily, and holds zero.

I installed a long eye relief Burris 2-7X on my M-48. This was done with B-Square mounts designed to replace the rear sight. This does not permanently alter the rifle, except for a little bit of shaving of the handguard's wood, so you can get it back like original if you want to. Brownells carried the mount and also the Timney trigger. The trigger is wonderful.

This has worked well for me. I did have to fabricate a cheek piece to get my face up in line with the scope, but I have to do that in all my rifles, so you may not need to.

Good luck.

I'll not zero out the rear sight mounts yet. But I am more leaning towards the drill and tap set up.

Correct me if i am wrong, Isn't the M48 Yugo bent bolt only have bent (unlike the K98)? Would this big a factor on the mounting a scope mount via drill/tap? Or will the High mounts still remedy this problem?

I used an S&K Instamount on mine. Replaces the rear sight, doesn't require any drilling or tapping, is stout as all get out, and allows you to return the rifle to original condition should you decide you want to. I mounted a Burris 2.75x Scout scope on it, and with my handloads using either 170 gr Hornady RN or 185 gr Remington Core Lokt it shoots 1 1/2" all day long at 100 yds. Haven't tried it at longer ranges, but I'm sure it'll be fine. The Insta Mount runs right at $75 and the scope was $148 from Natchez. I can't say enough good things about this setup. I liked it so well that I put one on my Russian M44 as well. With Wolf ammo the M44 shoots 3" at 100. I'm hoping that it will do better with some good handloads.

If you D&T the receiver for scope mounts, you will have to re bend the bolt handle or weld a new lower profile handle on. It will not clear a scope tube if you don't. You will also have to replace the safety as well for the same reasons. Going to a high enough mount to clear the tube with the bolt handle and safety will require holding your head darn near off the stock to sight through the scope. A reliable cheek weld is nearly impossible. If you go this route, you can try one of those leather add on cheek rests that the Garand M1D used to have, but you might have trouble clearing the bolt when you work it.

I considered all of that stuff, and decided that the scout setup was superior and cheaper in the long run.

When it dawned on my the M48 was half bent bolt, I knew it presented a problem. I gonna seriuosly consider the mounts from www.iron-elite.com . They let you use regular scope instead of long eye relief scopes. The drill/tap is now looking more more unrealistic approach. If you ever used these mounts, let me know.

Just looked at the Iron Elite site, and saw the mount. Two questions:
1. What is the mount made of?
2. Will it flex or bend and make keeping a constant zero difficult.

That's a pretty long moment arm at the rear of the mount, and looks like it could flex alot. I have a scout extension on a carry handle mount for my AR15, and it flexes, sometimes so much it changes zero on my Aimpoint. I'm going to go to a Swan A.R.M.S. type mount because it is solidly resting on and attached to the forend, and should eliminate flex. The Iron Elite looks like it might have the same problem in reverse. Just a thought.

Just looked at the Iron Elite site, and saw the mount. Two questions:
1. What is the mount made of?
2. Will it flex or bend and make keeping a constant zero difficult.

That's a pretty long moment arm at the rear of the mount, and looks like it could flex alot. I have a scout extension on a carry handle mount for my AR15, and it flexes, sometimes so much it changes zero on my Aimpoint. I'm going to go to a Swan A.R.M.S. type mount because it is solidly resting on and attached to the forend, and should eliminate flex. The Iron Elite looks like it might have the same problem in reverse. Just a thought.

For that it's worth, recently scope mounted an old 1/2 sportized Jap 6.5mm. Had to do the bolt handle (in this case, cut it off, turn it over, weld it back on) which eneded up with a bolt handle with pretty much the height of the Mauser you descibe.

Found an un-nambed steel mount in my junk box...welded a shim to the rear to make it sit level...drilled and taped the action (and those Arisaka's are HARD)...mounted a SMALL occular (rear) lens scope in high rings(and old K-3). Bolt handle needed a little reworking of the knob to clear (so now it has two flats, on on top for clearnace and one on the bottom just to balance the look).

Works fine...shoots reasonably small groups for an old surplus rifle with minor trigger work...is the "I want to borrow a rifle/ my rile screwed up and I need a spare" gun.

That M48 mount looked slightly offset to the left.
Look at all the others, and you'll see the K-98 basically over the bore, but another one (turk?) way to the left. Go with the scout mount and save a heap of trouble.

BTW, you'll also have to add like 4" to the Mauser stock to achieve cheek weld with the set-up pictured. Either that or shoot with your face not touching the stock. Nice way to get "ring around the eyebrow".

Notice how they are carefull to use a scope without an enlarged objective? Looks like it would work with up to 28-32MM objectives, but not anything larger.

Not a giant fan of the forward scout-mount...more about the limited field of view long eye relief scopes have than anything else, but if you keep to the low powers that limitation isn't so bad.