That’s a lot for a $500 parts rifle, I mean I’m sure they’re great shooters but for the price why not get a genuine 98k? A good bolt mismatch can easily be had for 1200-1500, without all the James River Armory serial number humping and the pimp my 98k shine that these have…. people love shiny things though…. Ugh Don’t refurb anything unless it’s a lost cause. A sniper replica can be had for far less than $2500. The problem nowadays is patience is thrown out the window. People are so attracted to that instant buy now/add to cart button… Research… Accumounts repro high turret scope mounts are about 300, good donor parts rifle (ideally an old sporter) without fake stamps for the build can be had for 600, and the scope can be had for under 500. Wood is easy to clean with a damp cotton cloth. After the smith visit and some patience you’ve spent under 1800 bucks.
Personally these are more interesting to us than true originals. We run a shooter-grade reference collection, so re-pops with new barrels is right up our alley. In many cases, the uber collectable guns are just too valuable to justify shooting enough to achieve a level of proficiency needed for matches. I do however think JRA should put some markings on the gun to keep even the most basic of customers from being ripped off by the inevitable gun-show scammer.
