Adventures in Surplus: Yugoslav M48 Mauser 

You should buy more packs of like 4 to 6 guns those "Adventures in Surplus" videos are great

This is the most common gun that can be found in many households across Serbia and Montenegro,that and the M70 Zastava and another versions.And yes,Kragujevac,you've pronounced it quite decently i'm satisfied.If you need any help with Balkan fire arms,i'm the native from there,so you know,just offering if there's any information i could translate for you,or help you find something.

My dad was in the Yugoslav army from 1953-57, and trained as a MG-42 gunner. Probably used an M-48 as his basic training rifle. The M-48 was by no means a front-line rifle. It was more of a "people" rifle, to be used for basic defense of the country if needed. Remember that Yugoslavia was in a very precarious position in the late 40s and early 50s, as it was the borderlands between the East and West. Stalin hated Marshall Tito and threats of invasion were widespread. This was just a stop gap measure until more modern semi-auto rifles could be procured.

I enjoyed this series on moderately priced available surplus which is a good balance to the more obscure rarities, which also frequently are expensive and unattainable. I have two Yugos, M48A and 24/47. Wish I'd bought a Yugos SKS when they were cheap. So this series is a good addition to your range of content Ian.

I've watched this video with my M48 sitting on my lap and that made me think this : "This is my rifle, they are many like it but this one is mine..."

You should definitely make this “adventures in surplus” series a yearly thing.

"Institute 44" Damn, these guys knew how to make cheesy movie titles.

This was a really interesting little series. I think it would be nice to see this kind of stuff sprinkled in here and there, but I much prefer the proper overlook as a general base.

hey ian i know this will get lost in the comments but in early so i hope you see this. thank you for your work it is incredible how much detail and effort you put in it. thank you

I own a particularly nice, probably never-issued, M-48. Blonde stock, bright clean finish. Easily the best condition Mauser I own.

my yugo was one of the first guns i purchased, it was great when 8mm surplus was also common. a spam can was $35 (oh the days) i was fortunate enough to buy more ammo in bulk but once it's gone... i'm going to be hurting buying new 8mm. Great vid!!!

Keep them all 4 - this was a good buy!

My father server in the 80s in an engineer battalion. He told me he got a factory new one and that he had to clean it for 3 days from all the oil lol

The first long gun that I did ever fire when I was 16. Back in the old days, we all need to do training with m48 in 4 grade of highschool :) Robust an precise rifle :)

I have a 24/52c i got at springfield sporters for $79. It was damn near as it was after rebuild. They were yugo and no one wanted them! 🤗 It started as a Czech CZ 24. My M48 was $109 😁

I seriously like this format. Do some more when you can please. I bought 10 Mod 48s years ago at a gun show when they were first being imported. A dealer friend of mine had bought a lot of 50 rifles. I got them dirt cheap (less than $200 each) and they were all matching and in good shape. Some had been refurbished but the assembly numbers still matched. Three of them had questionable stocks and they are all three now custom hunting rifles in the hands of my nephews, two in original 8mm (actually a great handloading cartridge) and one rechambered and barreled in .30 '06. The rest were a great investment.

I love my M48A, it was the first gun I bought myself (not my first gun, I have been shooting since I was 8)a few years back when I turned 18. Low serial number and all matching with a near pristine bore. I have been waiting for this video for a while! Thanks Ian

This has been a brilliant series! Really wish I could attend one of these gun auctions to get some of these beautiful old military rifles! Unfortunately I live in the UK so this is something I can’t do but it’s been brilliant watching you do this!

Nicely said, Ian. Spend two minutes at the beginning of the video describing almost every kind of collectible or hobby situation.

the true forgotten weapon: from a country that no longer exists in name.

well done. i was really impressed with your pronunciation of the word "kragujevac" at the beginning. Greetings from Serbia. Keep up the good work

I remember my mother telling me that she use to have "peoples defense" class is high-school, and they were training on this rifle.

All across the Balkans,almost everyone,or their grandfather,has one of these stashed in the drawer under the thick winter blankets. Also,not far off with ''Kragujevac'' .

I hope you bring back this series. My favorite so far.

Watching this video 1km from where that gun was made in Kragujevac! hahahaha And I loved hearing you try to say my towns name! Thanks for the great video! Always great to hear what you think.

You got the pronunciation right in the intro, the "c" at the end is a "ts" sound, not a "k". Also, "Zastava" has the emphasis on the first syllable, not the middle one, "ZAstava" not "zaSTAva". Kudos for trying your best in pronouncing foreign words, it shows respect.

I really liked this series. Very informative on the whole process and what to expect. As well as a few tips on what to look for.

Thank You Ian, this is great to get deep in to individual rifle's history and provenance as well, as knowing common model history. Would be nice to see more videos of this kind.

I've really enjoyed this series. It's something of a Genesis of collecting in modern milsurps, and it kinda helped me reconnect with the hobby, especially with all the upheaval we're experiencing today. Thanks very much for taking the time to delve into some as yet not-so-forgotten weapons. I found the K98az and this one to be particularly interesting. Thanks again for this series...looking forward to the next one.

Thank you Ian - another great video. I have a pristine M48 which looks to be unfired - if that is possible. Really nice to learn its history. Ian - you rock!

I really appreciate this series, but also your regular work as well. It has helped me to better understand what I am looking at when I see an old surplus rifle in the store or even the few that I have.

Thank you. I love this segment as I have an M48 and M48 A and it certainly helped me understand the weapons that I have so much fun shooting. Both of mine are excellent and very accurate rifles.

I personally like this series, both the look at how the lots are put together and sold at the auction as well as the peek at each individual rifle. There is a lot of history about Mausers in general on the web so a look at what makes each gun unique of it's own accord is cool.

Great. Now I have to take apart my M48 and look for all those numbers. I never really gave the rifle much thought. Bought it almost 20 years ago just because it was cheap and I wanted to have some sort of Mauser 98. Wish I had bought a lot of other old service rifles back then. Enfields and Swedish Mausers were really cheap, even some American rifles were relatively easy to get. How the times have changed...

Ian, Just a quick thank you for this very enjoyable series of videos. Your content is always hugely informative but this series on the rifles from the auction have been a lot of fun too. Congratulations on your purchases!!

I was fortunate to pick one up in 1993 at what would be a very inexpensive price. It was as yours in the video is an M48 in original as issued condition. All numbers matching, only the bayonet was not matching. I have never fired it. It is a beautiful example and I am proud to own it.

I've really enjoyed this series, I hope it continues.

I have enjoyed this little group of films, and nearly everything that Ian has presented thus far has been very interesting, his depth of knowledge is immense and yet he his happy to be corrected should be make an error. I have no idea why I find this channel so absorbing as I own no guns, and have never shot more than an air rifle at the fair! Keep up the good work.

I loved this look into the stories these guns can tell. It's what I love about this channel, in general, but these stories were just fascinating! I would welcome another series like this in the future. Keep up the great work, Ian!

This is an excellent way to get across information on the particular model.

Can you start an "Adventures in Surplus" fund, we all donate cash to the fund, you buy batches of rifles as such and do a historical examination of them, keep the ones you like, sell the ones you don't and put the proceeds onto the fund. Cause this thing is fascinating

I liked all of the videos you done this week, perhaps another one later or next year. It just shows how many different models of the same rifle is out there.

Very nice 'series', be nice to see more about specific history/information for a particular rifle in the future. Now I want to buy one of these.

Excellent series! Your still bringing the coolest things.

Would love a shooting video and your thoughts on each rifle!

I'm going to always regret selling my consecutive serial number unissued M48A rifles.. Such beautiful Mausers.

Great series. Really interesting seeing the whole process from auction, to the individual stories of each rifle.

Finally the M48! First rifle I ever bought. It's dead accurate and a joy to shoot. Glad to see you finally doing an episode on this rifle.

I've enjoyed this quite a bit. While it's fun to see videos about obscure, weird and strange guns this speaks to another side of me. The one that loves flee markets and thrift stores. The "Oh look what I found!" part of it. So if you ever have more adventures in surplus happen, then by all means, make more episodes! :)

Last time I was this early, Yugoslavia was still a country.

I love this mini-series you've made. The main videos you produce provide a well rounded history of a firearm and it's life cycle so to speak which is awesome. This series acts to decode/uncover the history of an individual firearm which I find equally intriguing. I for one would love to see more of these style of episodes should you find firearms you find suitable for the task.

I like these adventures in surplus very much, also I love the way you are very respectful to each of the guns' history, how you go to great lengths to ensure you get all the relevant information. that is the mainstay of this channel, and is one of the reasons I keep returning

truth be told, one does not need that front leaf spring. BUT would heavily advise that you get that leaf spring as to not invite any dangerous variables

I'm from Bosnia and Herzegovina (former republic in Yugoslavia), and here I could probably get 5 of these M48's in perfect condition for about 1200$. (Maybe not perfect, but almost new since they were used in the Bosnian/Yugoslav war as backup rifles while we mainly used M70's and other AK type rifles in the capital city Sarajevo )

I thoroughly enjoyed this series of videos And especially this particular gun. I most enjoyed that this rifle was not on your radar as something you wanted and yet it is such a high quality piece. Thank you for putting the series together as a continuous story.

I enjoyed the series. Love the history of old firearms. I too hope to expand my collection soon but in the meantime, your videos will have to suffice. Thanks for all that you do for us Ian.

I picked up an Yugo m48 for 250 bucks when they were still coming in and no one was interested. It had the worst trigger I have ever dealt with ever. At the range the first time the pull was harder and worse than a Nagant revolver. I barely got through a box. Took it home, took it apart and there was almost like hardened wax in all the trigger internals. I know what cosmoline is, I've got my share of Mosins, SKS, AKs, etc but this stuff was genuinely like compressed wax. I was impressed how awful that trigger was. Cleaned it up and everything is now typical milsurp. Neat rifle though, glad I got one when I could.

0:00 when foreigners try to say my name

My favorite part of this channel are the series. So much info, yet properly broken up and watchable.

Thanks Ian, this was a great series and I would love to see another in the future.

Can you do more if you get another batch lot?

Kragujevac, yes Ian. Svaka čast!

This was really interesting and shows the variety available. Keep up the good work and thank you.

Thanks for the great vids sir. I thought the auction series was great and loved the individual peek at each rifle.

It's easy - Крагујевац :D Krah-goo-yea-vatz

It's like 4 am, but thanks for uploading.

Loved this series Ian.The intro always reminds me of Sheldon Coopers 'fun with flags' from the 'big bang'.

loved Adventures in Surplus... As you point out each item has a history of how it is a part of history. Stories like that are worth telling. Thank you, i look forward to the next adventure

Five years from now: "Yugoslav M48 Mauser for sale, contact Ian for more information or watch this video."

My great grandpa was in the royal Yugoslavian army and I have been wanting one of those but I really don’t want the price to skyrocket...

We used to have a local gun shop that specialized in stocking C&R guns, Eastern European former military guns, etc. I bought an M48-A with bayonet several years back along with quite a bit of steel core surplus 8mm ammo. I was amazed at how accurate the rifle is. Fun story: My old PD range had some old cars parked there for us to shoot at and work training scenarios around, test ammo, etc. I shot into the engine compartment just in front of the driver side door, 5 rounds of steel core ammo. Those vehicles had sat there for over a year and man, there was SO MUCH DUST! I walked up to reach in and pop the hood so I could see what the rounds had done to the engine (if anything). That's when I thought, gee, that "dust" sure smell kinda acrid. I opened the driver door to pull the hood release and saw flames coming under the dash. Yep, steel core rounds had sparked like crazy and apparently there were several old birds nests inside and, well, have you ever seen how FAST a car can go from smoking to fully involved? Yeahhhh .... Oh, and we were in the middle of a drought. AND the range is surrounded by woods. AND the dry grass and leaves under and around the car were catching. Fire dept. called and asked if I needed them really badly because they had another call. They were still a couple miles out. I asked them to look up into the sky in my direction (at the huge pillar of dark smoke). They got there before it got to the woods and all was taken care of (except for a very interesting incident report I had to write). After that little drama, they stood around and had me shoot the crap out of the other cars TRYING to get them to catch fire. Nope. To this day I think a few of them still think I was shooting tracers or something nefarious.

Great review and very timely as I picked one up recently and this answered a lot of my questions on it. Thanks. Keep up the great reviews.

That's James Bond's rifle serial number!

Are you planning a round up video where you go back to review and revise your initial opinions from viewing the lot now you've had a chance to get more hands on and delve into the weapons life?

I really loved this serie of videos and I would love to see more in the same vein in the future. A great batch of rifles, thanks Ian!

I really enjoyed this series! It's interesting seeing some more pedestrian and attainable rifles. I like the idea of being able to easily own some of the items you talk about!

Greetings from Serbia! Btw the pronunciation was the best XD...

I can't say the name myself, but I admire anyone at least making an attempt on its pronunciation

Ian, I enjoyed the series of you auction batch rifles. Then again, I enjoy all your videos because you delve into the history of the particular firearm. Keep up the good work!

I enjoyed this series very much. Thank you, Ian.

Would the higher production standards translate in higher precision / smoother action? I cannot think of a surplus I would like to buy that I cannot shoot at milsurp competition ...

I alwasy liked them, but damm I hated that crest. I still do. Germans arms after may 45... yeah germans were in a hurry to get home.

Thanks Ian. Loved this series.

36 views, 55 likes *RU-vid at work*

Last time I was this early Hillary Clinton was dodging sniper fire

Another positive vote cast for the very interesting and enjoyable Adventures in Surplus series. Well done, Ian.

I have to agree this series was fun, informative and had an element of randomness. Great work.

Great format/concept Ian. Please more of these!

Enjoyed this little series. A slight change in perspective.

I have greatly enjoyed this series. I find it fascinating to go into the individual rifles and look at all the eccentricities.

Kk, so the visual effect and hand motion for adventures in surplus is making me so happy. I definitely think this is something you could totally add a few times through a year. Fun stuff.

Definitely a worthwhile series. I'd love to see additional content like this.

Thank you for all your channel! Everytime I watch, I go open my safe and spend time with the kids! And apriciate them a little more.

I bought one of these back in the 90's. It was the first rifle I ever bought simply because it's a Mauser and Mauser is the best bolt action ever made. It was unissued and all matching. It's true, the market was flooded back in the 90's. Big 5 would have a few for sale every week. They all disappeared into private collections though and now are hard to come by.

I got my M48 a couple of years ago and followed along with your video. Thanks for making this video!

In 1976 when I was in secondary scool, 14 years old, regular scool subject in former Yougoslavia was reassembling and assembling M48 and also we did shooting from M48 on targets on military shooting field.

Considering the volume of information you have given us from this series I'd say it's a perfect fit for your channel and I hope you can make it a regular part of Forgotten Weapons. 👍

My M48 SN is pretty close to that one. I'm cleaning it right now. Understanding the tiny details, markings, and stamps has given me much more appreciation for it too. Love mine and so glad I got it

I loved this ‘Adventures in Surplus’ series, please continue with others in your collection :)

This was a great little side series and I know I would love to see more like this going forward!