Is my Kar98 Real or Fake (Loads of Pictures)

[emcon5]

That Romanian stuff has a reputation for being a little oversize. Read the reviews on that page. Only talking about the new manufacture, the old Romanian surplus is good stuff.

On the plus side, if that stuff is hard to chamber, it is a indication your headspace probably isn't excessive.

Rereading your posts it isn't entirely clear, if you load one round in the magazine, and chamber it, does the bolt close completely? Don't drop it in the barrel and close the bolt, load it from the magazine.

This goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, make sure the safety is on, and be careful loading a rifle in the house.

 

[Kman98]

That Romanian stuff has a reputation for being a little oversize. Read the reviews on that page. Only talking about the new manufacture, the old Romanian surplus is good stuff.

On the plus side, if that stuff is hard to chamber, it is a indication your headspace probably isn't excessive.

Rereading your posts it isn't entirely clear, if you load one round in the magazine, and chamber it, does the bolt close completely? Don't drop it in the barrel and close the bolt, load it from the magazine.

This goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, make sure the safety is on, and be careful loading a rifle in the house.

Yes it closes completely, I just cant turn the bolt all the way to 0 degrees, it gets stuck at 45 degrees.

Its not like a gunsmith will charge me if he tests it himself with the ammo I got and a regular 7.92x57mm. You know of a website that you trust to sell reliable ammo?

Btw I will go to a gunsmith.

 

[emcon5]

Yes it closes completely, I just cant turn the bolt all the way to 0 degrees, it gets stuck at 45 degrees.

Then it doesn't close completely. The bolt is still moving forward slightly (like hundredths of an inch) as the lugs engage inside the action when you rotate it.

A gunsmith will not use a live round, he will use a set of headspace gauges, like thise: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/5...e-gauge-field-length-8x57mm-mauser-8mm-mauser

There are three types, shamelessly stealing the description from the Forster product notes:

Headspace gauges are available in three different lengths, listed below, from shortest to longest:

Go Gauge: Go Gauges match the minimum chamber dimensions allowable under SAAMI specifications. In order to accept SAAMI maximum ammunition, the rifle must be able to chamber the correct go gauge.

No-Go Gauge: No-Go Gauges are sized to the maximum recommended headspace dimensions. If a rifle will chamber the no-go gauge, it may still be within specifications, or this could indicate excessive headspace. To determine if the rifle is safe to shoot, the chamber must be checked with the field gauge.

Field Gauge: Field Gauges correspond to the maximum safe headspace dimension. If a rifle will chamber a field gauge, it should be inspected and repaired by a competent gunsmith prior to use.

And a gunsmith probably will charge you to inspect the rifle.

You know of a website that you trust to sell reliable ammo?

It is not the web site as much as the ammo. That Romanian stuff is problematic for some rifles, it is sold a few different ways, It is sold as "Hot Shot" (Hot Shot is a Century brand I believe), it is also available from Midway as "PW Arms" and from the arseholes at Sportsmans Guide unbranded. All three have the same specs, and appear to be coming from the same factory in Romania.

Privi Partisan is decent ammo, but under-powered like most 8mm Mauser ammo available in the USA, and reasonably inexpensive. It is also brass cased and reloadable. As for where to buy, I have always liked SGAmmo.

 

[Ricklin]

Gunsmith

You need a gunsmith, period. Yes, they can and will charge you to inspect your rifle. Just might be the best money you have ever spent.

You are wasting your time trying to "figure it out" without the proper tools and knowledge.

Do not load and fire this rifle until you have the headspace checked by an individual who....
1. Has the proper tools.
2. Knows how to use them.

Please for your own sake, and perhaps that of innocent bystanders have the rifle inspected.

 

[mapsjanhere]

As you already have a lot of money in it, go find the right bolt before you mess with the headspace. What you got is probably from an interwar VZ 24. You want the bent bolt for a 98k. Take the bolt to the next gun show, and you can probably trade it for the correct one, offer $20 for the inconvenience.

 

[hooligan1]

Kman98, pm me. I live in Independece Mo. And I can see you get proper knowledge on your rifle.