Looking for matched K98 bolts

A

Atticus Thraxx

New member
I have serial number 5954 I need to match a bolt for. Have D9089.
I have serial number 31942 I need to match a bolt for. Have 2448.
It's a long, long shot but won't hurt to try. :D
 
And gain what???

Possibly a lot of money they aren't entitled to.

Not you, but some future owner down the road, years or decades from now.

Because the practice was to use the last two digits of the serial number on some parts, this allows for what is called "force match". This is where someone takes a part from a gun with the last two numbers matching another gun and uses parts from one, on the other.

This creates the impression that the now "all matching" gun has original parts.

Collectors pay more for all matching guns based on the idea that they are all original, and the difference can be large. An all matching Luger might bring twice what the same gun with mismatched parts is worth.

Its fine if you want to "force match" the parts for YOUR gun, you know what you did. But some future owner might not know what you did, and believes the gun is all original, and values it as such.
 
I respond thusly, and that will be the end of my participation on the subject:

1. Your entire premise hinges on the only possible match being a false one. And that I or someone else would not be able to suss out nonsense. I reject that.

2. Once I die, in fact hopefully the day before, I give two craps what anything is worth anymore. My bills will be paid, my kids knowing how much I loved them and beyond that I owe no one a danged thing.

3. I understand your role here, and part of that is to try and protect us from ourselves. And to protect the milsurp market for all. I get that. I value that. Your concern is noted and appreciated. Now, do you have a match or not? :D
 
Who cares if some buyer gets burned. If you are an idiot that wants to spend over $1500 for a beat up war rifle, then be my guest. Milsurps is a hobby for the educated. If you got more money than brains, then you deserve to get burned. The problem is all the people that fantasize over a gun because it’s NAZI or whatever. They are the ones that drove up the price. All milsurps should be treated the same. If they were, then maybe the price would be a lot lower that it is now. I wish you luck on finding that part.
 
Interesting comments . First the whole point of matching parts is that the rifle is still as it left the factory . If you put the wrong bolt in a rifle , even though the numbers are the same , it still is the wrong bolt . The odds are about 1000 to 1 . Why not just restamp it yourself ? There are other factors , maker proofs , features for the time period , fonts and so on . I see this all the time in Japanese rifles , the wrong matching bolt in a " matching " rifle . But that is ok if you personally do not like that type of rifle ?
 
I hadn't intended to reply, but as my crime of wanting a bolt that matches my rifle was too much for some of you, including the Moderator to bear, I leave you with this...when I joined TFL in 2007 this was a great forum full of friendly helpful people. Subject matter experts who's egos weren't lengthily listed in their signature box. Something has changed in my admittedly long absence. And that's a shame. The hostility you show each other at times doesn't speak well of the forum, the sport or any of us. I and I've seen other posters here complain about being verbally abused in DMs as well. From longstanding members. If this the environment you guys want, great, mission accomplished. If not...well,it's up to you to fix it.
 
Well I do not feel you were abused . I never told you not to do it , just why it would not help . The other guy just asked a good question , Why ? And it does hurt beginning collectors , I have seen many burned by the wrong parts on " matching " Japanese rifles . I did feel it was a little ironic that the one guy said they deserved that if they were not smart enough , after reading his knowledge level on his posts here . Even though the people here did try and help correct him .
 
I like milsurps. Most of them have matching bolts. But some of them don't.

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Lmao, I never claimed to be an expert. I said that if people wanna spend an absurd amount of money on a rifle, then they better be educated. Otherwise, they had it coming. I’m a pawnshop hunter, I rarely spend over $500 for any rifle. So, the chances of me losing a great deal of money is pretty low. For some that want to help inform themselves of Mauser rifles including fonts, markings, etc. There is plenty of good literature out there to be had. It’s also not a bad idea to hop on forums (like I often do). Especially the k98forum. Those guys know what they’re talking about. It’s pretty sad that the price has gone up on these rifles, but that’s the fault of the people that actually spend $2500 on a rifle. They’re surplus for a reason.
 
There is a price difference between junk and collectible rifles . A $200 rifle for $500.00 is not much of a deal or investment , I have read what you buy . Like any thing else supply and demand with dictate the market . A good rifle is getting harder to find, so the price goes up .
 
You really shouldn’t look at a rifle as an investment. Seldom are there any that actually are. K98s are a dime a dozen. One of the reasons for them being priced so high is simply because people hold onto them. I would assume that this will probably change due to the fact that many of the older collectors are sadly passing on. If I wanted to make money, I would invest in a 401k, not a rifle. Just my 2 cents
 
Back in the 50's when a lot of these milsurps hit the local markets it was common to see the rifles stacked in barrels on the floor and the bolts were in a box under the cash register shelf.

You picked out your rifle and then went to the register, looked in the box of bolts and picked out the one that caught your eye and fit into the gun. I know many times the counter person knew little or nothing about guns and most likely neither did the purchaser. (Probably just like today)

If the bolt fit into your rifle you took it home and shot it.

I don't know if the bolts in the box were even from any of the guns in the barrels.

It's probably a long shot to believe you will ever find the bolt that was originally matched to your gun but it's worth a try.
 
Friend of mine relayed some information he got from someone who was there, at the end of the war when huge numbers of kar 98ks were surrendered. The GIs pulled the bolts from them, and piled the rifles in one place nd the bolts in another, as it was the fastest and simplest way of rendering the rifles unshootable.

This, and other things are why rifles(and pistols) with all the original parts are so rare, and their collector value is because they are rare. Not because they have matched parts but because still having the original matched parts is a rare thing.
 
When you said you were not an expert on the subject you were not kidding . Good collectible rifles are not a good investment ? K98k are a dime a dozen ? Even Russian captures that were $159.00 when they came in are now bringing $600 - $800 depending if you picked a rare code . A good complete Type-99 that was bought for under $100 8 years ago is bringing four figures now . The M-91/30's were had for $49 not too long ago and will bring over $400 now . K-31's , the list goes on . That is a 1000 % return . How are 401 k's doing ? About an average of - 100 % at the moment .
 
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