What manufacturer is this?
- Thread starter Joedrt73
- Start date
Looks like Lac 98.
"lac Zuchthaus (penitentiary) Coswig, Anhalt. The marks of this breeding station have been mistakenly identified with optical equipment - owing to confusion with 'lae', below."
Welcome to the forum! I'm sure someone will be along shortly with
more and better info than I have provided!
"lac Zuchthaus (penitentiary) Coswig, Anhalt. The marks of this breeding station have been mistakenly identified with optical equipment - owing to confusion with 'lae', below."
Welcome to the forum! I'm sure someone will be along shortly with
more and better info than I have provided!
Jim Watson
New member
The marking is Kar 98 in German fraktur letters.
I am not a pro on Mausers but if it is a real pre-1918 Kar 98 carbine, it was likely made by the Imperial Arsenal at Erfurt, maybe Danzig or Amberg, maybe by Mauser themselves.
It might retain proof markings and there might be an arsenal mark or national crest under the front scope base.
You do understand that it is a fully sporterized military surplus Mauser, don't you? There is nothing left of what came out of Germany but the receiver and bolt, maybe the trigger guard. Everything else was changed out to make it into a varmint rifle. The original manufacturer of the action is kind of immaterial by now.
I am not a pro on Mausers but if it is a real pre-1918 Kar 98 carbine, it was likely made by the Imperial Arsenal at Erfurt, maybe Danzig or Amberg, maybe by Mauser themselves.
It might retain proof markings and there might be an arsenal mark or national crest under the front scope base.
You do understand that it is a fully sporterized military surplus Mauser, don't you? There is nothing left of what came out of Germany but the receiver and bolt, maybe the trigger guard. Everything else was changed out to make it into a varmint rifle. The original manufacturer of the action is kind of immaterial by now.
The "Kar 98" marking was used only on the Model 98AZ carbine. During and after WWI, the Germans wanted to replace both the first Model 98 cavalry carbine and the Gewehr 98 long rifle with an intermediate size for general issue. That was in line with the British and Americans, who had done the same thing earlier with the Short Enfield and the Model 1903. So the "Karabiner 98AZ" was really not a carbine at all, but an intermediate length rifle. But the "Kar. 98AZ" had defects and was eventually replaced by the Kar. 98k; the latter was always marked "Mod 98" on the left side rail.
Jim
Jim
No, what you had was a sporting rifle made on a transitional action.
The action itself is more on the "rare" side as it looks like a true Small Ring 98. They were very popular for making lightweight hunting rifles, although the Mexican SR98 seems to be more common in the US market.
Jimro
The action itself is more on the "rare" side as it looks like a true Small Ring 98. They were very popular for making lightweight hunting rifles, although the Mexican SR98 seems to be more common in the US market.
Jimro
The Karabiner 98AZ used a small size receiver ring to reduce weight. After WWI, many went to Turkey and were later sold on the market as "small ring Turkish 98s". The OP's probably was one of those. While the Germans had second thoughts about the small receiver ring, and went back to the large size with the K.98k, there should be no problem with normal sporting ammunition.
Jim
Jim