Ye old Mauser Question

[Grandadsguns]

So gentlemen
Trying to restore one of my grandfathers rifles he brought back after he was over seas in the 40’s
Thought I had an M98 but it looks more like a K98.
Any thoughts?
Stock has been trimmed for a sporting rifle but barrel was not cut.
I want to replace the stock and get back to original looks.
Any help or recommendations will be very much appreciated.
Having issues adding photos.

 

[Grandadsguns]

Photos

Here are some photos. Let me know if you guys need more detail

 

[ballardw]

May want to mention how much $$$ you're willing to spend.

You will also want a front barrel band and upper hand guard.

Quick internet search came up with
https://www.stockysstocks.com/mauser-k98-military-walnut-replacement-stocks.html

not to mention lots of ebay items of various quality.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

K98

 

[Grandadsguns]

So I just had a friend send me this.

“ It looks like an Imperial German Gewehr 98 from the markings, but the stock has been sporterized/bubbaized (not original/cut off).

The 3 markings in a row in the second photo I believe are Inspector Acceptance marks….each inspector at the factory had his own stylized acceptance mark.

The EAGLE shown in photo 3 on the receiver and the barrel makes it from the Imperial era of Germany…not Nazi.

3275 (letter) is the serial number. Germans used XXXX up to 9999, then added an A for the next 10.000. A B for the third 10.000 etc. Hard to tell if that is a gothic a or p.

If it has not been re-chambered, it would shoot 8mm Mauser.”

Now the question is why the heck is there a K98 stock on it?
I’m
Assuming a GEW98 military stock would be the correct way to go...?

Thank you

 

[JT-AR-MG42]

Your rifle is a GEW98, not a K98k.

The top of the receiver appears to have been scrubbed, how about markings on the left receiver wall?
The barrel is 29 inches long, right?
The stock on the rifle is a cut down GEW 98 stock.
No K98k's were made with the for-end grasping grooves.

If you disassemble it, there should be a serial number stamped into the barrel channel. Also should be a serial on the bottom of the butt plate.

GEW 98's had bolts with straight handles (except the 98b), so how is the bolt marked?

I do see it has the 'between the wars' rear sight modification.
Should have 'S/42g' or 'k' type markings on the right side of the base, as
Mauser at Oberndorf was, by far, the prime contractor for the sight update and re-furbish program.

Most of these updated long rifles ended up with the SS (not marked as such) early in WWII ,
as 98k production was directed solely to the Wehrmacht (separate supply chains between the branches, just like our WWII Army, Navy, and Marine Corps).
The SS could not get German contracts for 98K's (short supply well into 1942), so they utilized
Polish, Czech, and Belgian captured rifles in addition to second line rifles like yours.

Maybe a pic of the left side receiver wall, receiver top, one of the bolt root and serial number, and one of the right side of the rear sight base?

Thanks for sharing and welcome to the forums,
JT

 

[Grandadsguns]

3275

So just disassembled the bolt and cleaned it and everything looks numbers matching to the rifle.
3275/75
There is also an image with a crown on most things as well as S28 stamped on the pieces.

 

[Grandadsguns]

Some more photos

Everything seems stamped the same
Stock, screws, the bolt

The hole in the stock for the firing pin is stamped I/R.R.8.183.

 

[Scorch]

Couple of things:
The stock looks like a 98A stock with the grasping grooves. Matches the bolt, so who knows. A lot can happen in 103 years.
At some point the bolt handle was bent in the K98 fashion. Gewehr 1898s had straight bolt handles. 98As had the bent bolt.
It looks like you have a .318" bore on it as well (7.9mm vs 7.92mm).

 

[Grandadsguns]

Right side sight base and left side receiver wall

Here are three more photos
1,2 is the right side sight base
3 is the left side receiver wall

All markings look removed other than the serial numbers and some circular images with crowns on them.
The stock has a stamped serial number that matches the rest of the gun.

 

[ballisticxlr]

check gunpartscorp.com I managed to get everything I needed to re-militarize an old parade gun M95 Steyr from them.

 

[mapsjanhere]

Looks like a Kar98b conversion that's cut down. Take it out of the stock and check for Karab98b markings.

 

[Tony65]

Gew 98

Hi folks,

Sorry for jumping into your discussion here, but I'm new to the forum and can't find the 'new thread' button and you all seem to be knowledgeable regarding old Mausers.

I have found a Gew 98 sniper, but I am not 100% certain of the scope mount.
I know there were a load of different mounting systems, but just wanted to ask your views on this or perhaps where I can get more info. I have the Senich and Ball books and can't see anything like the one on this rifle.

I have found something similar in Richard D Law's book.
The rifle in there is/was part of the Robert Jensen collection and is said to be a Weimar era sniper, reworked after WW1. Law also says that ALL WW1 period snipers used some kind of claw mount.
Do you think this is what 'my' rifle could be? The bolt is turned down and is number matched to the rifle. The scope also has been re-numbered to the rifle. I'm assuming this work would have been carried out by a gunsmith/arsenal and not a hobbyist who wanted a scoped rifle.

The rifle itself is a beauty with all matching numbers.
The mount has '23' stamped on the inner surfaces of both the fixed and removable sections.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[44 AMP]

It looks like you have a .318" bore on it as well (7.9mm vs 7.92mm).

according to sources I've seen, when Germany changed from the .318" to the .323" bore, all rifles in German service were ...converted. New rifles got the new bore size barrels, and older .318" rifles were either rebarreled (according to some) or had their chamber & throat slightly opened up to take the .323" bullet.

Personally I think having the barrels opened up slightly is the more likely situation. It's cheaper (keeping the existing barrel) and it works well enough, as the fatter bullet will squeeze down the smaller bore just fine, without any signs of excess pressure, provided it gets a "running start".

Opening up the chamber neck to take, and release the .323" bullet and the throat to "gradually" reduce to the original .318" would work just fine in the military/police context these rifles were used for.

SPORTING rifles with .318" bores were not converted (unless the individual owner had it done) and sporting rifles with .318" bores were produced for decades after the German military went to the .323" diameter.

Since your Grandfather's rifle has been "semi sporterized" it's undoubtedly been shot with available 8mm ammo (.323" bullets) and hasn't let go yet, so its unlikely it will, but have a qualified gunsmith check it for headspace and ALL the barrel dimensions to be sure. Chamber cast including the barrel throat, and you'll know exactly what you have.

Good Luck with your project.

 

[ernie8]

Not a .318 bore as the German military never used a .318 groove barrel , only .3208 on early Gew-88 rifles and never on Gew98 rifles . The 7.90 or 7.92 is not even a groove size measurement it is the land dia of the rifle , .311 or so to measure wear , not .318 . Since the rifle is a Gew98 , it is a .323 groove barrel as they were only made that way .