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Offline winchester1

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Mauser 98 Question
« on: March 20, 2004, 04:28:08 PM »
Hi Guys- I'm a regular over at the H&R single shot rifle forum and I just bought my first Mauser and need some help. My rifle is marked as follows: left side of the receiver -Mod. 98,top of receiver-dot with 1944 below it. The serial #49XX appears on the barrel ,bolt, and safety. And there is a crest on the barrel following the serial that looks something like an eagle with it's wings open. The barrel is 23".  What do I have? I know it is 8mm but how do I know if it is the one with the .323 bore and can I use current factory ammo? Thanks Guys for the help, I'm excited about my new purchase ($75.00 from my brother in law ) and I'm anxious to learn about it!-jeff
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Offline John Traveler

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Model 98 rifle
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2004, 08:30:52 PM »
winchester1,

Your Model 98 rifle description fits that of a late World War II production Kar98 German Army service rifle with a 1944 manufacturing date.

The small stamped eagle with numerals below it are Waffenamt (German Army acceptance) stamps.

The matching bolt, barrel, and receiver numbers are good.  To be safe, have a gunsmith check it for proper headspace.

Your rifle is chambered for the standard 7.92x57 ("8mm Mauser") German service round and takes .323" diameter bullets.

HTH
John
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Offline crow_feather

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Mauser 98 Question
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2004, 08:40:09 AM »
Use caution when buying surplus ammunition.  There is a lot of very enexpensive 8mm ammo out there but alot of that is corrosive and not reloadable.

C F
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Offline savageT

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Mauser 98 Question
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2004, 03:43:23 PM »
Sounds like you have struck a great deal with your brother in law!  If you have a German K98 with all the German proof marks, etc. it should be worth a great deal more than you've paid.  Most of these that we see today that come from Russian sources are not matching serial numbers and the rest have all their marking struck out. Was it a GI bring-back?

Jim
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savageT........Have you hugged a '99 lately?

Of all the things I've lost in my life, I miss my mind the most.

Offline Fla Brian

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Mauser 98 Question
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2004, 05:31:59 PM »
Quote from: savageT
Was it a GI bring-back?

Jim


I'd say it would have had to have been a GI's war trophy. All the official captures were stored with their bolts removed, and, when they were being sold for surplus, they were re-equipped with whatever bolts came to hand as they were reassembled. That's why most WWII mausers seem to be mismatches. Matching number Mausers bring a premium on the collector market. If I were Winchester1, I wouldn't dream of modifying it in any way. That $75 price was a steal. If it's in fine shape it's worth a great big chunk more than he paid for it. Even the Russian refits are fetching over $200 per.

The Russians ground off Nazi symbols pretty much the same way we ground off the chrysanthemum crests of captured Arisakas. I'm lucky enough to have one of the Jap rifles with an intact crest. It even has the monopod still on it. I understand they have some collector value now, but I'm not considering selling. I don't shoot it at all, as I have another one with a ground crest  for that purpose.
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Offline 1911crazy

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Mauser 98 Question
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2004, 12:47:06 AM »
First of all welcome to this forum.   Take magnifiying glass and look at the open wings there should be small circles at the bottom with swatzicka's in them.  With the 23" bbl. you have a 8MM German Karbiner awesome!!!
                                                                           BigBill
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Offline Fla Brian

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Mauser 98 Question
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2004, 06:11:25 AM »
Oh, yeah, welcome to the group, Winchester1. Nice to have you aboard. :D
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Offline winchester1

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Mauser 98 Question
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2004, 10:37:23 AM »
Guys-Thanks for the welcome and all the good info,you guys answered all my questions and then some! It's kind of neat knowing my rifle is a little bit special. My Brother in law bought the rifle at a public sale here in central Pa,I'll have to talk to him more but I think it was from an older man who had passed away. I'll let you guys know if I find out anything else.Again thanks for all the help and for being so nice-jeff
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Offline animal

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Mauser 98 Question
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2004, 05:26:14 AM »
That is a German WW2 issued rifle but it is'nt a  regular army since only the SS had the inscription of an eagle on it. the regular German army had the swaztika engraved in the bolt but no eagle. It  is a Waffen-SS issue rifle worth more to a regular army rifle. Dont let WW2 piece collectors trick you into thinking the Wermacht which is the German name for the regualar army is the SS.
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Offline S.S.

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Mauser 98 Question
« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2004, 08:37:56 AM »
Look the rifles metal parts over real well and see if it has
the name of a U.S. importer stamped into it.
Lettering may be very, very small. If you find them,
it is not a war trophy.  I have recently seen some
98 Mausers coming in with beautiful Nazi era stampings
and proofmarks that the importer stamped on to trick the
unwary. As of a few months ago, I will not pay more for a
weapon of any type with Nazi markings. There are just
too many "FAKES" out there now. Not saying that they
are not still good shooters!, I just wouldn't pay more for them!
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Offline 1911crazy

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Mauser 98 Question
« Reply #10 on: June 28, 2004, 09:05:53 AM »
S.Sumner  My son got me a German 98K 8MM Mauser from Century for Christmas it wasn't suppose to have any markings at all and most were peened over but one set of nazi eagles made it by the peener's hammer. It wasn't one of these refurbs either its in orginal condition for $119 I'm happy.  As this stuff is drying up who knows what were going to get in the future for surplups.  But that little guy in the garage with the little nazi stamps has been busy too you know the guy next to the one who applies the new rearsenal finish too!!!!  I'm sure its a whole dissassembly line/  a cleaning line/ refinish line w/stamping / reassembly line too.  These guys sure are busy.  I wonder what they buy then for orginally before their imported?  I'm talking about what we are seeing marketed here right now this last shippment of 98k's.                                                       BigBill
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Offline savageT

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Mauser 98 Question
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2004, 09:20:25 AM »
Hey, S Sumner, Large William,
If the European Allies peened over the proof stamps what's wrong with a little American ingenuity to replace them????  They were there to begin with, right?  Everybody's happy now.......... :lol:
Jim
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savageT........Have you hugged a '99 lately?

Of all the things I've lost in my life, I miss my mind the most.

Offline savageT

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Mauser 98 Question
« Reply #12 on: June 28, 2004, 09:24:38 AM »
While I'm on a roll,
Can anyone tell me what is the most desirable 8mm Mauser concerning metal finish/milled quality, strength of heat treating, and accuracy....post WWI-preWWII ?

Jim
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savageT........Have you hugged a '99 lately?

Of all the things I've lost in my life, I miss my mind the most.

Offline Mikey

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Mauser 98 Question
« Reply #13 on: June 28, 2004, 11:43:02 AM »
Howdy fellas - I think the best ones (of the mil-suprs) were the pre-war K98s.  I have one made in 1939 without matching numbers and (I think) a unit number stamp as well.  The action is numbered 1612, the bolt assembly is numbered 0757.  It has the eagl;e with the enclircled swastika beneath.  Bore is shrap, headspeace excellent, but it has a strange 660 stamped on the front of the action in front of the year of manufacture and I have no idea what that means.  But, this is just my 2 cents worth.  Mikey.
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