Kar.98a Erfurt 1918

[Hambone]

Not rare but in decent shape and matched to the screws, unmessed with, but dufflecut under the band. More pics this weekend.

[Stan]

That's nice! I really like those Kar 98a's!

[Turbo Archie]

WOW on the bolt and stock....


...

[jack944]

Is that a Mitchell Mauser white bolt in that ? .....:laugh: Seriously that is one tough to get in that condition. I like them because of the white bolt and rust blued receiver...nice contrasts. Even nice blue condition guns usually have ratty stocks.. Great pics of proofs. I wonder if he made a tour of the second world war.

:hail: Now go get that MG sticky started.....

[Loewe]

Nice rifle and a lot tougher than you would expect with such high production. This "gg" block is very near the end for Erfurt, surprised it survived in Imperial configuration... few have this late. Erfurt went to the mid "hh" block this year, just a huge number of rifles. (Craig, your MRJ went out today, Erfurt is in the Spring issue and it discusses the 98a in some detail)

Usually this late they are "Weimar'd" if they survived at all.. this one looks pretty damn original and rock hard. Some think that these Erfurt/1918 are common but while they made a lot of them few are really nice and "Imperial". I have owned a couple, one from PeterK, it had a sanded stock but nearly this nice otherwise.

A rifle much tough to find than you would think, especially this nice.



Not rare but in decent shape and matched to the screws, unmessed with, but dufflecut under the band. More pics this weekend.

[Hambone]

Thanks Paul. I always enjoy my MRJs! This one came out of a pawnshop in Brownsville Texas and is crispy untouched except for the scratches on the side, the dufflecut under the band, and a bit of buggering on the screw for the lower band. Everything else is straight up Imperial. I would guess the dufflecut indicates a WW2 bringback, not WW1. I'll take more pics this weekend and post them. I wiped the metal with ballistol, cleaned the bore (very nice, exc.) and knocked off a little air rust with bronze wool but just left everything else alone.

Paul, is there supposed to be a steel insert in the stock for the lower band screw to pass through? There is one there but the dufflecut went right through that hole.

[Loewe]

The follower looks bright (not blued), the bolt is bright (not blued) and if the follower doesn't stop the bolt it is Imperial. I didn't notice any signs of interwar service (added serialing, interwar acceptance etc..) and best guess is it came back after WWI unless the follower is notched. I have never encountered a 98a that stayed in German hands that wasn't both blued and notched to stop the bolt when empty.
Of course someone here could have done a notch job as it is a obvious upgrade, useful for sporting purposes also, but generally if the follower is bright and doesn't stop the bolt on empty, it is a good sign of being Imperial.

Many Imperial rifles were DC'd, owned quite a few.

Yes, I believe the screw goes through a metal tube, and screws into the hole in the otherside of the band. Sometimes this hole gets wallered out and won't screw in properly.

[Hambone]

Simson, the follower is bright and has no bolt stop. When the sun comes up a bit more I'll take some pics. Thank you for the information. The metal tube is still there after the duffle cut. Could the dufflecut have been WW1?

[Hambone]

more pics.....

[Hambone]

and more pics....

[Bigdibbs88]

VERY nice HB:happy0180: the only thing that bothers me about these is that the handguard color often doesnt match teh stock

[mrfarb]

Man that thing is crispy. :thumbsup:

[Hambone]

Tks. Bigd, you're right. Handguard is walnut, stock beech. Handguard is numbered to it internally. One can see how the 80s urge would be there to sand that stock. It's got scratches and stains, and dried preservative, etc. I could steel wool it up mighty nice and shiny :facepalm: I've been looking for one of these in untouched decent shape for a long time.

[Loewe]

Absolutely it could be DC from WWI, quite common actually.

Handguards are almost always walnut, from recollection I have never seen a "German" Kar98a handguard made of beech. Usually if it is beech it is Polish... The Germans may have made some, but from recollection I have not seen one.

This rifle is in full Imperial condition and much more valuable because of it.



Simson, the follower is bright and has no bolt stop. When the sun comes up a bit more I'll take some pics. Thank you for the information. The metal tube is still there after the duffle cut. Could the dufflecut have been WW1?

[Hambone]

Perhaps old WW1 bringback could explain the WW1 configuration. If it had stayed in Germany I reckon it might have been modified in some respects? That late I would also reckon some depot find / occupation / immediate postwar shipment? All guesses.

[Loewe]

Perhaps it was taken from a Sturmbataillon!

Many rifles fell into Entente hands at the end of the war, 1.5 million (out of 6 million) were lost in the last few months of the war, some went home with soldiers (illegally), some were left in The Netherlands, many stores were abandoned or destroyed during the withdraw, and of course the British, French Belgians and Americans occupied up to the Rhine. There are many accounts of American soldiers being trophy happy, the Germans that lived under their occupation had little ill will against them and they made a good living supplying the American lust for souvenirs.

It is highly doubtful this rifle stayed in German hands post 1918, near half of the known 1918/Erfurt's documented are interwar reworks, many of the rest sporters, - postwar the 98a was the G33/40 of sportsmen everywhere. They make a strong, light and handy hunting rifle and many were chopped up, often in creative ways.

That yours survives in such condition is what makes it worthwhile, most are a long way from your rifle in originality and or appearance.

[Hambone]

Or the Kaiser's secret prototype paratroops ;) Thanks for the info. I've been wanting a straight really nice Imperial 98a for years. Way back I ran across them, nice, unmessed with, in the $700 or so range and thought that too high and passed on ones now I wish I had bought.

[THunter]

Just found this thread the other day Craig, Awesome rifle, you scored! Thanks for taking the time to share it with us! Your pics and Simson's comments definately helped me with reference.

Ill be posting its twin sister in walnut soon. All imperial and dufflecut in the same spot too! :thumbsup: :happy0180:

[gew98]

Absolutely it could be DC from WWI, quite common actually.

Handguards are almost always walnut, from recollection I have never seen a "German" Kar98a handguard made of beech. Usually if it is beech it is Polish... The Germans may have made some, but from recollection I have not seen one.

This rifle is in full Imperial condition and much more valuable because of it.

Paul I have to say I have had two 98a's that had period original beech handguards. I have been lead to believe that the germans kept production of the walnut handguards as beech proved inferior in that application. Don't know aboot that 100% but I do know what I have seen and owned.

[Hambone]

Thanks TH.

[Loewe]

Thanks Bill, good to see you are around as few have seen as much as you have.


Paul I have to say I have had two 98a's that had period original beech handguards. I have been lead to believe that the germans kept production of the walnut handguards as beech proved inferior in that application. Don't know aboot that 100% but I do know what I have seen and owned.