Hit or Miss, 7.62 K98 from a 1916 Berlin Gew98

[Homer2]

I grabbed this at the Gainsville, GA show from a walk in for $240. Again, not really my focus, but this one grabbed my attention. It was at some point modified from a Gew98 to a K98, then became a 7.62 Nato variety. No import marks. Nothing at all matches, and I think there are some South American parts on it, like some or all of the bolt. The from sight has a WW2 German eagle, as does the rear sight. The barrel absolutely swallows the 7.62 Nato round, so I bet accuracy will be garbage. It looks fine with the 7.92, though. Were these barrels originally 8mm that were rechambered to 7.6 2 Nato? The bore is rough, but I've shot worse in the Mosin range. Has lots of pits.

I haven't seen any like this before and was curious if this is something worth holding on to. Is the stock a Gew stock, or a S. American 1908 stock fitted? I believe I've heard that these spent time in South America after Israel was through with them, which accounts for the fairly bad condition. The rough receiver was probably like that before the barrel went on.

Also, serial number. There really isn't one except for a '48' on the left side of the receiver. I assume that was probably the date it was modified by Israel, but it will become the serial number from here on out.

Pics.
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[Loewe]

Welcome, as you say it is Israeli, it went through an interwar rework (right receiver markings), but hard to say much more from German rifle collecting perspective, Does the barrel have any markings? Under the wood?

The serial is 48 ee, it is fairly late but not the end for DWM in 1916, they made a lot of rifles in 1916. Value, I have no idea, doesn't seem like a great bargain but I do not follow them at all.

[Homer2]

Well. Ok. Seems this rifle is not 7.62 at all, but 7.92. The 7.62 Nato would not chamber, nor would a .308, nor a 7.62x39. A Romanian 8mm round drops right in. Looks like someone rebarreled this with a normal 8mm barrel. Shame is I had it at the range to test fire today, and didn't try 8mm at the range. I guess I'll go back and try again tomorrow. I probably won't be keeping this one, but it may turn out to be a good shooter. Bore isn't great, but it is there.

[ClintJ]

Yeah that thing is a true bitser. May want to tear it down and see what it looks like under the wood as far as pitting goes. Most of these Guatemalan used rifles had barrels that were toast. Make sure the sights are soldered or epoxied or somehow secure and shoot away. Looks like the sights may have been poorly indexed the way the front sight is drifted. The guy may have not bothered to sight it in either though.

[Homer2]

Here's the inside. Front band was a little hard to get off, but it came off with a little tap with wood and a mallet.

Barrel is unmarked except for a star over an anchor, with the number 283. Don't know the maker of the barrel at all. Barrel is sound and the receiver is pitted, but ok. Anyone have any clue who made this barrel? I'm guessing it was installed after import.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x116/Homer_067/k98%201916%20762%20nato/d2b33d57.jpg
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http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x116/Homer_067/k98%201916%20762%20nato/4d98a517.jpg

[Loewe]

Not German, so good bet.

[ClintJ]

You have a Yugo made replacement barrel. Does the stock have a cutout for the hand gaurd retaining clip?