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Question for those Gew 98 serial number scolars

Jeff Noll

Member
I recently picked-up a post 1916 Gew 98. The receiver maker/date is obscured but serial number is 9885hh. The rifle has the look and feel of a DANZIG. My question is which makers ever got up to the hh suffix?
 
Jeff, do you have photos of the right receiver acceptance and firing proof? Danzig went past the hh block in 1917 so it very well could be.

I recently picked-up a post 1916 Gew 98. The receiver maker/date is obscured but serial number is 9885hh. The rifle has the look and feel of a DANZIG. My question is which makers ever got up to the hh suffix?
 
Please do when you get time Jeff. By the way it was good seeing you last week at the SOS show hope you were able to find some nice Gew 98 rifles to take home with you. I personally only found three at the whole show. Two Turk Gew 98 rifles and one other Gew 98 that had its stock refinished. I did find two cool Kar98a carbines though.
 
It is my feeling that the rifle is a 1917 DANZIG. Here is a photo of the right side of the receiver. The reason the maker/date is obscured is obvious.
 

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It didn't register with me when I checked my spreadsheet because I had it recorded wrong from the spread of photos I have. I had it recorded 6885hh. But I have actually trended this rifle for it's Gl.V. feature prior to you posting it here. It is a beautiful rifle! Danzig 1917 with out a doubt. Really good looking gun from the photos I have, great find! For reference here is a 'v' block Danzig 1917 I used to own, same acceptance pattern.

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It is my feeling that the rifle is a 1917 DANZIG. Here is a photo of the right side of the receiver. The reason the maker/date is obscured is obvious.
 
Sam is right, beyond question this is a Danzig/17, the RR tells you this, - that and the hh-block is a snipe range for Danzig (seemingly rifles group in ranges and two other are known in the hh-block, one of which was CB's old rifle, another is owned by a well known contributor here)

As for how many makers broke the hh-block:

Spandau/1916
Danzig 1916 and 1917
DWM/1916

No other maker/dates, though Mauser came close in 1916 & 1917.
 
Sam is right, beyond question this is a Danzig/17, the RR tells you this, - that and the hh-block is a snipe range for Danzig (seemingly rifles group in ranges and two other are known in the hh-block, one of which was CB's old rifle, another is owned by a well known contributor here)

As for how many makers broke the hh-block:

Spandau/1916
Danzig 1916 and 1917
DWM/1916

No other maker/dates, though Mauser came close in 1916 & 1917.

Jeff's rifle is CB's old rifle. I'm glad he's the new caretaker.
 
I should include Erfurt also, they blew the hh-block 1916 & 1917 and breached the hh-block in 1918. But, these are 98a figures, records that weren't broken until Mauser did it in 1943. (Brno did as well in 1944, though Brno's figures include both factories and I am not sure if either facility actually broke Erfurt's total for 1917 individually... Over 700,000 rifles in 1944, but I doubt either actually beat Erfurt's 1917 total of more than 470,000 rifles)
 
That's good to know!

I can't think of a better caretaker of CB's old sniper rifle (I think he had a couple/three, his hh-block was 9885/hh, Craig also owned 2689/hh, non-sniper, an upgraded G98); I have his list somewhere, but I recall it had more than one for sure.

Jeff's rifle is CB's old rifle. I'm glad he's the new caretaker.
 
Yes, I compared Jeff's photograph to CB's rifle and the damage around the cross bolt is identical. This is for sure CB's old rifle.
 
Remember seeing this rifle at the SOS show it was one hell of a piece. And as Mike is stated I could think of nobody better to own a rifle from Craig Brown's collection. By the way it was good talking to you again Jeff on Imperial weapons. Even though the show was lacking in gewehr 98 rifles I did come home with a great book on the Gew88. Not to mention Mike found some really scarce commission 88 muzzle covers for me as well. He keeps telling me he's old but he was able to spot those out of case that I didn't see. So it's plainly obvious his vision is probably better than mine still finding cool items
 
Everyone, I really appreciate your endorsements for me being the caretaker of one of Craig's prizes. This rifle sold at Amoskeag Auction #113 March 25/26 2017. The description says it is from the Craig Brown collection. The auction is still viewable on Amoskeag's web site for those inclined. I have never owned a sniper and it seemed like the perfect storm. I would like to say my life is complete at this point but I am sure something else will surface. Again, thank you for your kind words.
 
Would you mind sharing a picture showing the scope bases (with scope removed) from top? Thanks!
 
Thanks for the link. Appears to be the same rifle. I was mainly wondering on the obvious differently aged surface (rear base is much brighter and does not have the same patina as the front base and rifle), as well as the not usual near perfect German gunsmithing you find on these rifles with the improper fitting with such a large gap between the base and the receiver:
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The additional pictures shown in the link also illustrate that the screws of the rear base do not align as perfect as on the front base, plus the same difference in finish on the rear base from a different angle:
120-2.jpg


Could it be that this rifle was missing the rear base and had been restored?
 

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If it this one,
http://www.amoskeagauction.com/113/120.php
rifle and bases look ok, but scope is fake.

"fake" is a pretty large word to toss around, similar to "mint" I've seen occasionally on the site.

I note what Absolut points out regarding the rear base, and possibly is a replacement, as is the scope. If the scope was #'d to the rifle then that would raise suspicions, but it's not. Most all of these snipers we see have a m/m scope. All that being said, if the base & scope are replacements but the scope is not #'d to the rifle, imho, that rules out "fake". Of course this is just my opinion....
 
I guess he either referred to a Oigee scope in these rings, the engravings on the scope, the scope rings themselves or a combination of this a fake. But I'm sure he will let us know.
 
Well, the lined-out number on the scope matches the stamped serial numbers on the rings. The rings fit the mounts perfectly. As tight as one could expect. Two of my experts besides Feldmutze saw this piece and were perfectly happy with the rig.
 
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I can't tell much wrong on the scope or on the scope rings, but I'm also not the expert as Amberg is on Gew98 sniper rifles. I'm sure he will let you know what he meant.

It would however be appreciated if you could tell me what your experts said on what I pointed out on the rear scope base. What is visible in the pictures make it look suspicious, or at least replaced with another original part.
 

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