GEW98 rebuild to K98 question

I'm trying to place a type of rebuild that I had once and have seen before but only as sporters.


I had a GEW98 that had the revised s/42K rear site and shorter than K98 barrel (cut down original?) It's been a while but I think it had the orginal front site as well. Mismatched but the action and trigger guard was painted black along time ago and was chipping but almost like powdercoated black.

I then remember seeing about the same type sporter with I think the same black action/shorter barrel with s/42 site. At some point I was talking to someone that seemed to know what they were and made the comment, good luck finding a stock as they were shorter than a K98.


Anyway, I was thinking about this and have no idea what they were or where they fit.

Anyone have an idea what I'm talking about?

Just can't figure out the shorter barrel.

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Sounds like an upgraded Gew.98 (Gew.98M) that was sent to Spain. These came into the US during the 1960's in large numbers.. I get queries weekly off my website thinking these are rifles of value.

Some came in fairly decent- not great, but largely in the original configuration, though m/m and rather rode hard. A great many, probably the majority came in dressed up like a Mannlicher, supposedly to enhance their retail value in the US. These were chopped, and butt ugly.. metal painted black, varnished to hell by a bunch of nincompoops, etc..

Worse, the ones they chose to "Mannlicher" are as often as not the coolest b/r I have come across. Many sporting Simson barrels, - some actually done by Simson (which is not common).

Anyway, these rifles are just rifles Germany sold to Spain during the late 1930's, all were typical of the period, all sporting sS patrone sights, but rarely do you encounter a rifle worth the effort or restoring or even buying.

Seems, from limited observations, that these were rifles nearing the end of their service life, - many are 1920 property marked, some have signs of Simson work or at least barrels.. so they had been in German service a longtime. Likely the Germans just dumped them on the Spanish because they were so desperate for equipment. (you really find out your friends when you are in need.. the “nazis” never made a good friend to any other country. They sent junk, with some good stuff on top, and received critical raw materials from both Spain & Portugal in return- much to their own detriment as the US especially pressured them during the war to stop.)

Thats it Paul !!

They had an old semi-gloss black paint job and what was left was kinda beat.

So they were 98m's at one point. The shorter barrel wasn't adding up. Must have been cut down during the sporter job or for import.

So now I know..

Thanks!!!!


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Welcome TA!