G33/40 Replacement Bolt

Seems like the majority of G33/40 rifles have mismatched bolts that are the correct hollow knob bent type. The G33/40 that I have falls into this category. I've searched on line, and post from this site, but there is not a lot of info that I can find. Are these mismatched bolts generally authentic, or are they post war repos? What do you look for? My G33/40 is a DOT42 with what I see as all the proper markings in all of the correct places. It's' serial number is 5725 over a. The bolt is the correct hollow knob bent type with serial number 8462 over c on the rear side of the bolt. It is also marked under the bolt handle with nazi eagle over swastica and N6. The top of the bolt on the flat spot has the nazi eagle over swastica. Would this be the correct period replacement, an armorers replacements?

Rook16 said:

Seems like the majority of G33/40 rifles have mismatched bolts that are the correct hollow knob bent type. The G33/40 that I have falls into this category. I've searched on line, and post from this site, but there is not a lot of info that I can find. Are these mismatched bolts generally authentic, or are they post war repos? What do you look for? My G33/40 is a DOT42 with what I see as all the proper markings in all of the correct places. It's' serial number is 5725 over a. The bolt is the correct hollow knob bent type with serial number 8462 over c on the rear side of the bolt. It is also marked under the bolt handle with nazi eagle over swastica and N6. The top of the bolt on the flat spot has the nazi eagle over swastica. Would this be the correct period replacement, an armorers replacements?

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I have seen "homemade" collector-created G33/40 bolt bodies but these are more the exception than the rule. I think many of the mismatched G33/40's one finds have had their bolts switched out by collectors to be more correct. i.e. If the bolt bodies were not G33/40 type, then many collectors would swap a G33/40 bolt into the rifle. I don't think the average German armourer would have gone out of his way to put a G33/40 bolt back into a G33/40 rifle needing a replacement bolt for whatever reason. Not that such an armourer would not use a G33/40 spare if he had one, but considering that any Kar.98k bolt would function just fine, I think that they would not hesitate to use a fully functional replacement. I would expect an actual armourer spare placed by an armourer to be numbered to the rifle in some way and not mismatched.

Rook16 said:

Seems like the majority of G33/40 rifles have mismatched bolts that are the correct hollow knob bent type. The G33/40 that I have falls into this category. I've searched on line, and post from this site, but there is not a lot of info that I can find. Are these mismatched bolts generally authentic, or are they post war repos? What do you look for? My G33/40 is a DOT42 with what I see as all the proper markings in all of the correct places. It's' serial number is 5725 over a. The bolt is the correct hollow knob bent type with serial number 8462 over c on the rear side of the bolt. It is also marked under the bolt handle with nazi eagle over swastica and N6. The top of the bolt on the flat spot has the nazi eagle over swastica. Would this be the correct period replacement, an armorers replacements?

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The markings under the bolt handle, particularly the "n6" would indicate it is a correct Czech manufacture bolt.

Thanks Pisgah and Runner for your replies. I welcome others thoughts too.

Would suspect that the way that most mismatches originally happened is that surrendered weapons went into one pile, with their bolts going into another. This effectively disabled the weapons. Later, GIs picked a piece from each pile and shipped or carried the mismatched but complete rifle home. "The most simplest explantion is also the most likely one."

K98 mismatch w #8462 SN.

Rook16 said:

Seems like the majority of G33/40 rifles have mismatched bolts that are the correct hollow knob bent type. The G33/40 that I have falls into this category. I've searched on line, and post from this site, but there is not a lot of info that I can find. Are these mismatched bolts generally authentic, or are they post war repos? What do you look for? My G33/40 is a DOT42 with what I see as all the proper markings in all of the correct places. It's' serial number is 5725 over a. The bolt is the correct hollow knob bent type with serial number 8462 over c on the rear side of the bolt. It is also marked under the bolt handle with nazi eagle over swastica and N6. The top of the bolt on the flat spot has the nazi eagle over swastica. Would this be the correct period replacement, an armorers replacements?

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Know this is years later, but i just bought a K98 mismatch w #8462 SN. I was rather amused to see your post....Seems with computer technology, there should be a database somewhere, matching people with guns and bolts from old R/C and other Mausers.

Jrlh said:

Know this is years later, but i just bought a K98 mismatch w #8462 SN. I was rather amused to see your post....Seems with computer technology, there should be a database somewhere, matching people with guns and bolts from old R/C and other Mausers.

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There was/is such a web site for a So.Amer. Mauser that were imported in new condition. All had M/M bolts. Many, many posts, one match!
I bought several G33/40's from the S&S Bookstore in PA., years ago. Picked them right out of the case they were shipped in. They all had M/M bolts! In fact one had a Czech VZ 33 bolt in it. I bought that one as I had a VZ33 with a G33/40 bolt in it. Still have both of these, plus another G33/40 with a force matched bolt. Go figure!