New Member Here Needs Help With CE 42, Some Questions

Hello All, I am new to this site and just getting back into collecting / shooting after a 15 year hiatus.
I have an opportunity to purchase a supposed "vet bringback" K98k
CE 42 all matching except bolt which matches itself completely. I say supposed beacause there is no paperwork present to support this claim so I have to go with what the seller is telling me.
My question is that the serial number on the receiver and the barrel are in the correct location however, there is another number stamped on the top of the barrel that appears to be original as well? I seem to remember having K98's apart before and there being other numbers stamped on the bottom of the barrel. I havent handled a mauser in many years so I need a little help. Also the bolt, although all matching to itself appears to be from a G33/40? The bend of the bolt looks "off" to me? Actually the knob on the bolt is round / no checkering. I know the G33/40 bolts are usually flat on the back. The bend in the bolt just looks closer to that than a K98.
I was thinking possibly Kar98 too but the bolt is all waffenampt stamped.
I have had quite a few all matching K98's in my day but admittedly its been a while since I owned one.
Thank you for any light you can shed on this. See pics below and thank you for any light you can shed on this.

Welcome to the forum!

With vet bring backs there very rarely is any paperwork, and when you find paperwork it is usually fake anyway. You could see if the stock has been "duffel cut" underneath the rear band, as this is commonly seen on rifles vets shipped home. Ultimately, it does not matter how it got in the US (unless it is import marked). Its originality is what is important.

The number across the barrel is the barrel code which indicates manufacturer of the barrel blank, lot number, etc. They are very interesting, but not terribly relevant to value. The bolt comes from a 1941 Portuguese contract K98. Some of these were apparently not delivered, so it could have been taken from a pile of surrendered weapons in 1945.

I'd like to see more pictures if possible.

What Ryan E said. So far this looks like a winner. CE 42 is a hard code to find.

How important is the barrel code to authenticity? I have a CE 42 without any code stamped across the top.

RE: Ryans Response

RyanE said:

Welcome to the forum!

With vet bring backs there very rarely is any paperwork, and when you find paperwork it is usually fake anyway. You could see if the stock has been "duffel cut" underneath the rear band, as this is commonly seen on rifles vets shipped home. Ultimately, it does not matter how it got in the US (unless it is import marked). Its originality is what is important.

The number across the barrel is the barrel code which indicates manufacturer of the barrel blank, lot number, etc. They are very interesting, but not terribly relevant to value. The bolt comes from a 1941 Portuguese contract K98. Some of these were apparently not delivered, so it could have been taken from a pile of surrendered weapons in 1945.

I'd like to see more pictures if possible.

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Hey Ryan, ( And others who have responded so far )
There is no duffel cut present under the forward band. I thought that was the case with the numbers on the barrel but every other mauser I have seen and owned over the years has them on the underside of the barrel. No import marks are present. I will post some more pics for you as well. Stock and handguard are serial numbered to the rifle as well. I would like to get a complete matching correct bolt ( matching itself of course )
What WAa mark should I look for to be correctly dated?

jmcat said:

I would like to get a complete matching correct bolt ( matching itself of course) What WAa mark should I look for to be correctly dated?

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Eagle 37 would likely be a marking under a bolt handle for this letter block and year code. However, adding a bolt for it with these markings will not likely have a large impact on its worth. You may just want to leave it as it is.

D-K said:

Eagle 37 would likely be a marking under a bolt handle for this letter block and year code. However, adding a bolt for it with these markings will not likely have a large impact on its worth. You may just want to leave it as it is.

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Yeah, I figured that. Just would rather have an actual K98 bolt on it.

All German military barrels will have a code, but it can be in many places on the barrel and be of any number of variations. Some very abbreviated. Some in 1942 have nothing but an "S", a single letter and the waffenamt.
This lasted a very short time, right after the implementation of Hitler's decree and before it was laxed, during which you see a more uniform application of barrel coding.

There were three periods of barrel coding changes, one the early phase 1934 to early 1942 period where the firms had a great deal of latitude to how they marked the barrels; the second period during 1942 where the firms really minimalized the barrel coding due to the Hitler decree of late 1941 ordering rationalization on a new scale (it had been officially in place well before the war, but by 1941 things were getting critical due to idiots running the economy and industry- Udet & Göring perfect examples) then third late 1942 on to the end of the war where German industry recovered, under the likes of Speer & Milch who had Hitlers confidence and was able to rationalize German industry as Dr. Todt had suggested over & over again. In this last period a more formal, but still factory unique system developed were real codes were used and lots were more uniform.

Bottom line, all German military barrels 1934-1945 will have a barrel code, but it can be under the wood line and be in any number of forms, depending on period. Unless it is totally devoid of barrel markings I wouldn't worry about it. Though the barrel could be a later addition, and that certainly could adversely effect value.

oswald621 said:

How important is the barrel code to authenticity? I have a CE 42 without any code stamped across the top.

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Thanks for your reply and sorry for the hijack.

Very nice looking rifle!