Two K98k Snipers with DOW+

When I bought my second K98k sniper rifle, the guy who sold it to me showed me two more K98k snipers which he had in his possession back then. He however also told me they were promised to someone else, and even with money I couldn't persue him to overthink this promise (so he was a real gentlemen!). What I however did achieve was that he introduced me to the later purchaser of the two K98k sniper rifles, and I've later spent years keeping in touch with the new owner of these rifles trying to get him to part with them.

I later managed to get the new owner of the two K98k snipers to promise me if he ever parts with them, I'll be the one who will get them. And we even agreed on a price for them which was quite high two years ago, but with the current prices is fair for both sides. This April I got contacted by him telling me that he's finally now willing to part with these two, so all that was left to do was to agree on a date where I was visiting him and pick them up.

Well, this day was today. I've finally managed it to get the rifles which I've been after for now 7 years, knowing where they are and who they belong to!

The first rifle is a Sauer assembled BCD4 coded K98k with the LSR sniper mount. The rifle clearly has seen some action and has rust pittings from most possibly poor storage post WWII, but is absolutely untouched and all matching numbers. It has a shortened safety and features a checkered sniper buttplate. It came with a correct milled LSR mount being even in the same letter block (v) as the rifle. Due to the mount being in much better condition than the rifle either it was purchased later by a former owner, or it was stored seperately. I hope to find out more on this by asking the original owner. I would also want to point out that the DOW+ scope has a four digit serial number and came with the pictured and WaA414 marked black lense covers.

The second rifle is a BNZ4 coded K98k with the SS Double Claw mount. It seems to be a "typical" SSDC conversion being made based on a SS contract rifle. It does not have any final acceptance on the receiver top and is lacking the suffix to the serial, what identifies it as a SS contract rifle. The receiver bears the SSZZA2 marking. Again this rifle is all matching numbers, aside of the mount/scope combination. The buttplate on this rifle is smooth, the safety has not been shortened. Since the DOW+ scope is an early variant with the focal adjustment, to my knowledge it would not be correct for a later 1944 dating conversion - but it sits and fits great on the rifle. Interesting to note, the barrel on this rifle has a DOT shield and Waffenamt 63 acceptance proofs (but still carries the original Steyr font serialized rear sight!), so most possibly the rifle was overhauled by the SS and during this process converted to a sniper rifle. Should I therefore be able to find any SSZZA4 proofs hidden below the wood line on the barrel?

Very nice!

Nice rifles Georg. It is too bad someone didn't take care of that LSR. But it is still nice to have an original matching example. I'd find a scope that better matches the condition.

I am not sure on the barrel on the SS DC. MrFrab would know. I would guess it is possible that when it was built as a SS contract gun that it got that barrel. After Stery got bombed they had to use barrels from all over.

Thanks for sharing and congrats on a nice score. I am still looking for a LSR and Double claw.

Very nice rifles. I would not touche anything and just enjoy while drinking a glass of whisky

Snipers

Hello Georg. I like your rifles. Very nice find and congrats to you for finally getting them. I’d say your barrel on the SS DC is original to the gun as they were using other barrels. Could you do photos of stock numbers for my photos library if you get a chance someday? I really like them. Thank you for sharing.

Congratulations on a fine score. Thanks for sharing with us.

Patience isn't just its own reward for some it seems. Gorgeous rifles, and nice camera work to compliment them.

Georg
Glad to see You were finally able to complete the deal on these 2 Rifles . Patients is a virtu and it pays off at times to be patient .
IMO I prefer the look of the SSDC but don't misunderstand both are very tough Rifles to find . Congats on the Addition to Your Collection .

Matt, I have another DOW+ on machined LSR mount which has some rust pittings too, but the mount is in the u block and therefore the v block mount on the rifle is closer matching. So I'll leave it this way for the moment.

Brian, I've made a few pics of both rifles stripped. Attached are in a first set those of the LSR. I assume 2 20 44 in the barrel channel means 2nd day week 20 in 1944? Receiver has 37 proof on the right side, not the best pic I took of it. Blueing is interestingly very nice below the woodline.

Brian, attached the pics of the SSDC rifle stripped. The barrel channel only carries the serial number, nothing more. The action is extremely covered up in old grease, I wiped it off (well, more or less .. as you can see) on the barrel shank to make potential markings visible. But there was nothing I could find there.

I've also made some pics with this rifle carrying my spare DOW+ with focal adjustment knob which fits perfectly, without any adjustment. I have the feeling it matches the condition of the rifle better, while of course the focal adjustment in my opinion is incorrect for the rifle being a late piece.

no issues at all with the Dot barrel on that build. Steyr used a lot of dot marked wood also. Great looking rifles for sure. Most, near all JPS lsr's have shortened safeties not the long extended type.

looking again... that SS double claw is a treat for the eyes... stunning rifle.

Absolut said:

Brian, attached the pics of the SSDC rifle stripped. The barrel channel only carries the serial number, nothing more. The action is extremely covered up in old grease, I wiped it off (well, more or less .. as you can see) on the barrel shank to make potential markings visible. But there was nothing I could find there.

I've also made some pics with this rifle carrying my spare DOW+ with focal adjustment knob which fits perfectly, without any adjustment. I have the feeling it matches the condition of the rifle better, while of course the focal adjustment in my opinion is incorrect for the rifle being a late piece.

Click to expand...

very well, I see that your bnz double claw has a barrel dot 13
very interesting

Safety

Hi
I did not know we can find standard safety on DC sniper k98. It is usual ?
Best regards

Xavier said:

Hi
I did not know we can find standard safety on DC sniper k98. It is usual ?
Best regards

Click to expand...

Looking at the height of the scope there probably wasn't a need to relieve the safety.

This is also a straight up SS contract Bnz4 not a SSzza4 build with SSzza2 scope addition. not that it would alter the safety at all.
Both were made on different lines IMHO. One a depot "new" build the other a second line a steyr.

SSzza2 was the optic installer.

Mauser99 is right, the base rifle is a typical SS contract (this would have been a single rune). The dot marked barrel is correct for Steyr production after the bombing of the factory in February 1944, quite a few reported. One point, I would say that “early” and “late” assembly are probably incorrect terms, in my opinion all are assembled late in the war. I saw these focal adjustment scopes with spot welded rings, a “later” feature. I’d say use the scopes “A***” serial to say if it’s late or early in the scheme of production.


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Thanks Georg. Could you give me DOW DC Scope serials please?

Brian

Xavier said:

Hi
I did not know we can find standard safety on DC sniper k98. It is usual ?
Best regards

Click to expand...

I just checked the website of Matt and all three pictured rifles have the standard safety. See yourself here: https://www.wwiigermansniper.com/objective-mount-double-claw

Farb, thanks for telling me the dot barrel is OK. Would the rifle originally had the single rune on the receiver, or not? And was this one straight converted after having been made due to lack of a SSZZA4 proof?

As I said and mike confirmed. This is a standard SS contract like the Bnz43 and Bnz4 rifles the Bnz4 rifles being much more scarce. IMHO.
They were build on a second line at Steyr for the SS. The single rune rifles and Non rune are exactly the same except for the rune stamp.
Seeing the milled out section of the receiver you wont know but, he suspects it was.

SSzza4 rifles are a different animal. A true depot build from armorer spares @ zza4 depot. Some of these were made into double claw rifles as well and will bare the SSzza2 stamp. This was the installer of the optic.


Your rifle is a superb example with that light pink salmon colored laminated stock I like so much.. Only second to the greenish laminate they can be found with . "very scarce".

Absolut said:

Farb, thanks for telling me the dot barrel is OK. Would the rifle originally had the single rune on the receiver, or not? And was this one straight converted after having been made due to lack of a SSZZA4 proof?

Click to expand...

Yes, this would have been a new bnz4 single rune converted to double claw. I think you are confusing SSZZA4 - the SSZZA4 depot built new guns from parts (and repaired guns) but the base rifle is not a depot repaired rifle, it is a new made Steyr SS contract (single rune marked in this case due to the use of Waffenamt accepted receiver). All of the SS double claws are made from rifles at the SSZZA2 depot. I have my theories on which depots these were, but have not found solid documentary proof....yet, but one day I will discover it.

Here's a breakdown of the "players" involved in this discussion:

SSZZA4 rifles - depot assembled (possibly Kurmark)
Single Rune and SS Contract - Steyr made (in Austria)
SSZZA2 DC - conversions to sniper at a different SS depot (possibly Dachau)