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**Need HELP, New to FORUM how to SPOT FAKE, dou43**

Lander317

Member
Hello everyone! New to the forum as of today. I collect older rifles but theyre all shooters. Meaning i like to shoot them. Not crazy about value or the "museum" piece. Long story short I am pursuing a K98 dou 43 supposedly single digit serial numbered and matching. except the bolt which matches itself. i just want some input whether or not it is real. i have no idea. any help would be amazing!!!! thank youIMG_6534.jpgIMG_6536.jpg
 

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The number on the receiver looks real. As does the bolt. Bluing also looks ok. But can’t say much else without better photos.
 
Plus, while it is a single digit, it is not Gun #4 off the line for 43...it is an ii block...the Germans started numbering at 1, and went to 9999, the rolled over to 1a...10,000 per block, so an ii block would mean its really something like 320,004....they did not use all the letters in a block, they usually didn't use a couple...
 
Awesome. But you all think it’s a real not a fake? Just wondering. I’m sorta a stickler about it being “real”. I understand it wouldn’t be. Number 4. That would be far more intense in price. Just want to know if I’m buying a fake. Thanks again. I appreciate ALL the input!
 
Awesome. But you all think it’s a real not a fake? Just wondering. I’m sorta a stickler about it being “real”. I understand it wouldn’t be. Number 4. That would be far more intense in price. Just want to know if I’m buying a fake. Thanks again. I appreciate ALL the input!

Honestly, there is no way to tell if its "fake" from those pictures....you would need to post pics like these:

http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?8032-dou43-Matching

The only thing one might say from the pics you posted, other than it being a bolt mismatch, there are no red flags visible...but if a hard working humper were going to hump it, he would have humped the bolt too....
 
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IMHO you're getting played by this 'tj simon' guy and need to get off this ride. You're now WAY beyond what this could possibly be worth. Again this is just my opinion but I'm honestly trying to save you from a costly mistake.
 
That rifle is $400 more than it is worth now. You can buy a decent matching example for that price. There is nothing special about the rifle, the code, or the serial number. If someone outbids you again, you should let them have it and be happy that it is not you.
 
I did get run up a bit there. Is the rifle honestly that undesirable over some of the other ones that bring $2k? I mean only the bolt I mismatching. Any input is appreciated and thank you all for the responses.
 
Bolt mismatch is a big deal. In my opinion it reduces the value by nearly half. You can find a matching rifle starting at just under $1,000, so $1,300+ is pretty out of control for a common code with a mismatched bolt.

That description is all hype. The repro sling and stripper clips are worth about $10. The seller throws around words like rare and incredible. This rifle is common and average.
 
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Forum knows I love a rifle with 4's all over it. Anything over $900 for a common code bolt mismatch is getting into dark water.
 
There aren't very many bolt mismatches worth over $1k. Maybe only BSW and K/G date rifles can command that pricing. DOU 43 is a common receiver code. I usually don't advocate for reneging, but you might want to walk away from this one...

General rule of thumb: bolt mismatch = 50% value lost, stock mismatch = 50% value lost
 
There aren't very many bolt mismatches worth over $1k. Maybe only BSW and K/G date rifles can command that pricing. DOU 43 is a common receiver code. I usually don't advocate for reneging, but you might want to walk away from this one...

Meh, that's poor form....if you bid, you bid....and if he wins at this price, yeah, its no bargain, but if OP wants it bad enough, its not horrible....he would be getting an apparently mismatched bayo and scabbard, and it does come fully equipped with a repro sling, and who knows if repro or not hood and rod...ao, and the stripper clips. So that helps a bit on the price.

Its a decent looking gun, not beat, so it has that going for it.

The way prices are going, it'll probably catch up in a few years....

I certainly wouldn't bid anymore on it, and its possible there is shill bidding going on with the other NR bidder. It would be interesting to see if the other NR bidder "wins" if the OP doesn't get a message in a week or so saying he can have it for his high bid with some reason why the "winner" backed out....

Again, its a case where I, and many others here wouldn't pay that much, but maybe the OP's circumstances are different...OP, let us know how it ends up!
 
I have a feeling the other bidder might be a shill bidder. No definitive proof, just looking at bidding patterns. I have a feeling you're correct if the other NR bidder wins and OP gets a message a week later.
 
I just noticed he included the word "matching" in the main description. That is not true. Having a mismatched bolt makes it by definition "not matching". I also see that the seller is not offering any inspection. Having little to no experience with 98k's, you probably shouldn't be looking at any items that don't offer you the privilege of a return. I have been collecting for a while and regard that as a red flag when I am looking. I also would respectfully disagree regarding the likelihood of it being worth the current bid in the next 5-10 years. The only way I see that happening is if the dollar gets inflated more and it happens that way. Matching original condition 98k's have been in the $1,000-2,000 range for a while now. Sure you see some anomalies at Rock Island and on Gunbroker, but those are usually uncommon variants or pi$$ing contests between a couple of bidders and not the rule. There are some ups and downs, but I think that prices have been fairly consistent for a while now.
 

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