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need info on 1937 portuguese contract k98

jbjorn

Active member
I have recently aquired a nice looking 1937 oberndorf made mauser which i have learned (after some googling) is a portuguese contract weapon. It has the portuguese crest on the receiver, the V-style front sight and the sling swivels. Also WaA63 markings all over. I see no crest on the stock, nor any cross on the buttplate(was that only the 41 versions?). I have a couple questions about this weapon. The serial number is D7356. What does the D stand for?
Also on the barrel just in front of the receiver crest symbol there are a couple of markings i havent seen before, together with the number 979. What does that mean? The first symbol is a bit hard to describe, the second symbol looks like a checkered shield.
Finally on top of the barrel near the aforementioned marks there is a mark saying "8x57 IS" and then a symbol behind(like two "W" on top of eachother with a crossed "T" on the top "W"). Wondering what that symbol means.
If anybody have a link to any good pages with general info about these portuguese contract weapons, i would love to check it out.
Will try to post photos of the markings I mentioned if I can figure it out, am new to this forum.
 
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here are some photos, can post more if necessary
 

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M 937

Hi
Your rifle is a Portuguese short rifle M 937A.
It was imported to Germany by Frankonia Waffen Würzburg, FWW, and got a new firing proof in Munich, Germany, September 1979.
I´ll bet the sight is fixed at 300 m with a welding spot.
I wonder how this rifle comes to Norway, they used to have more than enough K98k there.
You´ll get more information about these Portuguese rifles here: http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread...For-Port-quot-D-quot-Block&highlight=portugal
 
Thank you for the answer.
Which markings told you it was imported back by the FWW? Is that the two symbols before the 979?
This rifle was imported to norway in the 80s by a gun dealer. And then sold to the previous owner. Has never been in military service here.
 
Which markings told you it was imported back by the FWW? Is that the two symbols before the 979?

No, it's the FWW (Frankonia Waffen Würzburg) marking beside the "8x57IS". The eagle/N marking beside the "979" is the new German firing proof and the symbol is from the proof house in Munich, who did the new firing proof for this rifle.

By the way, usually it shouldn't have a V-style front sight, it should have the U-style.

@Spielkind
The changes you are talking about are from the old German gun law (until 1972) and a rifle with firing proof from 1979 shouldn't have these changes anymore.
 
Thank you for the answer.
Which markings told you it was imported back by the FWW? Is that the two symbols before the 979?
This rifle was imported to norway in the 80s by a gun dealer. And then sold to the previous owner. Has never been in military service here.

FWW is the logo stamped for 'Frankonia Waffen Würzburg' aka 'Frankonia Jagd' on mostly reimported surplus guns in the 1970s to the 1980s.
It´s a still existing German company, even if they no longer trade in military small arms.
'Eagle over N' means German nitro proof, the bavarian crest stands for Munich, an '979' means september 1979.
These M 937 rifles have only seen service in Portugal.
 
So the "shield" before the 979 is the bavarian crest? And the symbol before the shield (which i couldnt tell what was) is an eagle over an "N"? Now that you say it I can see what it is. Thank you!
 
The Portuguese M937-A has a front sight with Balkenkorn - the K98k has a front sight with Dachkorn.

M937-A & K98k.jpg

The M937-A has the fixed Kornschoner (front sight protector).
 
Already mentioned by all Mo937A, in D range which was delivered to Portugal in 1937/8, they have the portugal crest on reciever, WWF Frankonia, Munchen Firerarms proof in sept.1979, Eagle/N is too BRD proofing on reciever, barell and bolt. b.r.Andy
 
The Portuguese M937-A has a front sight with Balkenkorn - the K98k has a front sight with Dachkorn.

View attachment 205525

The M937-A has the fixed Kornschoner (front sight protector).

That is correct. My rifle has the balkenkorn with the V-style front sight protector, like these rifles had.

Was this something made specially for the portuguese rifles? Did no german issue K98k have the balkenkorn, before or after?
 
Much to my dismay i discovered that the bolt is not matching. The number on the bolt is 7356, while every other component on the rifle is marked 7326. I didnt notice it at first since the numbers were so similar. I find it a little bit strange that the numbers are so close, only 30 apart. What do you imagine can have happened here? I imagine two guys from the same company with rifles from the same batch sitting and cleaning their weapons together, and switching bolts... So close, but yet so far. It doesnt really matter since i got it for free and dont intend to sell it, but it is a bit annoying still.
 
here are some
 

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Interesting only 30 off in the same letter block. I wonder if the mix up happened on delivery or inspection in Portugal? That's the bolt the rifle was wearing when reimported I'd guess unless FWW bought a block?
 
FWW is the logo stamped for 'Frankonia Waffen Würzburg' aka 'Frankonia Jagd' on mostly reimported surplus guns in the 1970s to the 1980s.
It´s a still existing German company, even if they no longer trade in military small arms.
'Eagle over N' means German nitro proof, the bavarian crest stands for Munich, an '979' means september 1979.
These M 937 rifles have only seen service in Portugal.

Is the eagle over N marking on the bolt also from 1979?
 
It could be mixed by Portuguese by using in one unit, or the germans when it reproofed in 1979. b.r.Andy
 

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