Third Party Press

Found in Attic - Mauser K98 43 SN 1718 h

adesan001

Member
I'm hoping you all can help. The short back story - I'm a real estate investor and bought a home and discovered a lot of valuable items in an attic that was screwed shut. On of those items is a Mauser K98 43. The SN is 1718 and all parts match with this same SN so I pretty sure it's all original. It had a lot of surface rust but once cleaned off (not chemically, oil and 0000 steel wool) it has a lot of original blueing, I'd say 60-70%. I am a gun guy so tearing this down and cleaning it was enjoyable but also done properly. There is an eagle stamped on the barrel and receiver. What I don't know is what the h stands for that is below the SN on most of the parts and there is three letters stamped on the butt plate, not sure what that is either.

I plan on selling this but want to make sure I know the complete (or at least as much as possible) history on this gun. I found a bunch of other WWII stuff so I assume this was a vet bring back. No import stamps that I know of.

Thanks all!
 
Pictures are better than words. Taken in daylight, overall, detail and showing markings are best.
It sounds like the 'h' as you describe it is actually part of the serial number, ie it follows the (up to) five digit number you saw on the receiver.
I would highly recommend not using steel on blued metal, but bronze wool instead, although it may be too late. Do not sand the stock either.
This is a link to one in the records.
http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?1045-About-mint-byf-43-laminated
 
Sure sounds like a nice find indeed. Be great if the sling is still with the rifle. Pics would be a great help when ya can.
 
Yeah that nasty word "cleaning" often gives us nightmares. The steel wool made me shudder!

I get it. I was taught by an old gun smith how to clean surface rust from a blued surface. The trick is to use 0000 and an oil, like motor oil - and be gentle. Nothing more than the surface rust was removed. Not my first rodeo. :) I just posted a link to pics.
 
My advice, remove it from the wood and oil all the metal and put back together. No need to improve that patina. A very nice rifle.

Jeff
 
Looks like a nice rifle. Beyond the application of some light gun oil to the metal surfaces and bore, I wouldn't touch it.
 
Since noone posted this information yet, your rifle was made by Steyr Daimler Puch in Austria. They used the code "bnz". It is a desirable manufacturer.

The sling swivel on your rifle is installed wrong way round. The swivel should be facing to the left side of the rifle and not the right side. You'll need to depress the flat spring on the right side, slide off towards the front the barrel band, take out the spring, slide off the sling swivel and install it correct way round. Before you re-install the swivel you may take off the handguard as well and check if the inside is stamped with the serial matching to the rifle. Maybe your rifle also formerly was "duffle cut", what refers to a cut to the stock of the rifle which was made to make it shorter in length to allow it to be shipped back as souvenir from WWII. This was often done under the sling swivel because when it was repaired it would not be visible when the rifle is fully assembled.

Edit: you asked on the letter "h". Most manufacturers during most years only used up to 4 digit serial numbers. They started with serial 1 and serialized up to 9999. Then they had to start again with serial 1, but to differenciate it from the former serial 1 they added the letter "a". So the serial following 9999 was 1a. They then serialized up to 9999a and then started with serial 1b, etc. So the letter "h" on your rifle is the so-called suffix and part of the serial number.

Also you asked on a three letter code on the buttplate. Germany had a code system during WWII. Idea was that enemies don't know which company produces which part. So as for example bnz for Steyr. I assume your buttplate might be marked with "brg"? This is the code for H.W. Schmidt, a company in Doebeln (in Sachsen).
 
Last edited:
Good narrative above. Thought I'd add your rifle makes uses of parts from the Radom Arsenal in occupied Poland. Trigger guard, floor plate and sight ramp are shown. Anything with e/77 really. I'd expect a good bit more given the time your rifle was assembled.
 

Military Rifle Journal
Back
Top