Inquiry: Help identifying my new to me K98

As stated in my introduction forum I would like help information about my new to me K98. I know it's an all numbers matching 1942 BNZ produced and a SSZZA4 rifle as I found the marking after removing the upper receiver and barrel assembly from the furniture. It does not have any of the German eagles with swastikas after looking over the rifle. I do not know if the stock is original. Here are the photos minus the 57 electropenciled on the firing pin too which I missed. i.

Can't say definitely as I am not versed in the SS 98k's but the lack of swastika proofs and the EP (electropencil) on the rear sight is a promising sign.

Stock appears to be refinished, so it is messed with at a minimum. Any internal or external markings on the wood?

An extremely clear photo of the sszza4 stamp and any electro etched marks would be helpful.

Ryan I could not find any external markings or internal markings on the wood. Unfortunate that the stock has been refinished. I will still enjoy the rifle as it sits though. @swjXE I added 3 more photos of what you requested. Close ups of the electro etched sections and the SSZZA4 stamp.

The mix of stamped and etched parts on the bolt is odd, but the fonts don't look wrong.

I forgot to ask about the floorplate and triggerguard. Have pics of those?

I think the gun is a legit depot build, or at least some of it. Stock is heavily sanded (should be numbered) or replaced.

K98bNz42 said:

Ryan I could not find any external markings or internal markings on the wood. Unfortunate that the stock has been refinished. I will still enjoy the rifle as it sits though. @swjXE I added 3 more photos of what you requested. Close ups of the electro etched sections and the SSZZA4 stamp.

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Somehow the photo of the sszza4 failed.

It appears to be a legit “early” SSZZA4 depot build. The only wrong thing is the butt plate serial which looks like a postwar rework part, but could just be faked. Makes me think maybe the whole stock may be replaced, but the bands look good (although originally, stocks were mostly unnumbered in these). Bolts with stamped numbers are the exception on later SSZZA4’s, but on early builds they are the norm. I say early but nobody knows the exact timeframe for these, I suspect 1944 - 1945, with this falling in 1944. My educated guess is these were done at SS Zeugamt Kurmark based on late Skull/K marked stocks, and that is still open for debate.

I don’t see any photos of the trigger guard or floor plate. Trigger guard will have full serial and floor plate will have abbreviated serial.

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mrfarb said:

It appears to be a legit “early” SSZZA4 depot build. The only wrong thing is the butt plate serial which looks like a postwar rework part, but could just be faked. Makes me think maybe the whole stock may be replaced, but the bands look good (although originally, stocks were mostly unnumbered in these). Bolts with stamped numbers are the exception on later SSZZA4’s, but on early builds they are the norm. I say early but nobody knows the exact timeframe for these, I suspect 1944 - 1945, with this falling in 1944. My educated guess is these were done at SS Zeugamt Kurmark based on late Skull/K marked stocks, and that is still open for debate.

I don’t see any photos of the trigger guard or floor plate. Trigger guard will have full serial and floor plate will have abbreviated serial. The rear of the firing pin assembly is electro penciled 57 as well as the underside the rear sight.

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The butt plate waffenamt is WaA145. The exterior of the floor plate shows 57 and 57 on the trigger guard with the waffenamt stamp number WaA62 (Carl Eickhorn). I popped the floor plate off very carefully to see if there were any other numbers underneath where it meets the trigger guard and didn't see any other numbers. I wouldn't put it past the stock being replaced and refinished at some point. I don't know the history of this rifle. Photos of the floor plate and trigger guard added.

swjXE said:

Somehow the photo of the sszza4 failed.

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I checked my google drive link and the photo of the SSZZA4 is there.

RyanE said:

The mix of stamped and etched parts on the bolt is odd, but the fonts don't look wrong.

I forgot to ask about the floorplate and triggerguard. Have pics of those?

I think the gun is a legit depot build, or at least some of it. Stock is heavily sanded (should be numbered) or replaced.

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The bolt is stamped 57 on the safety lever, 457 on the bolt handle, and 57 on the bolt release lever with a small waffenamt eagle with 77 beneath the eagle.

The right side of the receiver is stamped twice WaA77, also on the rear of the bolt, and three sections on two the underside of the rear sight and one on the sight base (Arba GmbH).

What looks like WaA655 on the bolt release lever (S.A.C.(chatellerault))

Thank you everyone so much for your input thus far. I am learning a lot more about this beautiful rifle.

Your research on waffenamt and parts makers is flawed, whatever site you are using is incomplete or wrong. E/77 is Radom, e/655 is Mauser. The buttplate maker code is gqm, a common subcontractor. But, the numbering is not typical for SS depot builds. With that said, noting is exact from one of these to another, such as the abbreviated serial in the trigger guard - usually its 4 digits (or 3 in this case) but yours is original with 2. Depot builds are a minefield. I’m thinking the stock could be the original, I wouldn’t go replacing it. It’s a neat rifle and a nice find for your first one, very desirable. The wa62 you see is actually e/623, Steyr, and that is the floorplate, not trigger guard. That attaches to the trigger guard.


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Congrats on your wonderful find! I agree that metal parts look correct as far as I can tell from the photos. As far as the stock goes, the Karem book says that early SS builds will have the serial number on the keel of the stock, if not it seems possible that there may be traces of an eagle 359 on the keel. Can you let us know if this is the case?

mrfarb said:

Your research on waffenamt and parts makers is flawed, whatever site you are using is incomplete or wrong. E/77 is Radom, e/655 is Mauser. The buttplate maker code is gqm, a common subcontractor. But, the numbering is not typical for SS depot builds. With that said, nothing is exact from one of these to another, such as the abbreviated serial in the trigger guard - usually its 4 digits (or 3 in this case) but yours is original with 2. Depot builds are a minefield. I’m thinking the stock could be the original, I wouldn’t go replacing it. It’s a neat rifle and a nice find for your first one, very desirable. The wa62 you see is actually e/623, Steyr, and that is the floorplate, not trigger guard. That attaches to the trigger guard.


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Thank you for the correct information. I was using this website which I now know is inaccurate. https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Waffenamt_codes. I just removed the floor plate from the trigger guard/internal magazine assembly again. I am looking it over and I've only found the 57 stamped as pictured in front of the floor plate. No stamping in or around the trigger guard area. I had no idea that depot builds were a minefield. Thank you everyone again for enlightening me to all the information about my SS contract rifle.

swjXE said:

Congrats on your wonderful find! I agree that metal parts look correct as far as I can tell from the photos. As far as the stock goes, the Karem book says that early SS builds will have the serial number on the keel of the stock, if not it seems possible that there may be traces of an eagle 359 on the keel. Can you let us know if this is the case?

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Thank you first off. Second, by the keel of the stock do you mean the bottom of the stock under the butt plate or near the trigger area? I don't see any stampings on the bottom of the stock where the trigger guard/magazine well assembly mounts to.

K98bNz42 said:

Thank you first off. Second, by the keel of the stock do you mean the bottom of the stock under the butt plate or near the trigger area? I don't see any stampings on the bottom of the stock where the trigger guard/magazine well assembly mounts to.

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The bottom of the stock running from the rear trigger guard screw all the to the buttplate. Now that you mention it, if you could remove the buttplate and note any markings under there and in the barrel channel of the stock, that would be awesome.

swjXE said:

The bottom of the stock running from the rear trigger guard screw all the to the buttplate. Now that you mention it, if you could remove the buttplate and note any markings under there and in the barrel channel of the stock, that would be awesome.

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I removed the butt plate the other day. I could not find any markings on the butt of the rifle unfortunately. I've learned so much over the past few days about this rifle. I am just curious as to what the E/ means when you are stating numbers as I see WaA etc on the stamps. What are your sources for the codes?

Has anyone ever tried to contact the German D.O.D to see if they could get more information on their rifle i.e. who the rifle was assigned to etc?

K98bNz42 said:

Has anyone ever tried to contact the German D.O.D to see if they could get more information on their rifle i.e. who the rifle was assigned to etc?

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Those records don’t exist, the serial numbers were not kept. Individual Soldbuchs do have rifle serial numbers though, but finding a match is impossible as most don’t have maker name (some do).


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mrfarb said:

Those records don’t exist, the serial numbers were not kept. Individual Soldbuchs do have rifle serial numbers though, but finding a match is impossible as most don’t have maker name (some do).


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Thank you for your response. On another subject would you recommend an original sling or would you recommend a manufacture of a brand new reproduction sling?