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Gew 98 - handguard length

dccd01

Member
I have a 1917 Danzig and recently bought what I thought was a Gew 98 stock for it. However, the handguards I've looked at buying online appear to be longer than what I need based on the barrel step length from the front sights. It looks like I need one that is around 5 inches or so, but the ones online are closer to 8.5". Are these meant for a 98K?

Also - my stock does not have a side groove on the right side for a band spring for the middle band. It just has a small hole. Did I not get a Gew stock?
 

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Well - that's disappointing.

So does a k98 handguard fit on a Gew stock? They appear to be too long. How long is a Gew handguard?
 
K98k and Gew98 handguards are identical. The Czech stick you have is another animal entirely. The Czech handguards are much longer and will not work on a German rifle as it had a different rear sight set up.



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Your rifle looks to be one of the Interarms chopped barrel Gew 98m's that were imported from Spain. You might be better looking for a K98k stock since the barrel is no longer Gew 98 length anymore. A Gew 98 stock will be too long.
 
Your rifle looks to be one of the Interarms chopped barrel Gew 98m's that were imported from Spain. You might be better looking for a K98k stock since the barrel is no longer Gew 98 length anymore. A Gew 98 stock will be too long.

Measuring the barrel, it measures out to just under 23 3/4", leading me to believe it's a karabiner 98az. It also has a turned down bolt handle. I'm starting to think finding an actual Gew stock may be a challenge. I'd prefer to keep it as close to original as possible, so I hate to use a 98k stock.
 
Measuring the barrel, it measures out to just under 23 3/4", leading me to believe it's a karabiner 98az. It also has a turned down bolt handle. I'm starting to think finding an actual Gew stock may be a challenge. I'd prefer to keep it as close to original as possible, so I hate to use a 98k stock.

Your barreled action is not from a Kar 98a. I believe Stan is right, a cut down G98 with the later sight. What markings are on the top of the receiver
and the right sidewall?
 
The original Danzig rifle has been reworked probably at least three times. By the Germans in the 1930's (to Gew 98m pattern),most likely again by Spain in the 1940's-50's, then lastly by the importer Interarms in the early 1960's. The last one altered it the farthest from its original configuration when they chopped it down and bent the bolt. If you are looking to give it a military configuration again, I think a K98k stock is probably the best option. The original barrel would have been just over 29", so a Gew 98 stock will be too long. After being chopped, it's now close to K98k length.
 
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Your barreled action is not from a Kar 98a. I believe Stan is right, a cut down G98 with the later sight. What markings are on the top of the receiver
and the right sidewall?

Thanks for the responses to everyone. I am interested in keeping it as original as possible, so hearing it may have been altered is disappointing. Luckily I didn't pay much for it at $180. I'm attaching some of the markings hoping you guys can tell me some more of it's import history.
 

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You can't really fix this rifle, too short for 98k or G98 usually, though close to 98k. It might best be used as a 98k substitute, but really best to move on and buy a unaltered 98k or G98, depending on your interest. These often come up on the forums, these importer cutdowns, they never work out (imo) when "restored", to do so is throwing good money at an unsolvable problem.

Though if you have the time you could provide us with a picture of the barrel code, typically on the lower barrel, under the stock.
 
You can't really fix this rifle, too short for 98k or G98 usually, though close to 98k. It might best be used as a 98k substitute, but really best to move on and buy a unaltered 98k or G98, depending on your interest. These often come up on the forums, these importer cutdowns, they never work out (imo) when "restored", to do so is throwing good money at an unsolvable problem.

Though if you have the time you could provide us with a picture of the barrel code, typically on the lower barrel, under the stock.

Took some more pics under the barrel and some better pics of the markings I took earlier and posted. They barrel number matches the receiver, so if the earlier poster is correct that this is not an original carbine length, it most likely has been cut down.

  1. What can you guys tell me of the markings in these photos? The first 2 are under the barrel, but photo 3 is under the receiver.
  2. What are the markings in photo 4?
  3. What is the little mark after "Gew 98"?
 

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Good!

It is the factory barrel, though the importer cut it down... the rifle is very late 1917, oo-block, though not the end for 1917.. Danzig made a buttload of G98's in 1917. #4 is the fireproof, serial and suffix. After the Gew.98 is a period, probably just a scratch or flaw elongates the side rail designation.


Took some more pics under the barrel and some better pics of the markings I took earlier and posted. They barrel number matches the receiver, so if the earlier poster is correct that this is not an original carbine length, it most likely has been cut down.

  1. What can you guys tell me of the markings in these photos? The first 2 are under the barrel, but photo 3 is under the receiver.
  2. What are the markings in photo 4?
  3. What is the little mark after "Gew 98"?
 
Thanks to Jon for the document! (and FG)

I was incorrect in my earlier statement, this is actually the highest recorded rifle for Danzig/17 and it actually is important for its RR acceptance pattern, - though blurry it appear to have a C/P center acceptance and this brings forward this pattern into 1917. Danzig is pretty stable in acceptance patterns during the war and I thought it strange the abrupt change between 1917-1918, almost like a rollover with the year... typically it is sporadic changes (back & forth in a narrow range, a letter block or so) during a year that leads to an eventual consistent change.

Anyway, nothing groundbreaking but interesting from a trends perspective, a new high with the earliest noted use of C/P on the RR (though the picture is blurry it looks like C/P, perhaps the owner can do a clearer shot to confirm...)

It isn't often I get a new high these days... though it was a modest jump of a couple thousand rifles.
 
It isn't often I get a new high these days...

If you check out a busy area near you there will be signs for that, just text the number on the sign and they'll send you a prescription......

Oh :laugh: you meant a new high serial number.

Happy to help Jon and the community anytime.
 
Thanks for the responses to everyone. I am interested in keeping it as original as possible, so hearing it may have been altered is disappointing. Luckily I didn't pay much for it at $180. I'm attaching some of the markings hoping you guys can tell me some more of it's import history.

I think the only way you'll be able to restore this rifle to a proper Gew.98 configuration is if you were willing to replace the barrel with a proper length Gew.98 barrel in 8x57IS, and to either find a correct stock or to have a custom one made for you.

Personally, if I was keen on "restoring" this piece, I would just throw a Lothar Walther G98 barrel on there with original sights and commission fox-military from Poland to do a Gew.98 stock. The only problem then would be finding all the correct metal components that would need to be installed onto it (identification disc, barrel bands, buttplate, bayonet lug, etc.) You would end up with a very nice original G.98 clone, but at this point it would have little collector value and would be more as a shooter. It would be "as original," but not "original."

Either that, or if you found K98k parts, you would end up with a Gew.98 to K98k rework clone, which would also be kind of cool, but that doesn't sound like what you want.
 
You can't really fix this rifle, too short for 98k or G98 usually, though close to 98k. It might best be used as a 98k substitute, but really best to move on and buy a unaltered 98k or G98, depending on your interest. These often come up on the forums, these importer cutdowns, they never work out (imo) when "restored", to do so is throwing good money at an unsolvable problem.

Though if you have the time you could provide us with a picture of the barrel code, typically on the lower barrel, under the stock.

He would have to change the barrel to "fix it," but I don't know how he would feel about parting an original barrel from the action. It's already been "bubba'd" by the importer, but even as is would still be more "collectable" than it would be if he went through the effort to fix it. Honestly, it really depends on what OP's intentions are.
 
After getting everyone's thoughts and comments, I think I'm just going to look at a 98K stock. I already have a 98K that I think I'll take out of the stock and fit test this Gew. Hopefully, it just drops in and the top handguard will fit as it should. I hate to swap out barrels since the one I have is number matching. Not what I hoped for, but if it fits a 98K stock, I'll still have a pretty cool piece of history.
 
Your rifle looks to be one of the Interarms chopped barrel Gew 98m's that were imported from Spain. You might be better looking for a K98k stock since the barrel is no longer Gew 98 length anymore. A Gew 98 stock will be too long.
I know this is an old thread, but can I ask how you know they were imported from Spain? I recently picked up a GEW 98 (chopped barrel) with the roller coaster rear sight and some funky non adjustable front sight. It has a VZ24 stock, the bolt matches the rifle except for the bolt body (it is a bent bolt handle). I really want to put a different front sight (maybe k98k or zvZ24) on it.
 

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