Gew.98m reworked twice

Guys, picked up this "Gew.98m". Have been looking for a decent one for awhile and this one looks to be reworked twice, once in the 30s at Ingolstadt depot (Jt 16) and again in the early 40s at depot Ws 1. Bolt replaced, with rear parts 5 digits off and look like it got slapped together that way the last time. Looks like the parts are original to the Gew.98 except for the rear band and bolt, the stock being numbered again to the same weapon. Thoughts?

More pics:

Very interesting. Same year and maker as my Gewehr 98m but it seems mine went a step further and was given a turned down bolt modification.

What is interesting is that yours is marked "1920" on the receiver compared to mine. Is there a "1920" stamp on the stock ?

Nice rifle! These are the same pics from March when it showed up at Gunboards?

I agree, went through 2 reworks or at least one original upgrade and then another rework. Not sure what the first depot marking is, as on Gunboards I couldn't tell the character on the bottom comb, but doesn't look like Ingolstadt? Could be though.. if you have it in hand the characters would be easier to tell, but i can't make out the letters.

It would have been upgrade "probably" before 1929 originally, the e/81 rear sight ( a rather late Simson attributed waffenamt), the dual sS/S r/s all indicate to me this was before the 1929/30 complete adoption of the sS patrone (1922-1929 they made accommodations for both rounds.)

The second rework was at Wels Austria, a rather uncommon depot, but a surprisingly busy one apparently, as this is the second or third rifle documented.

Anyway, I agree a very fine Gew98M and if you have to have just one, this is about as good as they come! (as it covers all the cool stuff- 1920 property, interwar & wartime depot, and the cherry on the pie, a Simson sub-contracted part, which is also of earlier vintage that all the common MO r/s parts)

Hambone said:

Guys, picked up this "Gew.98m". Have been looking for a decent one for awhile and this one looks to be reworked twice, once in the 30s at Ingolstadt depot (Jt 16) and again in the early 40s at depot Ws 1. Bolt replaced, with rear parts 5 digits off and look like it got slapped together that way the last time. Looks like the parts are original to the Gew.98 except for the rear band and bolt, the stock being numbered again to the same weapon. Thoughts?

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Simson, on the 2nd pic, is that Ingolstadt 16 or 18 or something different? I thought that may be a Reichswehr era rework after the upgrade and the Ws 1 an early 40s depot repair. I reckon the Jt 16 or 18 would be the original upgrade adn the Ws 1 a depot repair?

Again, can't shamelessly plug or emphasis enough the value of your MRJ. I pulled a couple newsletters which addressed these, very helpful.

That is what I mean, that I can't quite make out the characters. Could be Ingolstadt as they were operating pre-war, but so were quite a few others.

Anyway, I agree with your thoughts, except I can't identify the 1st depot marking, but you have the rifle in hand and it certainly could be Ingolstadt.

Hambone said:

Simson, on the 2nd pic, is that Ingolstadt 16 or 18 or something different? I thought that may be a Reichswehr era rework after the upgrade and the Ws 1 an early 40s depot repair. I reckon the Jt 16 or 18 would be the original upgrade adn the Ws 1 a depot repair?

Again, can't shamelessly plug or emphasis enough the value of your MRJ. I pulled a couple newsletters which addressed these, very helpful.

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I know a lot people look down on Weimar modified/reworked weapons, but I have to say that I find them pretty darn interesting. Lots of documented history with these...

Agreed, and they are rather uncommon fully matching an original - so many being sent to Spain or being brought in from Albania (some fairly decent stuff came in but man, they got every pfenning out of their usefulness, many are so worn out you can drop a dime down the barrel...)

Collectors have been saying the day of the Gew98M is coming, that one day collectors will realize their scarcity and historical value- and all that is true- but I am starting to doubt it!

Which is not really such a bad thing, as with all reworks, they would be easy to hump and be difficult to authenticate! Right now they are not worth a "good" humpers time, and the idiot humpers we can usually weed out!

For now anyway!

Wolfsburg said:

I know a lot people look down on Weimar modified/reworked weapons, but I have to say that I find them pretty darn interesting. Lots of documented history with these...

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Tks Simson. As for Gew.98ms, I've been looking for a decent matching example for some time. Finally found this one. The back end is five numbers off, but looks original to the rifle. They don't have the curb appeal and price tags because too few know what they really are I think. The Gew.98 is the province of WW1 collectors, and they have no interest in these. Wolfsburg, I feel the same way. Lots of history in these. This rifle was made in WW1, 1920 stamped for postwar / Weimar, Reichswehr reworked/upgraded, used in WW2 and repaired again. That's alot of mileage.