First Post: DRP K98 Mauser (Pics Attached)

[Peter-Paul]

Hi All,

This is my first post and thank you for having me.

I had bought this DRP K98 Mauser at Nagels Gun Shop in San Antonio in 2005 for $400 (I had to put it on Layaway!). I noticed the serial number was already on this forum, and I suspect its info migrated here from posts I had made at another forum after I got the rifle 14 years ago. There are no import marks on the rifle that I am aware of.

I have a couple of questions:

1) The last digit of the bolt serial number is one number off. Do you all have any conjecture as to how this happened? The headspace is fine (as checked with GO and NO GO guages).
2) The barrel has a marking near the shank "Ch.40". Does this mean that the rifle was re-barreled in 1940? The quality of the barrel and the rifling is excellent.
3) What is the conjecture on the current value of this rifle?
4) Does any member here have a 1-number off mismatched bolt for which mutually match our rifles?

More pics in a post right below this.

Thank you for reading my post.

V/r,
PP

 

[Peter-Paul]

More Pics

More Pics - Thank you for looking at these.

 

[CLG]

I believe the Ch.40 is a steel supplier code. In my limited experience the numbering on Banner K’s can be a bit funny. I have a DR where the cartouche has the correct serial number but the stock channel is one number off. Still, having the whole bolt mismatched seems less likely from the factory. Others can opine on value.

 

[Hambone]

Nope, I think that Ch.40 is something else, perhaps the mark of who / what etc., which may have rebarreled it, hence the big "7.9". I think taking it out of the wood to see other barrel marking would be instructive.

 

[CLG]

My assumption re.Ch.40 was from an old thread of Bruce’s based on information from Jon Speed. My Banner K DR has the same mark and the barrel is original.

http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread....ll=1#post17861

Thoughts may have changed of course. Sorry, I see my link doesn’t work, not sure how to do that.

 

[heavy_mech]

Nope, I think that Ch.40 is something else, perhaps the mark of who / what etc.,

I thought ch was FN Herstal? 40 being 1940? Belgium collapsed 28 May so I guess barrels and other parts would be flowing east before the end of the year? Yes/no?

 

[bruce98k]

Barrel steel code

In this case being 1933, the "Ch." is a prefix for the steel lot code, denoting Bohler & Co.
From the attached document, those barrels using Bohler steel blanks were for a contract
with Argentina for short rifles (carbines).

 

[heavy_mech]

I don't know how I didn't see the barrel? Not even close to the ch used on FN made stuff. Worse is I wasn't even drunk at the time.

 

[CLG]

There’s a good illustration and explanation of this mark on page 182 of Volume One of Karabiner 98k. I looked at my Banner K 1933 DR again and the barrel shank is marked Ch.45, presumably a different supplier. Must be a master list somewhere...........