Turret with potentially bad scope ring serials 39947 C

Hey there,

So snipers aren't really my area of focus, so I am very open to being wrong. But I can see a popular GB seller has listed a "98K MAUSER LOW TURRET SNIPER" and so I checked it out. To me the base rifle looks promising, but scope rig looked a little suspect to me. In particular the front ring serial. Interested to hear what some of you more experienced optics guys think....

You are correct. Yes that is bad, upper set is fake and base is fake. Looks like one of Robert S's scopes that someone numbered to match. With that white stuff in the markings I would not say 100% that the base rifle is legit. The safety doesn't look like the factory shortened it. Bands are bad.

That rifle is a big steaming pile. All my opinion of course.

mdarnell19 said:

You are correct. Yes that is bad, upper set is fake and base is fake. Looks like one of Robert S's scopes that someone numbered to match. With that white stuff in the markings I would not say 100% that the base rifle is legit. The safety doesn't look like the factory shortened it. Bands are bad.

That rifle is a big steaming pile. All my opinion of course.

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Thanks for the reply Matt. Its always unfortunate to see a fake, but nice to know my spidey (or fakey) senses were heading in the right direction. Interestingly the seller has a bit of an odd way of describing the rifle. As if he knows something is up but doesn't want to fully admit it...

"Very good condition WWII German 98k Mauser Low Turret Sniper Rifle in 8mm Mauser (7.92 x 57) caliber. This is a rebuilt sniper rifle, complete with original Zf 39 scope. Rifle is NOT import marked and has all matching serial numbers including the front scope ring."

He needs to add "post war rebuilt".....amazing.

I don't know why he's calling it a low turret either. Looks like high turret bases to me. But I guess it doesn't matter. I thought about messaging them but figured they wouldn't care to listen.

mdarnell19 said:

I don't know why he's calling it a low turret either. Looks like high turret bases to me. But I guess it doesn't matter. I thought about messaging them but figured they wouldn't care to listen.

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Part of me wonders if this guy popping up right now has anything to do with the LT that sold at auction recently. Obviously went for a pretty penny, and I know there was a lot of discussion of it on various online platforms.

Went for over 14k. Safety looks like regular safety grounded. Are serials on stock ok?

Someone got seriously burned. Personally I don't think it's even a real sniper let alone a restored one.

tokarev38 said:

Went for over 14k. Safety looks like regular safety grounded. Are serials on stock ok?

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Nope.

Here are some pictures. The bases and upper scope parts are obviously fake. The front band is bad, safety has been "shortened" recently (edge hasn't been cleaned up), I think the e/135 on the receiver is bad (hard to say with the white stuff) meaning it never was a sniper.

My guess is a sporterized rifle that someone turned into a sniper. All my opinion of course, but someone took it in the shorts.

Looking at these photos again you can clearly see the font is bad on the front band. Totally not MO font, and very different from the receiver. Someone got boned.

And I have a feeling Mr. Grey blanket knew.... its there very suttle choice language. Covering his a$$....

the ‘gullet’ (shallow groove across the part) of the safety looks crooked to the flag, which I generally take as a sign of grinding & renumbering. it could be the cut job tho.
the contrast between the pebbled finish of the upper band & the crispness of its numerals is striking, odd size as well. wonder what the inside of the band looks like?

White glue duffle cut stock, repaired with a red glue fore end. So, the white glue fore end somehow disappeared but the much smaller upper and lower barrel bands, spring and bayonet lug were still there?
Makes sense. Until it doesn't.

I absolutely do not think this is one of Robert Spielauers rings being used. The front ring is too much wrong in shape ("too flat top" at front rear ring, but that type of fake can be encountered quite often - must had been a popular reproduction?) to be of Roberts workshop, his were excellent and per original dimensions.

Reading the sellers description to my understanding he says that this was an original sniper rifle that someone restored ("rebuild sniper rifle"). I'd therefore expect reproduction parts and replacement parts in there, already without looking at the pictures. With the white stuff in the markings impossible to tell, he might be correct in that at least the action originally has been an original sniper action. Actually I don't feel much sorry for the buyer. If you can spend 14k without even bothering to read the description and being able to understand what you are buying, and if you feel comfortable enough to despite of being pointed out that you are buying at best something that has been restored with original parts worst with reproduction parts and force matching, well then be happy to burn your money. Edit; it even had been discussed in here and mistakes pointed out. A short research could had directed him here too.

Edit2: looking at the auction pics again .. if you are this dumb to buy a turret rifle with a Zeiss Zielvier in this serial range with a rainshield soldered in wrong position in the rings .. yes, you do deserve to have burnt your money. As much wrong as it can get.