Grandfathers Mauser ID!

Hey everyone! New to the forum and the world of mausers. I recently inherited my grandfathers Mauser when he passed away recently. He had just started finally opening up about his time in Europe at the end of the war (armored infantry) when he passed so I never got much on this, but i know he picked this up and brought it home after the war (along with an unbelievable Radom vis 35 pistol and holster) and numerous bayonets. As i started researching the stamps and numbers I learned how much there is to this, so can any of you help give me an idea of the history of this rifle? Where exactly it came from? All I managed to find through searching was Steyr maybe? It would really make my day! It had been in storage in his gun closet for the past 80 years. Thanks guys!

It isnt letting me post more pictures but there are a few other places that have markings

On the bottom by the trigger guard there is a pair of what looks to be stamps of an eagle with a 77 under it, and the 2890 sn again

Bottom of the butt place had a “brg”

Two more little eagles under the right side of the sight

And on the bolt, 2890 again, with 25 on the safety

Cool rifle man, all I can get from the photos is that it is a Steyr produced rifle made in 1943. You'll have to upload more markings though to get a full history. How many of the numbers match? Do you know how to disassemble the bolt?

Some of the more seasoned experts on here will probably chime in no doubt but, if that rifle was brought back by your grandfather and hasn't been touched that is defintely original finish and honest wear/patina.

regardless whatever you do, do not try to restore it , to make it look pretty.

spray your favorite oil on the metal and let it sit preferably out of the stock do not try cleaning the stcok /wood either

after the metal has soaked for a few days take a coarse cloth, and gently rub the rust area's. (do not use a scouring pad, brillo, steel wool, polishing wheels)

others with much better knowledge of treating K-98 wood will be along

Can you please post the Radom Vis as well?

Very cool rifle, we would love to see more and the other items too if you don’t mind. This is an SS contract rifle produced by Steyr, either in 1943 or 1944 depending on some other features and barrel code.

Thanks for the quick reply! Yeah i can post as many pics as needed, it just says im over my quota

Do you mean where all can i find matching 2890 numbers? So far i see that number on the top side of thr barrel in front of the action, if i flip the sight rail up i see it underneath there with another eagle stamp, on the bolt right on the bottom side of the handle, i see it etched in the wood on the narrow piece that covers the top of the barrell and co es off when you slide that band down, i see one on the bottom of the receiver by the trigger guard, where tgere are the two 77s, i see one etched into the wood on the main frame nder where the barrel sits

Only other etchings that i had not listed that I am just now seeing were hidden from me last night, one in particular that has the hair on my arms raised, what looks to be a star of david? On the bottom of the barrell there is an a y, what looks to be a shield with bnz over 1, and an eagle with what i think says wa523 (magnifying glass), beside what i swear looks like a star. And then down more towards the trigger from there there is a little v over a 7 inside a circle


I have te gun apart right now and while i did watch a video on youtube about how to dissassemble and clean it, i did not, seeing as it wouldnt have needed it. He was a metallurgical engineer by trade after the war so he was sooo meticulous in detail and smart, this gun was perfecty preserved and oiled over the decades. Just the kind of guy he was. Even the bayonets, everything. And i love him for that

yes, neat gun... I would leave all as found,,, no oil, no rag, no wiping of dust... just as is...

I was referring to the bolt in that last bit, i watched a video on the bolt, but did not dissassemble it

What Flynaked said SS contract rifle looks like a Gusen reciever too. Nice rifle!

Now i would absolutely love to post the vis 35. The story behind that pistol i did get from him 2 weeks before he passed and will be told with it, let me get good pics and get my stuff together. Do you want me to post a new tgread somewhere specific?

I'd probably wipe down the metal with a light coat of ballistol oil as that reddish stuff looks like minor surface rust and you don't want that getting any worse.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1014636330

You don't have to buy from Midway it's sold all over.

Hey there it goes! More pics!

Couple more

And a couple more

Last few pics

Cool rifle. I have a couple of SS contract rifles myself. Everything you have said so far sounds right, WaA's and serial number placement. The only thing is it sounds like maybe the safety flag was replaced at some point, not to uncommon...they can break. On the stock wrist you should see a very small WaA623 (waf proof for Steyr), that should be the only external stock marking. The WaA77's are Waf proofs from Radom, who was a major parts supplier.

I'm certainly not the expert on here. But to give you a veryyy brief lowdown on the whole 'SS contract' thing. Steyr signed a contract with the SS to build rifles for them outside of the standard Army supply chain. Parts of these rifles (mostly receivers and probably some other metal components) were made in Gusen subcamp of Mauthausen KL. Note the very rough machining on your receiver. The rifles then saw their final assembly at the Steyr plant. Its unclear what the SS actually used these rifles for, but I think there is a large suspicion that most of them were put into storage by the SS and saw little to no action.

There is a lot more to it then that, but that gives a relatively accurate jist I believe.

Ooook now the pieces are starting to come together in my mind with the stamps. The vis 35 i was about to post a thread about in the handguns section has the WaA77 stamp on it. So thats a Radom supplied part? Interesting!

Thank you very much for the information! This is a fascinating dialogue!


And another question. Would there be any issue at all in taking this to the range in your minds?

ugafx4 said:

Can you please post the Radom Vis as well?

Click to expand...

Posted in the we2 axis handgun section. Enjoy!