Hi All,
I picked this one up recently. Cyrus and I had helped a guy on one of the Facebook groups identify this one a year or so ago. While talking to him I told him to let me know if he ever sold and I'd buy on the spot. A year later, I got a random message from the guy and he was ready. This is one that the extreme Gew98 nerds will appreciate. I've been looking a long time--probably one of the rarest variants of a Gew98, certainly harder to find than Navy and some of the more esoteric sterngewehre. I've never seen one for sale, but know of another couple out there in collections in the US.
Others can likely fill in more details, but Mauser had a special relationship with the Kingdom of Württemberg. As many might already know, the factory at Oberndorf once served as the state arsenal of Württemberg prior to being closed after unification and later purchased by the Mauser brothers. There was a history of contract work with the Kingdom (There were M71, M71B, Kar71 and 71/84 contracts, along with some small volume m79 and m83 revolver contracts with Württemberg), so an arrangement for direct procurement of Gew98s was not without precedent. The distinguishing thing about this Gew98 is that it has a Württemberg "antler" fire proof on the underside of the barrel and left receiver. There would have been one on the bolt as well, but it is mismatch. The rest of the rifle matches, including the correct Crown/W cypher (note-- crown W was for Wilhelm of Württemberg).
The rifle was counterbored at some point. There is an "E" stamping on the right side of the stock, which Sam theorized indicates Erfurt counterbored the rifle. There is no other depot work on the rifle, and only the bolt is m/m.
Here is the data sheet:
Receiver 4952
Barrel 4952 (BS 39)
Front Sight 52
Rear Sight Leaf: 52
Sight Slider 52
Ejector Box 52
Trigger Sear 52
Front Barrel Band 52
Rear Barrel Band 52
Trigger Guard 4952
Trigger Guard Screws 52, 52
Floor Plate 52
Follower 52
Stock 4952
Handguard 4952
Buttplate 4952
Bayonet Lug 52
Cleaning Rod
Bolt body: mm
Safety: mm
Cocking Piece: mm
Bolt shroud: mm
Firing Pin: mm
Extractor mm
I picked this one up recently. Cyrus and I had helped a guy on one of the Facebook groups identify this one a year or so ago. While talking to him I told him to let me know if he ever sold and I'd buy on the spot. A year later, I got a random message from the guy and he was ready. This is one that the extreme Gew98 nerds will appreciate. I've been looking a long time--probably one of the rarest variants of a Gew98, certainly harder to find than Navy and some of the more esoteric sterngewehre. I've never seen one for sale, but know of another couple out there in collections in the US.
Others can likely fill in more details, but Mauser had a special relationship with the Kingdom of Württemberg. As many might already know, the factory at Oberndorf once served as the state arsenal of Württemberg prior to being closed after unification and later purchased by the Mauser brothers. There was a history of contract work with the Kingdom (There were M71, M71B, Kar71 and 71/84 contracts, along with some small volume m79 and m83 revolver contracts with Württemberg), so an arrangement for direct procurement of Gew98s was not without precedent. The distinguishing thing about this Gew98 is that it has a Württemberg "antler" fire proof on the underside of the barrel and left receiver. There would have been one on the bolt as well, but it is mismatch. The rest of the rifle matches, including the correct Crown/W cypher (note-- crown W was for Wilhelm of Württemberg).
The rifle was counterbored at some point. There is an "E" stamping on the right side of the stock, which Sam theorized indicates Erfurt counterbored the rifle. There is no other depot work on the rifle, and only the bolt is m/m.
Here is the data sheet:
Receiver 4952
Barrel 4952 (BS 39)
Front Sight 52
Rear Sight Leaf: 52
Sight Slider 52
Ejector Box 52
Trigger Sear 52
Front Barrel Band 52
Rear Barrel Band 52
Trigger Guard 4952
Trigger Guard Screws 52, 52
Floor Plate 52
Follower 52
Stock 4952
Handguard 4952
Buttplate 4952
Bayonet Lug 52
Cleaning Rod
Bolt body: mm
Safety: mm
Cocking Piece: mm
Bolt shroud: mm
Firing Pin: mm
Extractor mm
Last edited:
