2 k98

[oldmannow]

First post. Just would like to share 2 K98's that my father brought back from WW2. 1. Is a BYF44g. The second is a BCD43g. If I remember correctly these are 2 of about a dozen that he sent back. I am still trying to track those down. They were given to uncles and close friends not involved in the war.

 

[jhv 41]

Welcome to the forum and thanks for posting.

Are these two all matching numbers?

It's be great if you could track the rest down and bring them all together again - would be quite a historic reunion.

Cheers,

JHV

 

[oldmannow]

Well I see that all the pictures didn't upload. Once I get the hang of this I'll post all the pictures of the two that I have. But in answer to your question yes they are all matching numbers. But have been duffle cut and repaired by my father many years ago.

 

[jhv 41]

I think you are limited in uploading pics to the forum as a newbie until you complete a few posts. One of the moderators may be able to tweak your account to let you post the balance of the pics.

 

[oldmannow]

Here are a couple of more from the other one

 

[Loewe]

Only Mike, Bruce or Craig could tinker with your account, though I think you reached the 3 posts that most restrictions are lifted.

While both of these rifles are common maker-dates, probably two of the top 10, the bcd/43 can be interesting. You took a picture out of the stock; did you take pictures of the markings on the barrel? Most often they have Ruhrstahl (avk, & e/13 barrels) barrels or FN (ch or waffenamt e/140 barrels) but not always, what is the code on the barrel, or the waffenamt? This will tell who made the barrel; Gustloff did start making their own barrels in 1943, though typically later in 1943 and most were rejects, usually used in commercial production until 1944, when most show up.

Anyway, if you can post some pictures of the rifles markings, we probably can tell you something of the rifles. Welcome to the forum!

 

[oldmannow]

Ok here goes the rest of the pictures. I know I'll get some comment about the stocks being sanded, but I had no choice in the matter. These were done probably right after my father returned from the war. He also repaired the duffle cuts done on both of them. And looking at some of the repairs on the forum he didn't do a good cosmetic repair but what he has done has held up over all these years.

 

[oldmannow]

And some more

 

[oldmannow]

And more pictures

 

[oldmannow]

Sorry bad storm just blew thru had to rescue some stuff off the deck. Here are pictures of the other one

 

[oldmannow]

more pictures

 

[oldmannow]

And the final four

 

[396l35]

Nice pair...

 

[M1903A3]

Beautiful guns! Your dad, I think, did just fine.

 

[Loewe]

You'll get no grief from me on the sanded stocks, while it may be unfortunate from a value pov, it was just the reality of the situation back then. Even in the early 1980s when I started buying 98k, these rifles weren't worth much.. no one really gave too much attention to them back then, very few knew much about them really. You had to be something of an oddball to even collect nazi guns, at least in the Marines. All my friends collected Garands and 03's and thought I was super stupid liking nazi crap.

These days I kind of agree. Its pre-33 for me these days...

Your rifles are good, the barrel is a Ruhrstahl barrel, both bys and avk are Ruhrstahl companies, bys made the steel and avk finished it into a barrel. Pretty typical, you have two pretty decent rifles, about 20 miles ahead of the rc collector, imo of course.