F.B. Radom wz.98a dating 1938?

[Absolut]

Guys,

Received this rifle yesterday, fully matching with a mirror bright bore. Serial can be found on bolt handle, receiver, barrel, twice on rear sight, buttplate and stock. Receiver is marked wz.98a on the left side and F.B. Radom over 1938 on top.

What exactly do I have here? I did not knew they were still doing 98a rifles in 1938! Is this something rare, or only something not commonly known or collected? Any ideas to the value of that rifle?

I've so far only found this thread, showing a very similar rifle: http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?7790-1936-FB-Radom-wz-98a

ATB,

Georg

 

[bruce98k]

Wz89a

Matching examples are very scarce for starters. Likely as valuable or more than a matching Wz29, which can fetch over 3K for a real nice one.
Original non-Germanized Polish rifles are relatively scarce with the Wz98a being on the top of many collectors foreign arms lists.

 

[mauser99]

very nice rifle.. For what ever reason the Poles were making these rifles along with the WZ29. This is the same length as the Gew98 and they started making these from the get go with the booty from Danzig. The Langevisor sight was deleted for the flat sight. Just like the 98m. What gets confusing is the germans called their Karbine the 98a and the Poles long rifle is a 98a. They called their versoin of the 98az the Kar98 and their standard battle rifle the WZ29. Polish 98a's are the least commonly seen polish rifles.
People that collect polish stuff like "RADOMMAN" put a much higher value on stuff than the average mauser collector. These rifles tend to sell for more than a german equivalent.

Congrats on a great find...

 

[mrfarb]

Really nice!

 

[John Wall]

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthr...-a-German-Re-issue&highlight=john+wall+Polish

On the Mauser Forum, search using the terms "Polish 98a" for many more threads
Regards,
John

 

[Absolut]

Thanks for the replies! Seems like it was a good buy, didn't pay too much either! Guess the value isn't that high in Europe, but that always depends upon the collector you need to find for that rifle.

 

[Absolut]

Guys,

I got myself another one of the Wz.98a, this one seems to be quite different....

- No F.B. Radom on the receiver, plus no year date
- 0-prefixed serial number with only four digits
- only last two digits on bolt, however the full serial now aswell on magazine guard and also serials on the front ring, etc.
- German Eagle with Hakenkreuz on barrel

Could this be one of the Wz.98a which were already manufactured for the Germans? The only German sign is the shown eagle, but no WaA-markings or others are present. I believed that those were assembled at Steyr, and not at Radom, therefore I'm wondering about the lack of a WaA-marking...

Two picture show both rifles side to side, to make the differences in which parts are now marked visible.

 

[RyanE]

Guys,

I got myself another one of the Wz.98a, this one seems to be quite different....

- No F.B. Radom on the receiver, plus no year date
- 0-prefixed serial number with only four digits
- only last two digits on bolt, however the full serial now aswell on magazine guard and also serials on the front ring, etc.
- German Eagle with Hakenkreuz on barrel

Could this be one of the Wz.98a which were already manufactured for the Germans? The only German sign is the shown eagle, but no WaA-markings or others are present. I believed that those were assembled at Steyr, and not at Radom, therefore I'm wondering about the lack of a WaA-marking...

Two picture show both rifles side to side, to make the differences in which parts are now marked visible.

More likely a rifle reissued by the Germans that had its barrel replaced by a depot. German fireproof appears to one of the depot stamps that show up now and then, though a better picture would be nice. Any markings on the barrel aside from the serial number? Any markings on the stock (especially on the grip or the underside of the butt)?

Beutewaffen will not have WaA stamps. They may have HZa inspection stamps, but not always. Most vz24s with German proofed replacement barrels are not marked at all.

 

[mauser99]

to me it looks like a Polish mauser scrubbed and sent to Spain. I have seen many like this and most are Kar98az's or called KAR98 on the side.. Scrubbed as a sneak to spain by the Poles.. Its the only thing that makes sense. The odd F.P. does look like some of the weird depot types that show up on gew98m's Also a bunch of those were shipped to Spain. Most of those had the markings saved. The Spanish reworked those post war then were sold as surplus many years later.

 

[Desert_Faux]

Cool that this post was bumped up today.

At my local Gun Store, there is an RC K98 that is exactly like the last wz98a described!

The receiver top is scrubbed. No markings on the top whatsoever.

There is a non-German type Serial on the receiver ring where the Germans usually put theirs on their K98s. And where the "Mod 98" is usually on a K98, there is "wz 98a".

It has a GECO made barrel on it as the barrel stamp is just visible above the stock line, and the numbers 38 follow after the GECO logo... the numbers/letters probably continue on under the stock line, but that's all that was visible.

It is in standard K98 configuration, and of course, all parts are Russian hot dipped, etc etc... Though there is no "X" or other funky RC markings...

Is it worth picking up? It is going for standard Canadian RC K98 pricing....

My buddy and I are planning on going there after to work to check it out again. I picked up another SVT Sniper there this morning during my coffee break...

 

[Desert_Faux]

An added note.

As I had always understood, a scrubbed Polish Mauser usually meant it was sent to Spain during the Civil War... how would this one have ended up being captured on the Eastern Front??

The Spanish "Blue Legion" was issued standard German equipment in Russia was it not?

Did the "Condor Legion" return to Germany with their equipment?

So many questions.... hard to answer when a rifle has undergone "The Russian Treatment"...