Gewehr 98 WMO 1917 4243n Ex-Scharfschutze

[PrayingMantis]

Scored this WMO 1917 ex sniper recently. I’ve been interested in these for some time, glad to finally have one.

This one is exceptionally nice, the import marks on the receiver are the only major detraction. It is a straight bolt mismatch, even the rod is factory matching. I assume when the Turks de-snipered it they threw away the original bent bolt. (The straight handle bolt that came with it is all Turkish made.) The nitre blue is still strong and the screws almost untouched. The stock has dings but the stamping is very crisp. The blue line on the rear sight has clear definition. All this really makes me think it sat in storage until converted to a regular infantry weapon.

WAFFENFABRIK MAUSER A-G OBERNDORF A/N 1917​

Receiver 4243n c/R c/V c/V
Barrel 4243n c/W c/W c/W B.S 854
Front Sight 43
Rear Sight Leaf 43 c/V
Rear Sight Base c/V
Sight Slider 43 c/V
Sight Slider Tabs 43, 43
Ejector Box 43
Trigger Sear 43 c/R
Trigger 43
Front Barrel Band 43 c/V
Rear Barrel Band 43 c/V
Trigger Guard 4243 c/V c/K
Trigger Guard Screws 43, 43
Floor Plate 43 c/V
Follower 43 c/R
Stock 4243 c/FW c/G c/J
Stock Wrist c/J c/W
Stock Keel 4243 c/W c/W
Recoil Lug c/V
Buttplate 4243n c/W
Bayonet Lug 43 c/B)
Handguard 4243 c/W
Cleaning Rod 43 c/V

 

[PrayingMantis]

Barrel and sights.

 

[PrayingMantis]

Triggerguard, magazine, action screws, and bands.

 

[PrayingMantis]

Stock, stock metal, and handguard.

 

[PrayingMantis]

Assembly numbers and Mauser production marks.

 

[mauser1908]

Cyrus, it wouldn’t be false to say this is probably the nicest one in existence. So glad you got it. I’ve recorded a good handful, none are even close. Congrats!

 

[chrisftk]

Cyrus, Sam isn't exaggerating. He's got a exceptionally nice one too, but this one is pretty unreal. I'm also stunned how reasonably it went at auction. I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks once it has been restored to its former glory.

I remember our conversation several weeks ago when we all met up and we were laughing at what Nathaniel mentioned; the likely prospect of the bases just being knocked off by a Turk with a hammer, breaking off the screw heads. After seeing yours up close I don't think that is inaccurate. Lol.

Anyway, Glad you ended up with it!

 

[biggymu]

That gun is fabulous! Congratulations. What a time capsule.

 

[Fal Grunt]

Those stock stamps are unreal. Heavy handed, but goodness are they nice!

I'm going to be making a set of bases for Sam's rifle, you might as well bring yours up and join the fun. The more we make the cheaper they are!

 

[Loewe]

I joined the choir, - an extraordinary example, these are often nice, or at least decent, but this might be the finest known. Note the grouping of BC lots, all quite close, though not perfectly progressive, the nature of these make them a potential template for other makers, - though the question will always be can you judge or extrapolate the mediocre arsenals and Suhl "assemblers" in a comparison to the three biggies (WMO, DWM and OWG).

Still a damn fine example!

 

[joryfreeburg]

That is a sweet piece of wood on that rifle…. Congratulations

 

[biggymu]

What does the tiny “B” preceding the serial number signify? I haven’t seen that before.

 

[Telperion]

You often find those "B"s on Turkish Mausers 98.

 

[PrayingMantis]

What does the tiny “B” preceding the serial number signify? I haven’t seen that before.

My understanding is that importers added prefixes when brining in Turkish Mausers. Not sure why, especially considering the existing suffixes, maybe it had to do with the batches of rifles they brought in.

 

[PrayingMantis]

Cyrus, it wouldn’t be false to say this is probably the nicest one in existence. So glad you got it. I’ve recorded a good handful, none are even close. Congrats!

Cyrus, Sam isn't exaggerating. He's got a exceptionally nice one too, but this one is pretty unreal. I'm also stunned how reasonably it went at auction. I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks once it has been restored to its former glory.

I remember our conversation several weeks ago when we all met up and we were laughing at what Nathaniel mentioned; the likely prospect of the bases just being knocked off by a Turk with a hammer, breaking off the screw heads. After seeing yours up close I don't think that is inaccurate. Lol.

Anyway, Glad you ended up with it!

That gun is fabulous! Congratulations. What a time capsule.

Those stock stamps are unreal. Heavy handed, but goodness are they nice!

I'm going to be making a set of bases for Sam's rifle, you might as well bring yours up and join the fun. The more we make the cheaper they are!

I joined the choir, - an extraordinary example, these are often nice, or at least decent, but this might be the finest known. Note the grouping of BC lots, all quite close, though not perfectly progressive, the nature of these make them a potential template for other makers, - though the question will always be can you judge or extrapolate the mediocre arsenals and Suhl "assemblers" in a comparison to the three biggies (WMO, DWM and OWG).

Still a damn fine example!

That is a sweet piece of wood on that rifle…. Congratulations

Thanks, everyone! I’ll post photos once it’s been re-snipered.

 

[37th Div Ohio]

Stellar. Very very nice, glad you were able to snag this one!!

 

[cj556]

Very stellar rifle as the others have said. A while ago, I read in an article in Man at Arms when Navy Arms imported the Turk Gew98s, the bolts were separate and got mixed up. Minor thing but likely explains why this and so many other Turk Gew 98s have MM bolts.

 

[308nutt]

Congratulations. This is an amazing example & seems to have escaped a Turkish 'refurbishment'.

I see its a CAI import.. The Navy Arms examples (below) have been re-blued at some stage.

 

[MountainGew]

Awesome pickup, excited to see it be re-snipered! Does this have a Gl V marking on the rear sight?

 

[PrayingMantis]

Very stellar rifle as the others have said. A while ago, I read in an article in Man at Arms when Navy Arms imported the Turk Gew98s, the bolts were separate and got mixed up. Minor thing but likely explains why this and so many other Turk Gew 98s have MM bolts.

That is interesting, i had heard that about Peruvian Mausers but not Turks. I wonder what the Turks did with the scopes and bent bolts, wouldn't surprised me if they were scrapped along with the mounts.

Congratulations. This is an amazing example & seems to have escaped a Turkish 'refurbishment'.

I see its a CAI import.. The Navy Arms examples (below) have been re-blued at some stage.

Thanks! It seems odd that they would have reblued them when the mounts were attached, they must have retained them as snipers for a while.

Awesome pickup, excited to see it be re-snipered! Does this have a Gl V marking on the rear sight?

Thanks, me too! No it does not have the Gl V. To my knowledge only Ambergs and Danzigs have been observed with that marking.