Help Needed Identifying 1914 K 98a

dashender7

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Hi, new here so thanks in advance for the help.

I have an interesting one. Karbiner 98a, 1914, Erfurt with a duffel bag cut hand guard. BSW marked and Waffenamt Nazi eagle proofed hand guard. Numbers all seem to match, no import marks.

I'm curious about the stock mostly. It does not have the finger grooves nor any take down/unit disk in the butt stock.

I suppose I need a true expert here. What details should I look for in identifying how much of this rifle is original and what kind of history it might have - metal parts seem to be correct stamped matching but how about the stock?

Top rifle in picture.

WW1 German Kar 98a carbines 001.JPG

Thanks!
 
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Hello,

i don't know anything about K98a in the post war time but i can tell you something about the stock.

The stock is OK without the finger grooves and the take down lense. Early stocks from 1908 until ca. 1917 didn't have these features. And since your carbine is such an early piece (1914) it is normal that it doesn't has such wartime modifications.

About the unit disc. Karabiner 98a where marked on the top of the metal stock end. They never had a unit disc like the Gewehr 98.
Have a look, maybe you will find some regimental markings on your Carbine.


With kind regards

Vincent
 
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Welcome, - you would have to do more pictures to know what you have, but if the handguard is BSW marked it is a part made in 1934 or after, the company made ordnance spares for the G98 and 98a throughout the interwar period, and the name change occurred in 1933. So really for this handguard to be original (German installed original) the rifle would have had to stay in German hands after WWI.

As for "matching", there are several types of matching, factory matching, period matching (which can include various types of reworks) and humping (fraudulent done to enhance value). Which one you have depends on the parts and you need pictures for that determination.

Erfurt/1914 are not common and they are not rare, but really nice ones can be difficult to find. Ideally, the most valuable rifles are ones that have never had any alterations, that are factory condition. If the bolt matches it should be bright metal, not blued (blued is postwar), also a good clue to whether its is postwar (interwar) is whether the follower has been notched. If it is bright metal and doesn't stop the bolt empty, it is probably Imperial, if it is blued and it stops the bolt from closing when empty it is probably interwar modified (1919-1939), though sporters often have this feature too.

Anyway, many variables, but lastly, if it is unit marked, and it probably isn't, it would be on the top tang of the buttplate. On rare occasions it can be on the bottom of the buttplate. When 98a have a take down (dismounting washer-ferrule) in the stock, which generally didn't occur until 1917, they sometimes have unit markings, but this is always a interwar unit marking. Usually to a training unit or police, who were the biggest users after WWI.

To get specific answers you will need to do good pictures.


Hi, new here so thanks in advance for the help.

I have an interesting one. Karbiner 98a, 1914, Erfurt with a duffel bag cut hand guard. BSW marked and Waffenamt Nazi eagle proofed hand guard. Numbers all seem to match, no import marks.

I'm curious about the stock mostly. It does not have the finger grooves nor any take down/unit disk in the butt stock.

I suppose I need a true expert here. What details should I look for in identifying how much of this rifle is original and what kind of history it might have - metal parts seem to be correct stamped matching but how about the stock?

Top rifle in picture.

View attachment 104859

Thanks!
 
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