Help on info on a k98 small bnz. 4 with single rune

A

Alex14

Well-known member
Hey guys I was wanting to know if this information matches up. What I've been told by a couple of you already it doesn't seem to add up. I got 5 questions. 1) what Is up with Mitchell mausers ive been seeing alot of them around and they look in good condition obviously I can tell they have been refurbished. But what's the information on these.2) I have been told that SS rifles do not have a letter suffix and that you have to be extra careful with fakes of rifles with single runes on them. The rifle I have in question has a single run above the bnz and on the mag floor plate under this serial number is this right.3) my next question is on mathhausen camp rifles. This is kinda the main question which I would like to know. I have been told the camp rifles use a big BNZ only. And that bnz with a period and a 4 are put together in Czech Republic or somewhere else.is this true I'm not 100% sure what the bnz. 4 rifles are did any of these ever have single runes and a letter suffix. 4) also next to the serial on the barrel shank there is a capital A and lower case b next to each other ex) Ab and the letter suffix under the serial is L. Does this seem right for a camp manufactured rifle. 5) I am on the hunt for a gusen camp rifle and I have been told to look for a circle v7 stamp this gun I can not tell if it has one but I was also told that not all camp manufactured rifles have this stamp is this true. Once again thank you guys. You guys saved me from making a mistake on 3 rifles already so I greatly appreciate any information.
 
SS bnz guns have no suffix ie: a, b, c, etc after serial number. Now some parts, and receivers, did manage to wind up going into regular production lines for the army, but that does not make the rifle a SS rifle. And yes, fakes abound w/ the single rune stamped into the receiver.
 
Yes that's what I was told also. The rifle in question has a small bnz with a period and it has a single rune. What does the small bnz with a period and a number 4 mean. I know bnz is steyr but not sure the significance of the period and the 4 and it has a rune also with a letter suffix of L. This is why I am confused on why is there a rune on a rifle with a letter suffix. And it is from Mitchell's mausers which im not to sure what people think of Mitchell's
 
Mitchell's are NOT what they 'claim' to be. That certificate isn't worth the paper it's printed on. On those probably/possibly every number other than that on the receiver and/or barrel are fake. The base barreled receiver is what it claims to be (albeit refinished) but all the other 'matching numbers' are so because they made them so.
 
Really wow I did not know that. How can a company get away with that. I wonder if they added the rune to the rifle to make it sell better. I kinda figured the rifle was suspect due to it having a rune and a bnz.4 and having a letter suffix. Why would there be a rune on a gun with a letter suffix if it wasn't meant for the SS. Thank you guys for the information now I know to stay away from Mitchell's mausers. They charge alot for those rifles too but I didn't know they make the guns match. We'll once again you guys helped me alot
 
Please no more Mitchell’s…. We have probably a hundred or more posts between here and gunboards. It’s restamped and re-finished garbage based on Russian capture rifles. No collector value. They are shooters, period. The annoying thing is that many people have been duped into thinking they own original matching rifles. Perhaps if they actually were to lap the bolt lugs, and actually do some accuracy work, stock inletting, one could possibly say at least they are tack driver refinished shooter. This was not the case. They are just standard RC rifles, just scrubbed of serials, restamped, refinished and spit shined and given a toilet paper certificate.

When it comes to “runes” in general, I run away! We have more SS rune rifles today than were ever originally produced, lol. You need to apply real collector insight to identify a legit SS contract or rune marked k98k. I have one, a bnz 43 ss contract and Farb and others helped me verify it around 10+ years ago. Since that time, the fake stamps have been rampant, and the readily available reference materials available really aid the “humper” accomplish his tasks.
 
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Alex14 said:
Really wow I did not know that. How can a company get away with that. I wonder if they added the rune to the rifle to make it sell better.
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They 'got away with it' because they had some good lawyers and when you read their ads and certificates they're not lying per se, but the wording is definitely and purposely meant to deceive the purchaser into believing it's something it's not.

Everything they did was intended to increase their desirability and sale price.
 
Yea I looked up other post about them and wow. That really sucks that a company did that to all these rifles I would rather have it as it was then what they did to it. Thanks guys for the heads up again. I just can't believe the money they are asking for these Mitchell mausers some are over 2,500$
 
Alex14 said:
Yea I looked up other post about them and wow. That really sucks that a company did that to all these rifles I would rather have it as it was then what they did to it. Thanks guys for the heads up again. I just can't believe the money they are asking for these Mitchell mausers some are over 2,500$
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Watch closely the Trader thread here. You will no doubt do better with forum members for the money if you are in the market for a good piece.
 
Yea like I said earlier I am on the hunt for a camp rifle the bolt doesn't really have to match as long as everything else does im fine with it I do wanna at least shoot it once or twice lol
 
Alex14 said:
Yea like I said earlier I am on the hunt for a camp rifle the bolt doesn't really have to match as long as everything else does im fine with it I do wanna at least shoot it once or twice lol
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You want a “camp rifle” - I’m assuming you mean a rifle made in a concentration camp?

None were actually assembled in camps, all were assembled at Steyr. But, if that’s your aim I’d avoid rune marked examples as they have few components made in labor camps. The most “camp made” guns are the bnz44 marked SS contract rifles as receivers, barrels, almost all metal components are made in labor camps. The rune guns were made mostly of Waffenamt accepted parts made at Radom, which also used forced labor but not at a camp.

But I get it, the rune means concentration camp made in all of the sales literature. It’s not as simple as the advertising brochures.
 
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