Inherited K98 in Canada

C

Corgiman

Member
Hello all

I very recently inherited a K98 Mauser from a close family friend's widow. He recently passed from cancer and she was liquidating his firearms. They imigrated to Canada from Germany in the early 80's.

Hx
The acquisition of the gun, while anecdotal, is totally reliable. The gun was pulled from 'Hallstatt See' in Austria in the mid 70's by my friend while diving with Gerhardt Zauner. (Hallstatt See and other lakes in this area of Austria are known German military dumping sites.) The rifle was found buried in the mud. Considering it's resting place it is in remarkable good condition. The rifle was fired several times by my friend but was never used for any specific purpose. Basically stored in his gun cabinet and given to me last week after his passing. I disassembled, cleaned/lubed, and reassembled it. It has some ugly pitting and such but my buddy did a pretty good job of cleaning it up back then. (At least I think so)

I am not a collector or gun smith, nor do I have any intention to sell it (not that anyone would want it). I would however like to have it fireable, you know, take up to our local gravel pit periodically and fire a few rounds into a target.

While my knowledge of the K98 is rudimentary I am interested in a few anomalies the gun presents. I have crap loads of questions. Cursory research into K98's points to several anomalies to this marked Waffen Werke Brunn, Bysrica,1942 gun.

(See photos)

1. The stock does not have the typical bolt disassembly disc and sling slot in the stock. Rather a metal sling rail.
2. The bolt serial is a mismatch to the rifle.(No surprise there. Also has a crack in it!)
3. The lower band is a welded ring not a typical machined one a '42 model should have (?)
4. The upper band (while pitted is a machined 'H' band.)
5. I removed the flat butt plate to discover an odd depression bored into the butt with what looks like a nail. Possibly yo hold the sling rail?)

Anyway. I will attach as many photos as I can

Anyway, any information and comment would be greatly appreciated. I am not above changing out parts as needed to make this gun safe to fire.

Thanking you all in advance

Vic in BC, Canada

Uh oh. It keeps telling me the files are big to upload. Any suggestions?
 
Corgiman said:
Hello all

I very recently inherited a K98 Mauser from a close family friend's widow. He recently passed from cancer and she was liquidating his firearms. They imigrated to Canada from Germany in the early 80's.

Hx
The acquisition of the gun, while anecdotal, is totally reliable. The gun was pulled from 'Hallstatt See' in Austria in the mid 70's by my friend while diving with Gerhardt Zauner. (Hallstatt See and other lakes in this area of Austria are known German military dumping sites.) The rifle was found buried in the mud. Considering it's resting place it is in remarkable good condition. The rifle was fired several times by my friend but was never used for any specific purpose. Basically stored in his gun cabinet and given to me last week after his passing. I disassembled, cleaned/lubed, and reassembled it. It has some ugly pitting and such but my buddy did a pretty good job of cleaning it up back then. (At least I think so)

I am not a collector or gun smith, nor do I have any intention to sell it (not that anyone would want it). I would however like to have it fireable, you know, take up to our local gravel pit periodically and fire a few rounds into a target.

While my knowledge of the K98 is rudimentary I am interested in a few anomalies the gun presents. I have crap loads of questions. Cursory research into K98's points to several anomalies to this marked Waffen Werke Brunn, Bysrica,1942 gun.

(See photos)

1. The stock does not have the typical bolt disassembly disc and sling slot in the stock. Rather a metal sling rail.
2. The bolt serial is a mismatch to the rifle.(No surprise there. Also has a crack in it!)
3. The lower band is a welded ring not a typical machined one a '42 model should have (?)
4. The upper band (while pitted is a machined 'H' band.)
5. I removed the flat butt plate to discover an odd depression bored into the butt with what looks like a nail. Possibly yo hold the sling rail?)

Anyway. I will attach as many photos as I can

Anyway, any information and comment would be greatly appreciated. I am not above changing out parts as needed to make this gun safe to fire.

Thanking you all in advance

Vic in BC, Canada

Uh oh. It keeps telling me the files are big to upload. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Welcome from a fellow newbie!

imgur.com album, it's how I share everything, you can choose to make it public or private, private is only accessible via a direct link you'll get
 
Corgiman said:
Hello all

I very recently inherited a K98 Mauser from a close family friend's widow. He recently passed from cancer and she was liquidating his firearms. They imigrated to Canada from Germany in the early 80's.

Hx
The acquisition of the gun, while anecdotal, is totally reliable. The gun was pulled from 'Hallstatt See' in Austria in the mid 70's by my friend while diving with Gerhardt Zauner. (Hallstatt See and other lakes in this area of Austria are known German military dumping sites.) The rifle was found buried in the mud. Considering it's resting place it is in remarkable good condition. The rifle was fired several times by my friend but was never used for any specific purpose. Basically stored in his gun cabinet and given to me last week after his passing. I disassembled, cleaned/lubed, and reassembled it. It has some ugly pitting and such but my buddy did a pretty good job of cleaning it up back then. (At least I think so)

I am not a collector or gun smith, nor do I have any intention to sell it (not that anyone would want it). I would however like to have it fireable, you know, take up to our local gravel pit periodically and fire a few rounds into a target.

While my knowledge of the K98 is rudimentary I am interested in a few anomalies the gun presents. I have crap loads of questions. Cursory research into K98's points to several anomalies to this marked Waffen Werke Brunn, Bysrica,1942 gun.

(See photos)

1. The stock does not have the typical bolt disassembly disc and sling slot in the stock. Rather a metal sling rail.
2. The bolt serial is a mismatch to the rifle.(No surprise there. Also has a crack in it!)
3. The lower band is a welded ring not a typical machined one a '42 model should have (?)
4. The upper band (while pitted is a machined 'H' band.)
5. I removed the flat butt plate to discover an odd depression bored into the butt with what looks like a nail. Possibly yo hold the sling rail?)

Anyway. I will attach as many photos as I can

Anyway, any information and comment would be greatly appreciated. I am not above changing out parts as needed to make this gun safe to fire.

Thanking you all in advance

Vic in BC, Canada

Uh oh. It keeps telling me the files are big to upload. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Welcome! There are online file compressor that you can use for free. some email apps also have the options to send pictures in reduced size
 
Corgiman said:
Hello all

I very recently inherited a K98 Mauser from a close family friend's widow. He recently passed from cancer and she was liquidating his firearms. They imigrated to Canada from Germany in the early 80's.

Hx
The acquisition of the gun, while anecdotal, is totally reliable. The gun was pulled from 'Hallstatt See' in Austria in the mid 70's by my friend while diving with Gerhardt Zauner. (Hallstatt See and other lakes in this area of Austria are known German military dumping sites.) The rifle was found buried in the mud. Considering it's resting place it is in remarkable good condition. The rifle was fired several times by my friend but was never used for any specific purpose. Basically stored in his gun cabinet and given to me last week after his passing. I disassembled, cleaned/lubed, and reassembled it. It has some ugly pitting and such but my buddy did a pretty good job of cleaning it up back then. (At least I think so)

I am not a collector or gun smith, nor do I have any intention to sell it (not that anyone would want it). I would however like to have it fireable, you know, take up to our local gravel pit periodically and fire a few rounds into a target.

While my knowledge of the K98 is rudimentary I am interested in a few anomalies the gun presents. I have crap loads of questions. Cursory research into K98's points to several anomalies to this marked Waffen Werke Brunn, Bysrica,1942 gun.

(See photos)

1. The stock does not have the typical bolt disassembly disc and sling slot in the stock. Rather a metal sling rail.
2. The bolt serial is a mismatch to the rifle.(No surprise there. Also has a crack in it!)
3. The lower band is a welded ring not a typical machined one a '42 model should have (?)
4. The upper band (while pitted is a machined 'H' band.)
5. I removed the flat butt plate to discover an odd depression bored into the butt with what looks like a nail. Possibly yo hold the sling rail?)

Anyway. I will attach as many photos as I can

Anyway, any information and comment would be greatly appreciated. I am not above changing out parts as needed to make this gun safe to fire.

Thanking you all in advance

Vic in BC, Canada

Uh oh. It keeps telling me the files are big to upload. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Really interesting story!
The stock is from a Spanish M43, patterned after the K98k. I can tell this from the type of wood, sling loop on the butt, and the very particular shape of the hand guard.There may be stamps in the wood that would confirm this, usually a circle w/cross inside. (La Coruna Arsenal in Spain) Normally, the hand guard wouldn’t fit a K98k because the lip on the front of the rear sight sleeve would interfere, so I’m guessing it has been ground off to make it fit. The welded middle band is not from the stock set, no clue. Would need better pictures of it. The upper band is the correct type for the M43, could be Spanish or German. The ‘nail’ under the flat butt plate is exactly what you suspect, it holds the rear sling bar in place. There were 2 versions of the M43, one for army 1 for air force, minor differences in the receiver markings and lower band, I don’t think you could tell which yours is from the wood alone. Before you shoot it, check/have checked the recoil lug, it looks a bit pushed back in the wood, the stock may split there if loose & fired. I don’t think I’d shoot it with that bolt, either…….

cool rifle!
 
Muncher 1953 said:
Really interesting story!
The stock is from a Spanish M43, patterned after the K98k. I can tell this from the type of wood, sling loop on the butt, and the very particular shape of the hand guard.There may be stamps in the wood that would confirm this, usually a circle w/cross inside. (La Coruna Arsenal in Spain) Normally, the hand guard wouldn’t fit a K98k because the lip on the front of the rear sight sleeve would interfere, so I’m guessing it has been ground off to make it fit. The welded middle band is not from the stock set, no clue. Would need better pictures of it. The upper band is the correct type for the M43, could be Spanish or German. The ‘nail’ under the flat butt plate is exactly what you suspect, it holds the rear sling bar in place. There were 2 versions of the M43, one for army 1 for air force, minor differences in the receiver markings and lower band, I don’t think you could tell which yours is from the wood alone. Before you shoot it, check/have checked the recoil lug, it looks a bit pushed back in the wood, the stock may split there if loose & fired. I don’t think I’d shoot it with that bolt, either…….

cool rifle!
Click to expand...
WOW. Thankyou so much for the info! I can tell you that the stock had no stamps on the inside save a penciled #6 with a circle around it someone wrote by hand. ( should have photo'd that but I reassembled the gun, apologies).
Regarding the bolt, no, I wasn't going to shoot it either. I am presently looking to replace it along with several other parts. Will get some close up photos go the middle band but I can tell you it certainly isn't the machined piece you see on other '42's. Stay tuned and thanks again for a very informative reply.
 
Hey Corigan!

Interesting rifle... but why I'm really posting here is to say 'Hello' to a fellow Vancouver Islander!!!
 
Corgiman said:
WOW. Thankyou so much for the info! I can tell you that the stock had no stamps on the inside save a penciled #6 with a circle around it someone wrote by hand. ( should have photo'd that but I reassembled the gun, apologies).
Regarding the bolt, no, I wasn't going to shoot it either. I am presently looking to replace it along with several other parts. Will get some close up photos go the middle band but I can tell you it certainly isn't the machined piece you see on other '42's. Stay tuned and thanks again for a very informative reply.
Click to expand...
hale1940 said:
Hey Corigan!

Interesting rifle... but why I'm really posting here is to say 'Hello' to a fellow Vancouver Islander!!!
Click to expand...
Hello back! Where may I ask are you based? It would be great to have a kindred spirit in the area!
 
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