Kar 88 Carbine fun show find...

[rockisle1903]

This walked into a local show last weekend...Plugged sling slot (which popped out with two minutes of work) and modified front band may have scared off potential buyers...Turns out to be a diamond in the rough for a whopping $250....Bolt is complete with matching extractor/ejector....Any ideas on the front nosecap treatment? At first I thought it was a "home made" part, after looking at it closer it seems they added a 2" extension to the the original???...Here are some pics, comments welcome, Mike..

 

[PrayingMantis]

Outstanding find! especially for that price. Not sure about the front band, have you taken it off yet? That painted finish doesn't match anything else German I've seen.

 

[rockisle1903]

Outstanding find! especially for that price. Not sure about the front band, have you taken it off yet? That painted finish doesn't match anything else German I've seen.

I think that is the finish applied after modification...It looks like it may have had a removable rubber recoil pad on the buttstock...Maybe a modification for use as hunting rifle with a local law requiring a minimum barrel length? At least the modifications seem to be mostly reversible...

 

[Spartaner545]

Hey,

great carbine you have there. Maybe you can strip the carbine down and upload some pictures so we can see what the barrel looks like without the big barrel shroud.


With kind regards

Vincent

 

[rockisle1903]

Hey,

great carbine you have there. Maybe you can strip the carbine down and upload some pictures so we can see what the barrel looks like without the big barrel shroud.


With kind regards

Vincent

I just noticed the sling band is on backwards...I'll try to get it apart and get a barrel code and take a photo of receiver acceptance, which I totally forgot to take...Thanks again, Mike

 

[Pisgah]

...Any ideas on the front nosecap treatment? At first I thought it was a "home made" part, after looking at it closer it seems they added a 2" extension to the the original???...

They used to weld barrel extensions onto Swedish M94's to get the barrel length to 18 inches. I am not sure if it was ever legally necessary to do this but am pretty sure that the modification can be undone without getting into trouble. Nice find. Especially for $250.

 

[rockisle1903]

Thanks for the comments...Here are some pics of the barrel codes/acceptance and the nose cap modification with the stove paint removed...Thanks again, Mike

 

[heavy10]

It would be easy to machine the nose cap back to a more original profile; it is likely the original numbered part, scrubbed of serials and inspection marks by bubba.

Whatever was added to the nose was brazed on after being 'V'd' out. The brass/bronze braze is obvious. Milling off the bubba stub and blackening it would be a simple job.

Nice piece, I would've bought it. No unit marks?

 

[rockisle1903]

No unit marks elsewhere, but I assume they were removed when nose cap was modified or there wasn't any..

 

[heavy_mech]

I'm a big fan of these. I just love the look and lines. Fantastic deal IMHO in spite of the minor Bubbafication.

 

[heavy10]

No unit marks elsewhere, but I assume they were removed when nose cap was modified or there wasn't any..

That may be the biggest travesty of the bubba mods; could have been a really sexy or rare unit marking that was erased.

I'm not too familiar with K88's, but on G88's the usual progression of unit marks was the rear band first, then the forward band, and then finally (rarely) the receiver, with each old unit mark X'd out. Would seem strange if that progression were different for the K88.

Example below, a matching but the bolt head Loewe '91 G88. X'd on the rear, new unit on the front band.