Newly acquired K98 1940 42

M

mrfleet12

Member
New to the group and the K98 firearm, this is only my second post, inherited this from one of my brothers who really isn't into firearms, long story there..
From what I can tell this is all numbers matching but is missing the cleaning rod and maybe other pieces I'm not aware of, looking to everyone here to help me better understand what I have. After receiving it and thoroughly cleaning everything except the stock, I took it to another one of brothers to put a few rounds through it at his range behind his house. Works perfectly, very smooth and accurate. It shows the Waffenamt stamps clearly in multiple areas and if I understand correctly, these were inspection/approval stamps? As I understand it, the bayonets didn't typically match, or did they?
Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance..

Bill
Hopefully I did the pictures correctly, I'm on a forum for old Camaros (another hobby/sickness) and this is typically how I post there..
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Nice first 98. Welcome to the forum. Every piece of that rifle should either have the full serial number, last two digits, or WaA655 or e/655. An early 42 1940 probably made Jan-Feb 1940. The one in my profile pick is a no letter block 42 1940 so defiantly Jan 1040. Yours looks like it defiantly been around, Mine has also but has better bluing.

Best way to clean the stock is just use a little denatured alcohol and a rag. Maybe a toothbrush to get some of that dirt out of the grooves.

No bayonets were not matching to the rifle, all originally matched their scabbard. They were not made by the same manufacturer and were not issued with the rifle like you see most commonly with M91/30's.
 
You definitely did well, the stock looks untouched along with the metal (no signs of refinishing) which all of us hardcore collectors adore! It's a army contract rifle. Be sure to check if all the serial numbers match. Only detractor I see is the cross bolt is slightly set back which means the rifle is starting to lose its bedding and can cause a stock tang crack. It is repairable unless this rifle was to collect only and not shoot (many of us will advocate for having bolt mismatch or mostly mismatched rifles for shooters, like Russian capture rifles)
 
Jdt said:
You definitely did well, the stock looks untouched along with the metal (no signs of refinishing) which all of us hardcore collectors adore! It's a army contract rifle. Be sure to check if all the serial numbers match. Only detractor I see is the cross bolt is slightly set back which means the rifle is starting to lose its bedding and can cause a stock tang crack. It is repairable unless this rifle was to collect only and not shoot (many of us will advocate for having bolt mismatch or mostly mismatched rifles for shooters, like Russian capture rifles)
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Thanks for the feedback, is this what you're referring to "cross bolt is slightly back", if yes would that be disassembling and adding material behind the cross bolt inside the stock? This isn't something I plan to shoot often but I do plan to shoot on occasion..
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mrfleet12 said:
Thanks for the feedback, is this what you're referring to "cross bolt is slightly back", if yes would that be disassembling and adding material behind the cross bolt inside the stock? This isn't something I plan to shoot often but I do plan to shoot on occasion..
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Yes that is correct and the proper call, I've seen people cut up pop cans and use the aluminum strips to push the cross bolt forward. It is important to have hollow ground screw driver bits. In order to not chew up the screw heads and having a proper cross bolt tool to get the spanner head off. One issue that happens is the lock washer (disc bit that has two holes in it) can start to walk out and that can cause bedding loss and a stock tang crack. That disc/nut has to be "snug" to the stock is being as beaten up as much.
(Even then still a rifle weighs around 40 tons for a 10th of a second or less when the round is discharging)
 
www.k98kforum.com

42 1940 #5906 d Luftwaffe

Got this earlier this year for $2,900. Was at a small gunshow and seen this on the table of a private seller and saw the L marked stock and matching bolt n fell in love. Sucks that during it's life someone added a single sling point on the stock you typically see on hunting rifles n shotguns...
www.k98kforum.com www.k98kforum.com
You can see just how deep the lock disc/nut sits (drawing a big brain fart in what it is exactly called) on my rifle but the downside is they used the wrong tool and buggered up the holes big time. Somehow in both directions.
 
Nice. Like the stock especially. Original and can see the "H" for army issuance clearly. Just me but would not recommend shooting it like suggested above. Great score by the way. Cleaning rods fairly easy to find. Your rifle would take the longer 12 inch rod.
 
Pretty solid first 98k! Thank your brother for passing along a pretty sweet rifle!

No need to overclean the metal or stock. And as others have said, be cautious about shooting it too much. Obviously neat to feel it go bang but if that stock cracks… well then you’ve got a problem on your hands.

Thanks for sharing!
 
Thanks @Jdt for the insight on fixing the cross bolt. Disassembled today and added a small piece of sheet steel behind the bolt and a very thin piece of aluminum in front so it is centered and snug, a slight amount of pressure to get everything back in place.. Zero movement front to back.
While I was in there I cleaned a few things and took a few pics of the numbers.. Seems everything matches but I also see what appears to a date on the stock (5 2 40) would that be the date of assembly or when the stock was mfg (Feb 2 1940)?
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mrfleet12 said:
Thanks @Jdt for the insight on fixing the cross bolt. Disassembled today and added a small piece of sheet steel behind the bolt and a very thin piece of aluminum in front so it is centered and snug, a slight amount of pressure to get everything back in place.. Zero movement front to back.
While I was in there I cleaned a few things and took a few pics of the numbers.. Seems everything matches but I also see what appears to a date on the stock (5 2 40) would that be the date of assembly or when the stock was mfg (Feb 2 1940)?
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To answer your question, the date is the stock manufacturing date. And the date code isn't the conventional day-month-year, it's day-week-year. So the stock is dated to the fifth day of the second week of 1940.
 
mrfleet12 said:
Thanks @Jdt for the insight on fixing the cross bolt. Disassembled today and added a small piece of sheet steel behind the bolt and a very thin piece of aluminum in front so it is centered and snug, a slight amount of pressure to get everything back in place.. Zero movement front to back.
While I was in there I cleaned a few things and took a few pics of the numbers.. Seems everything matches but I also see what appears to a date on the stock (5 2 40) would that be the date of assembly or when the stock was mfg (Feb 2 1940)?
View attachment 446372View attachment 446373View attachment 446374View attachment 446375View attachment 446376View attachment 446377View attachment 446378View attachment 446379
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Very nice work, I recommend using only PPU 198 grain FMJ ammo in the blue box. It's running around 2100 FPS which is at least 400-450 feet per second less than full power loads, will be more gentle ish to the stock and rifle. Another thing to keep in mind is proper action screw torque. The cross bolt needs to be "snug" and the action screws need to be torqued down to 18 lbs.

We have a FAQs that also has maintenance specs somewhere, I'll find it and link it below. Overall tho as long as she remains primarily a safe queen, snug cross bolt with torqued to 18 lbs main action screws it shouldn't get any worse. With a rather light round count.

@Fal Grunt I think is the one I seen where he advised another forum member on a repair for a setback cross bolt. He recommended using a bedding compound to fill in the setback wood, apply a release agent to the cross bolt and then snug everything down and then remove any excess. We have a number of guys here tho who can be a better guide in the stock repairing department than I am.
 
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