Unfortunately it is difficult to look at a Portuguese 1941 dated K.98k and determine if it was actually retained and used by the Germans. The eagle over H and stacked eagle over WaA655 inspection markings indicate that the rifle was inspected at Mauser Oberndorf by military inspectors and do not have more significance. Early F blocks were marked in this manner. Later they switched to the simpler eagle over WaA135 stock inspection stamping. These changes were similar to what is found on corresponding byf 41 and byf 42 rifles.
The only way to be positive that a Portuguese rifle was retained and used by the Germans is for that rifle to have been rebuilt by the Germans (e.g. 0,2 marked replacement barrel or depot markings), for the rifle to be Russian captured/rebuilt or for the rifle to be Norwegian rebuilt. There is an "urban" myth that these rifles received the Portuguese crest on the left of the buttstock in Portugal and that the lack of this marking means a rifle was retained by Germany. I have owned a Norwegian rebuilt Portuguese contract rifle that had the crest on the rear left of the stock so the idea that the Portuguese placed this marking is untrue. (Legitimate) capture papers with a rifle's serial number would be pretty good proof that a rifle was used by the Germans. Presence of import markings would be pretty good proof that a rifle did go to Portugal. On the other hand, the lack of import markings does not necessarily mean anything because many of these rifles were smuggled from Canada into the US (to take advantage of higher selling prices in the US).
I am posting examples of an F, G, and H block rifles for comparison. Note that I believe all of my Portuguese contract rifles came from Portugal.
F block 1941 dated Portuguese contract rifle:
Fred, and welcome to
