RC K98 parts question.

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DukeIronHand

Senior Member
Got to examine a K98 (under a very bright light) and have a question for the old hands here.
Reading about the usual treatment of the captured guns during the RC refurbishing process is finding a RC K98 with matching bolt totally unheard of or just a rarity? Same with the mag floor plate?
 
Normally I would agree so I will do some more digging.
There is a refurbished RC K98 in my possession. I fully understand there has been (probably?) some forced matching of parts. In this case the “bolt” and mag floor plate match the serial number on the chamber/barrel. Normally I would think a restamped force match (and not caring - no one is trying to be clever here) however under a very bright light you can see, under the new finish, the remnants of the (presumed) original Russian electro-pencil engraving that also match these numbers apparently indicating the floor plate and bolt originally matched the serial number on the gun.
Let me look again and give this more thought.
Thank you.
 
“Forensic Mechanics”

A close friend (now departed) taught me about the idea of “forensic mechanics”, using careful observation (& sometimes careful note-taking) as a way of determining prior events as related to anything he worked on.
For honest people it may be difficult to devine what the truly nefarious may have done in an effort to deceive & take advantage. Using this approach, you may have fun in constructing a likely sequence of events that make your rifle appear as it does today. Share some pix if you can, many here can help. I have some ideas based on your description, but will reserve pending learning more.
 
It would be very uncommon for an RC to have a matching bolt. Romanian captures on the other hand can have a lot of matching parts but they were far more apt to scrub, deface, or peen those Swazis. Pics are needed to get us in at least the right direction.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks guys for the offers to assist but it looks like (for now) this will remain a little mystery for myself as I am incapable of producing decent detailed photos with a cell camera.

The magazine floor plate clearly has the last 4 of the serial number written on it under the new finish but now, with a properly jaded eye, I am not convinced this was done by a electro-pencil and was probably written by the refurbisher (with a ink marker?) to ensure the “right number” was stamp on the part.

The bolt body and bolt sleeve clearly both have “cleaned up” electro-pencil markings under the new finish with the bolt sleeve being the last 3 (though 4 are “properly” stamped on it where expected) whereas the bolt body electro-pencil markings are not so clear but appear to be the last 4 though the 4th character is tough to read.

This K98 was obtained as a refinished and refurbished RC (though the “X”, if any, has been scrubbed) with forced matched parts where needed so odd or mismatched parts is no surprise. The “why” of the matching electro-penciling of the serial on the bolt, then trying to remove it, is a surprise but after 75 years I guess there is no way of telling the travel tale of this gun - both before and after the refurbishing - and whose hands it may have been in.
 
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