So... this isn't good.

[Cyrano4747]

It does have several little waffenamts, is this the same ad a firing proof?

No. The WaA are manufacturing marks for that particular part. The firing proof is the big one, the final proof added after the gun has been test fired. So you can have a bunch of parts that were made during wartime and had the WaA's applied, and then the gun wasn't completed and test fired until after the war.

A wartime German firing proof is an eagle over a swastika.

 

[Mauserguy85]

Thats a very handsome rifle, but no, the guard is very much not like that winter one. And I'm for sure looking about online for something I can use that would be more on the "wartime German" look. I think you have all spelled out what that means.

Thanks. Many times, guys try to “Germanize” the early post war examples like yours with more German wartime parts mainly because some parts have the WaA’s and a scarce or late receiver code. Common thing is to replace the “winter trigger guard” with a late German one and get a late war Kriegsmodell stock. It’s incorrect of course as the firing proofs are the dead giveaway but to an untrained eye, it looks the part…

 

[Eurastus]

I don’t know a great deal about the K98k, but 20-years or so ago I picked up a Czech version that looked like it had never been shot. Mint condition. It has the expected Czech”BRNO” stamping on the receiver but there are some oddities with the rifle. There is no crest stamped on the barrel ring, but if you reflect a light across the barrel ring, it’s obvious that there once was. It’s obviously a professional arsenal job, but a crest was removed and the metal refinished and blued to the original state. It’s not immediately obvious that a crest ever existed. The other strange thing is that while Czech stampings on the gun parts certainly exist, a number of the parts are stamped with the small eagle and swastika.

I always suspected that the rifle was just a Czech-built post-war version using whatever parts were available at the time. But I’m just blind guessing. The rifle has a cupped butt plate and a winter trigger.

Does anyone know if rifles like this are common or rare?

 

[Wulfmann]

You are correct. That is a post war Czech k98k made from whatever parts were left over.

They are not rare and likely a very good shooter

Some have German marked receivers and I have seen people try and pass them off as a Kriegsmodell
You haven't see a person as upset as explaining to them they don't have a $4,000 collectible but a $5-600.00 shooter
You have made an enemy for life with the guy if he was talked into it as a KM for $2500.00 thinking he was going to make big coin
Why are you the bad guy? You destroyed his fantasy not the guy that ripped him off mind you it is your fault

 

[ShellShock1988]

Thanks. Many times, guys try to “Germanize” the early post war examples like yours with more German wartime parts mainly because some parts have the WaA’s and a scarce or late receiver code. Common thing is to replace the “winter trigger guard” with a late German one and get a late war Kriegsmodell stock. It’s incorrect of course as the firing proofs are the dead giveaway but to an untrained eye, it looks the part…

In a way I'm not too mad about buying this guy. I'd be hesitant to go out shooting an original with all matching parts and original stock. I for sure wanted a WW2(ish) shooter.

 

[ShellShock1988]

They are not rare and likely a very good shooter

A good shooter? Wouldn't that make them bad if they were assembled of random parts?

 

[Mauserguy85]

A good shooter? Wouldn't that make them bad if they were assembled of random parts?

No no no. Post war Czech k98k rifles are nothing like Russian capture k98ks which are complete mixmasters assembled from random used parts stripped from other rifles. The Soviets just assembled them for fit and function and they were not even fired for accuracy tests.

Comparing that to Czech made post war k98ks is night and day. The Czechs used left over WW2 parts to make the rifles, but they followed the same principles as during the war. They had hand fitted metal parts, the stocks were fitted and relieved for proper fit and clearances, tested for accuracy, etc.

The fact that Russian capture rifles still perform decently at the range (for the most part) is just a testament to how good k98k quality control, tolerances and parts uniformity was during the pre-war and wartime period.

Original Post war Czech rifles are just as good in quality and as shooters as any other wartime German rifle, if not better in some circumstances. I have tested this myself at the range.

 

[ShellShock1988]

No no no. Post war Czech k98k rifles are nothing like Russian capture k98ks which are complete mixmasters assembled from random used parts stripped from other rifles. The Soviets just assembled them for fit and function and they were not even fired for accuracy tests.

Comparing that to Czech made post war k98ks is night and day. The Czechs used left over WW2 parts to make the rifles, but they followed the same principles as during the war. They had hand fitted metal parts, the stocks were fitted and relieved for proper fit and clearances, tested for accuracy, etc.

The fact that Russian capture rifles still perform decently at the range (for the most part) is just a testament to how good k98k quality control, tolerances and parts uniformity was during the pre-war and wartime period.

Original Post war Czech rifles are just as good in quality and as shooters as any other wartime German rifle, if not better in some circumstances. I have tested this myself at the range.

Very cool