Trying to figure out k98 manufacturer

[dylank98brock]

I had recently acquired a yugo k98/48. I do understand that it is a long shot but figured out I could reach out on this forum. I am leaning that my rifle was a 1942 p sauer & son produced based on preliminary internet digging. I appreciate feedback.

 

[Muncher 1953]

photos…….?

 

[dylank98brock]

Here are some. I need to find a camera that I can use to take better pictures

 

[heavy_mech]

I can't make out any remnants on the receiver top and you don't show the receiver right side above the woodline (if there's anything left) but you do show the rear sight base and USUALLY they don't remove these, but Yugo did rebarrel some of their captures. If it is original this is probably an Erma produced piece originally.

 

[Stan]

I think it's hard to say to what level the Yugoslavs mixed and matched parts due to the scrubbed receiver markings and renumbered bolts. Some of those odd "W" prefix rifles with the codes intact suggest they did, as the band style and buttplate type on many of those don't fit the style used for the year on the receiver. I would suspect there was a lot of forced matching of parts in most cases, just like an RC. You might find evidence of the receiver origin as well as some other parts, but if the barrel has been replaced, the sight components most likely are not original to the rifle as it was originally made. They are almost all put together with German WW2 parts though. Yugoslavia did make some replacement stocks for these later as well.
Looking at the photos, it looks like you have a Yugoslav made replacement barrel on yours, and the slightly shortened stock modification. Those are most often good bores and good shooting rifles.

 

[heavy_mech]

I think it's hard to say to what level the Yugoslavs mixed and matched parts due to the scrubbed receiver markings and renumbered bolts. Some of those odd "W" prefix rifles with the codes intact suggest they did, as the band style and buttplate type on many of those don't fit the style used for the year on the receiver. I would suspect there was a lot of forced matching of parts in most cases, just like an RC. You might find evidence of the receiver origin as well as some other parts, but if the barrel has been replaced, the sight components most likely are not original to the rifle as it was originally made. They are almost all put together with German WW2 parts though. Yugoslavia did make some replacement stocks for these later as well.
Looking at the photos, it looks like you have a Yugoslav made replacement barrel on yours, and the slightly shortened stock modification. Those are most often good bores and good shooting rifles.

I saw that. No chamber size or hint of a barrel code in the photos. I don't know but wonder when they replaced a barrel did they put the same sight bases right back on? That would make sense since they have them in hand but IDK.

 

[Stan]

I saw that. No chamber size or hint of a barrel code in the photos. I don't know but wonder when they replaced a barrel did they put the same sight bases right back on? That would make sense since they have them in hand but IDK.

Yes, and another hint from a distance is the amount of handguard protruding in front of the lower band. More wood showing on those modified (shortened) stocks with the new, cutback step on the stock and handguard. Hard to say on the sight replacement. It would need some sort of trend chart on examples with surviving receiver markings that match the rear sight base with a new Yugoslav barrel in place. Don't know if it's worth the bother though! We don't know if they simply transferred old sights to new barrels on a one-off basis, or was it more an assembly line with a bin of German sights in a box? I don't think Branko goes into any details of that level in his book on how the rifles were refurbished.

 

[dylank98brock]

Yes, and another hint from a distance is the amount of handguard protruding in front of the lower band. More wood showing on those modified (shortened) stocks with the new, cutback step on the stock and handguard. Hard to say on the sight replacement. It would need some sort of trend chart on examples with surviving receiver markings that match the rear sight base with a new Yugoslav barrel in place. Don't know if it's worth the bother though! We don't know if they simply transferred old sights to new barrels on a one-off basis, or was it more an assembly line with a bin of German sights in a box? I don't think Branko goes into any details of that level in his book on how the rifles were refurbished.

There's not much found on the barrel except for a faint 4 stampped behind the rear site base. I can provide more in depth pictures when I get off work.

 

[Stan]

Your barrel is a Yugoslav made replacement. They don't have much in the way of markings.

 

[Muncher 1953]

I think it's hard to say to what level the Yugoslavs mixed and matched parts due to the scrubbed receiver markings and renumbered bolts. Some of those odd "W" prefix rifles with the codes intact suggest they did, as the band style and buttplate type on many of those don't fit the style used for the year on the receiver. I would suspect there was a lot of forced matching of parts in most cases, just like an RC. You might find evidence of the receiver origin as well as some other parts, but if the barrel has been replaced, the sight components most likely are not original to the rifle as it was originally made. They are almost all put together with German WW2 parts though. Yugoslavia did make some replacement stocks for these later as well.
Looking at the photos, it looks like you have a Yugoslav made replacement barrel on yours, and the slightly shortened stock modification. Those are most often good bores and good shooting rifles.

I noticed the 'extended nose' on the HG, & that we can't see the barrel step just in front of the upper band. The latter may be due to angle, but I expect to see that step in a certain specific relationship to the front of the upper band on an unmolested rifle. Surprisingly, the step for the lower band has been recut neatly, often it's a mess, done w/a blunt instrument! I learned these things by fitting an unaltered (original barrel length) action into a Yugo modified stock. Attached pix show a dot 44 I got from Runner after I changed the stock (the 1st time), original length barrel in a Yugo-shortened stock. The OP's rifle has a shorter barrel in a shortened stock.

 

[Stan]

Yes, that is the main issue with using the Yugoslav refurbished stocks to restore a rifle to original, military configuration. Some Yugoslav stocks are shortened, and some are not. Some vendors that sold them knew the difference and stated such. Others did not make any mention if shortened or not.

 

[dylank98brock]

Would yall know what the letters stamped into the wood would mean?