Unmarked Mauser K98

[Mike the Impaler]

Ok, so I think I had a good day at the gun store. I picked up this K98 for $199.00. It looks to be a bolt mismatch. It is not marked with a year or maker code, which I believe is unusual. I've never seen one not marked. The bayonet lug looks like it might have been ground off? So, what is this rifle?

Also, there was a M24/47 sitting right next to it with this bayonet on it for $189.00. I saw the bakelight grips and thought, Score!

Info about the rifle would be greatly appreciated.

Mike

Barrel is bright and shiny.

 

[Mike the Impaler]

More pics


The bayo has no other markings than the serial and maker numbers

 

[RyanE]

Its a Luftzeugamt 4 (LZA) depot rifle built by the Luftwaffe out of armorer's parts. I think most of the 'e' block guns are built on BSW receivers, so your blanko is interesting. Can you take a picture of the other side of the receiver opposite the serial number? Are there any marks there?

For $199, you stole it.

 

[Mike the Impaler]

Its a Luftzeugamt 4 (LZA) depot rifle built by the Luftwaffe out of armorer's parts. I think most of the 'e' block guns are built on BSW receivers, so your blanko is interesting. Can you take a picture of the other side of the receiver opposite the serial number? Are there any marks there?

For $199, you stole it.

Here is the other side of the receiver. What makes it valuable, just the Luftwaffe connection?

 

[Turbo Archie]

So was the bayo lug removed post war?
Could the stock have been sanded during the build?

I've never seen a trigger guard marked like that..

Even with the older import/export mark you stole that thing..

Very Nice!!!!!



...

 

[RyanE]

So was the bayo lug removed post war?
Could the stock have been sanded during the build?

...

Maybe the Germans removed them for post-war service? More likely, some moron removed it here in states. Maybe it is restorable, I don't know.

Here is the other side of the receiver. What makes it valuable, just the Luftwaffe connection?

Your receiver is a Walther (well, Zella-Mehlis area anyway) made spare receiver.

Depot built K98ks are very far from common. To supplement lagging production in 1941-42, depots started making rifles out of the spare parts intended for repair work. As you can probably imagine, not very many were built.

 

[Hambone]

You stole it Mike. Those e block LZA4 inspected rifles turn up with blank receivers like that, BSW 1939 receivers, recycled Gew.98 receivers, and I believe an occasional bcd 41 receiver. Very neat depot build, evidently for the Luftwaffe being LzA inspected.

 

[Bigdibbs88]

im sure the donkey who got it in the u.s. probably messed up the bayo mount. very cool rifle mike!! to answer your question about why its more valuable.....simply because its not an "everyday" find. the luftwaffe connection and other depot reworks seem to command slightly higher prices due simply to how interesting they are in addition to the smaller production number. very nice!

 

[Loewe]

I agree with Ryan, TA, and Craig, you stole that rifle bigtime!

Ryan is right, in a sense, the BSW blankos are most common, in reported rifles. The variation is very orderly, the type of receivers used follow rather solidly in blocks. BSW first, 16xx e - 4xxx e, then the Astrawerke "bcd/41" have a run up to your rifles range, and then the e/359 Walther blankos run up to the 7xxx e blocks. Following this it gets real choppy, Gew.98 types and salvaged early receivers go till they rollover to the "ee" block, where they putter out early in the "ee" ranges. There are a few BLM interspersed here and there but not many.

I actually have a good database on these, several dozen documented, which is a lot compared to most HZa builds. I suspect they survived in larger numbers due to their combat role. Many are largely original rifles, not a high "rc rate" like many HZa builds.

I would guess less than 15,000 were made as no "no-blocks" (no "e" suffix) are known. There are some salvaged 98k receivers that retain their original serialing though, and not sure where they fit in it all... they have the same characteristics though, the LZA/4, ordnance spare parts etc..

 

[bnz41john]

Ok, so I think I had a good day at the gun store. I picked up this K98 for $199.00. It looks to be a bolt mismatch. It is not marked with a year or maker code, which I believe is unusual. I've never seen one not marked. The bayonet lug looks like it might have been ground off? So, what is this rifle?

Also, there was a M24/47 sitting right next to it with this bayonet on it for $189.00. I saw the bakelight grips and thought, Score!

Info about the rifle would be greatly appreciated.

Mike

Barrel is bright and shiny.

Bayonet looks to be russian/yugo refurb.Proably worth $65 or so. You got are great find, thanks for posting!

 

[Mike the Impaler]

Thanks guys. I thought it was unusual so I snagged it. I happened along an all matching vet bringback there several years ago that I think they wanted 400 for so this is officially my honey hole

 

[ditch68]

Wow, what a day...dusty spider web LSR and this thing out of the woodwork...

Great to see stuff still turning up of this caliber!

Jeff

 

[vaughn99]

Hello,

I got wood when i saw the 1936 BLM armors S/237 trigger guard with E/303!!!!!!! I'd pay 200.00 for the triggerguard alone with serial!!!!! AWSOME peace!

later
vaughn