1936-1938 Mauser model 98

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.22LR-1995

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D0AC96A8-CA6F-40BE-9672-E38E76DD758C.jpeg 8E879B9B-CABC-44EB-B76A-1AE38F3DE0D6.jpeg DA8F0903-BF85-42A4-833A-EC7C713A7F1D.jpeg I picked up a 1930s Mauser model 98, 8mm rifle. As I inspected the gun I realized it had tiny stamps on it, the closer I looked I realized these weren’t just any stamps.. these are stamps of Nazi/Germany, one stamp is the eagle with the swastika, the others are the Nazi eagle with numbers under them, and i almost forgot NO IMPORT STAMP ON THIS FIREARM!!
I’m curious if anyone could possibly help me with more info about this rifle because I feel it’s one heck of a find, considering what it is
 
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I’m thinking the same thing, only bad part is it doesn’t have the original stock or iron sights. Someone retrofitted the stock and ironsights to it
If the stock # matches the receiver #, that really sucks. Otherwise you could provably find another stock for it. Your stock butt plate should be a milled item and not stamped, IIRC. Same with the trigger guard and magazine plate.
 
.22LR-1995

I can remember as a little kid going into a gun shop (with my Mom), and seeing a large barrel which had a dozen or more surplus Mauser rifles in it. They were relatively cheap and I imagine most if not all of them ended up being sporterized just like yours.

From the looks of things you've got a pretty nice one there. Let us know how it does at the range.
 
As previously mentioned, literally millions of 98s were imported, many of them sporterized. Back in the fifties well into the 80s, you were as likely to see a sporterized Mauser in the field then a Winchester or Remington. They were sold very inexpensively, and were dependable. The 8x57 is a splendid round, in a safe rifle able to be loaded to the equal of the 30-06 (the grand old 06 was designed from the 8x 57).
I have two, one quite heavily upgraded over the years to include a new alloy magazine well with push button magazine drop, Timney trigger, a side swing 3 position safety(for use with a low mount scope), drilled and tapped with a Leupold mounted. It is as accurate as any firearm in the deer woods needs to be.
I see yours is drilled and tapped for a scope. If you mount one, you may consider the safety modification. Any real gunsmith can easily do it, and a Timney trigger will make a world of difference in its potential. Enjoy!
 
German military parts were stamped with something called waffenamts that identify the manufacturer and sometimes even years of production and indicate German military acceptance of the part (codes changed for some manufacturers during the war). http://www.eaglerelics.com/waffenamt-codes/ WaA214 was used by several firms depending on the year

These are generally receiver codes but some manufacturers such as Oberndorf made most if not all of their parts depending on the year of manufacture http://mauser98k.internetdsl.pl/kodyen.html

As others indicate, that is not an original military or even duffel cut stock and is a post war, probably american stock. Prior to the 1968 GCA, importer information was not required on imports so without provenance, it is impossible to tell whether GI bringback, trophy, or simply an imported parts rifle.

Not clear from your pictures but often trigger bows were altered (thinned, polished, whatever) of the trigger guard, triggers were replaced or jiggered with along with safeties (often to make an inferior light one stage, sometimes, unsafe trigger). These things were commonly done to emulate sporter rifles and reduce weight.

A D&T receiver (as it appears from your pictures) is generally not a candidate for restoration without jumping through a fair number of hoops and the costs are probably prohibitive unless you want to spend $400-600 to make probably an inferior copy worth less than a Mitchell's Mauser (about $400-500). A restoration might not shoot as well as what you have already if the current setup was carefully put together.

Numrich aka gunparts.com did have some replica k98 stocks, but then you will need a proper waffenamt barrel, handguard, buttplate, screws, barrel bands, screws, sights, etc. Real k98 stocks are now north of $200 or more and many of the cheaper ones have issues. The cost of restoration is much greater now that the imports of Eastern European war reserve stores has mostly disappeared. A mismatched parts rifle might be a hoot to shoot in a military rifle contest and if accurized (gunboards has a sticky post in their mauser section pertaining to such as russian capture Mausers) can be pretty good.

If I would consider anything with the rifle, it would be to fully update it as a sporter if it is accurate--the stock has a gorgeous figure, replacement with either a Timney (or Bold if they are still around) trigger, and depending on how well it shoots, maybe a new barrel and finish with good glass might be in order.

Unlike some, you do not have to go whole hog and use a grinder to obliterate the past but a tasteful acknowledgment of its military past is not impossible to preserve if you want a uniform refinish of the rifle.
 
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Looks like the stock has been cut for a Lyman 48 sight or similar in the past, and D & T'd for it, as well as for the scope mount.
 
Looks like the stock has been cut for a Lyman 48 sight or similar in the past, and D & T'd for it, as well as for the scope mount.
Yeah, a lot of actual hunters preferred both sighting systems in the 50's and 60's as scopes were not nearly as rugged as today and prone to quite a bit of problems. Having both meant simply dropping the scope and going with iron on a hunt to save the day.
 
the rifle is way past any resteration, enjoy it as a good hunting rifle, I have one done in the early 60,s and was-is a good hunting rifle(8x57),tho a bit heavy.
 

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.22LR-1995

I can remember as a little kid going into a gun shop (with my Mom), and seeing a large barrel which had a dozen or more surplus Mauser rifles in it. They were relatively cheap and I imagine most if not all of them ended up being sporterized just like yours.

From the looks of things you've got a pretty nice one there. Let us know how it does at the range.
I have heard the same thing from a good friend, he said he would go into a place called western auto and there was a barrel of them for a dime a dozen so to speak. I plan on getting some 8mm Mauser ammo and throwin some lead through it
 
German military parts were stamped with something called waffenamts that identify the manufacturer and sometimes even years of production and indicate German military acceptance of the part (codes changed for some manufacturers during the war). http://www.eaglerelics.com/waffenamt-codes/ WaA214 was used by several firms depending on the year

These are generally receiver codes but some manufacturers such as Oberndorf made most if not all of their parts depending on the year of manufacture http://mauser98k.internetdsl.pl/kodyen.html

As others indicate, that is not an original military or even duffel cut stock and is a post war, probably american stock. Prior to the 1968 GCA, importer information was not required on imports so without provenance, it is impossible to tell whether GI bringback, trophy, or simply an imported parts rifle.

Not clear from your pictures but often trigger bows were altered (thinned, polished, whatever) of the trigger guard, triggers were replaced or jiggered with along with safeties (often to make an inferior light one stage, sometimes, unsafe trigger). These things were commonly done to emulate sporter rifles and reduce weight.

A D&T receiver (as it appears from your pictures) is generally not a candidate for restoration without jumping through a fair number of hoops and the costs are probably prohibitive unless you want to spend $400-600 to make probably an inferior copy worth less than a Mitchell's Mauser (about $400-500). A restoration might not shoot as well as what you have already if the current setup was carefully put together.

Numrich aka gunparts.com did have some replica k98 stocks, but then you will need a proper waffenamt barrel, handguard, buttplate, screws, barrel bands, screws, sights, etc. Real k98 stocks are now north of $200 or more and many of the cheaper ones have issues. The cost of restoration is much greater now that the imports of Eastern European war reserve stores has mostly disappeared. A mismatched parts rifle might be a hoot to shoot in a military rifle contest and if accurized (gunboards has a sticky post in their mauser section pertaining to such as russian capture Mausers) can be pretty good.

If I would consider anything with the rifle, it would be to fully update it as a sporter if it is accurate--the stock has a gorgeous figure, replacement with either a Timney (or Bold if they are still around) trigger, and depending on how well it shoots, maybe a new barrel and finish with good glass might be in order.

Unlike some, you do not have to go whole hog and use a grinder to obliterate the past but a tasteful acknowledgment of its military past is not impossible to preserve if you want a uniform refinish of the rifle.
It definitely doesn’t have an original stock, the stock is a Bishop, from what I understand bishops were a custom job for remingtons as far as I know and the trigger has waffenamts stamps as well so as far as I know it hasn’t been tampered with. From what I can tell the only things that are updated is the stock, a different bolt and iron sights
 
drilled and tapped for a scope and for a receiver sight, tough to hide those. if you pure money in to it to try and make it legit, you will never get it back.
 
I remember them being in those barrels and if I recall correctly, you would pick out the rifle you wanted and then went to the counter and picked out a bolt that fit it. I don't remember the prices now but even then they were cheap. That same store even had a couple of bazookas hanging on the wall.
 
I recall at the local department store (Tidewater VA area), just before the GCA68, in the Sport Goods section there were 2 large barrels (for longguns) and a couple of smaller wooden boxes (for pistols). IIRC, the former were $10/ea and the latter, $15/ea.

... and they were all incredibly oil/greasy/filthy. :)
 
It definitely doesn’t have an original stock, the stock is a Bishop, from what I understand bishops were a custom job for remingtons as far as I know and the trigger has waffenamts stamps as well so as far as I know it hasn’t been tampered with. From what I can tell the only things that are updated is the stock, a different bolt and iron sights

Actually, Bishop made stocks for all sort of rifles. I have some old ones around here for SR Mausers and Lee Enfields.
 
t was later sported out
If you don't have a fortune into it a nice variable scope would enhance it . Drilled mounting holes would eat up a lot of cash
IF A RIFLE THAT EARLY was still original and all matching . it would sell to the right collector for around 1200.00 and up
Enjoy it for what it is
 
As previously mentioned, literally millions of 98s were imported, many of them sporterized. Back in the fifties well into the 80s, you were as likely to see a sporterized Mauser in the field then a Winchester or Remington. They were sold very inexpensively, and were dependable. The 8x57 is a splendid round, in a safe rifle able to be loaded to the equal of the 30-06 (the grand old 06 was designed from the 8x 57).
I have two, one quite heavily upgraded over the years to include a new alloy magazine well with push button magazine drop, Timney trigger, a side swing 3 position safety(for use with a low mount scope), drilled and tapped with a Leupold mounted. It is as accurate as any firearm in the deer woods needs to be.
I see yours is drilled and tapped for a scope. If you mount one, you may consider the safety modification. Any real gunsmith can easily do it, and a Timney trigger will make a world of difference in its potential. Enjoy!
Very good to know, thank you for the info! I still haven’t shot it yet because I’m ver good at procrastination sadly lol. But I would very much like to see how it does, the rifling is in fantastic shape as well. I’d venture to say that it’s more accurate that my model 700 Remington 06
 
yes there are a bunch of markings. mostly the year the load used the german proofs bore size the proof house. these can be looked up. i cant find m download of them, after ww1 germany was only allowed to make a certain amount off military rifle, this is why the later actions have a code to date them.
 
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