Rifle identification

[Racinbob]

I'm always asking for help here but you folks never fail me and I appreciate it. I received an email today from a friend looking for help identifying this rifle. I don't have a clue but I'm betting you guys will know. Thank you.

 

[Racinbob]

Here's the email that was with the pics:

Please see attached pictures. This is one of the guns I am trying to sell for my grandmother. I am not familiar with it and can’t make out the manufacturer to look it up. Help?

What I can make out is that I’s a .338 Win Mag and I think it states Flaig’s “ACE” and then there is something like GEM 98?

Thinking this is a mauser action with a custom barrel of sorts. Any information or point in the right direction would be helpful.

Closest I found on the internet was Flaig's - custom rifle maker in Pennsylvania. They used Mauser actions, and a few different barrels ( sounds like they used a lot of Douglas barrels ).

 

[DLam]

It looks like a mauser action from the pics...

 

[Nom de Forum]

Only a guess.....a surplus German 8mm caliber Mauser 98 (note the GEW 98 on the receiver is short for Gewehr 98 meaning rifle model of 1898) that an a U.S.A. importer converted to .338. Be patient as I am sure someone here will have all details of its origin, but I think you have already figured it out for yourself.

 

[OldBrownDog]

Your friend was spot on. Flaig's was a gun shop near Pittsburgh from the 50's to 90's and the owner was a very good riflesmith. Looks like a rebarrel/restocking job, on a German military Gewehr 98 Mauser action. Looks like a nice piece, I believe those actions are pretty desirable but no idea what it could be worth.

 

[Garrobo]

M98

Mauser.

 

[Jim Watson]

Yup.

It is a Gew 98 WWI era Mauser action that was completely sporterized by Flaig's in Pennsylvania. Nothing remains of the original German military rifle except the receiver and bolt. I think that the "Flaig's ACE" trademark indicates they did all the work and it is a finshed Flaig's product.

 

[AlexanderA]

Looks to me like a sporterized and heavily modified (rebarrelled) M1917 Enfield. In spite of the "Gew. 98" marking.

 

[Jim K]

The eagle mark (looks like a man with his hands up) is the Imperial and Weimar era proof mark. There would have been other marks also, but they might have been partially or entirely obliterated in the polishing and bluing process at Flaig's.

Jim

 

[OldBrownDog]

And the thumb cutout - notably absent on M1917 actions.

 

[Jim Watson]

It's not a 1917. It is clearly marked Gew 98 which is for sure a Mauser. Action only, lots of work involved in making it into a .338.

 

[sage5907]

The guy's are right on about the Flaig's gunshop, in fact it was in Millvale, Pennsylvania. They re-barreled a lot of rifles during the 1960's, probably with Douglas barrels. The guys are also right about the action with the only parts remaining are the bolt body and the receiver. The bolt handle has been replaced with a commercial version that allows a low mounted scope. The safety lever has been modified and it appears that a trigger safety has been added. The stock looks to be a Rinehart Fajen aristocrat without a lot of extras, just a basic stock that was inletted for the action and barrel. The stock was made in Warsaw, Missouri and finished by the gunsmith at Flaig's.

 

[rcmodel]

There is nothing at all, what so ever about that rifle that suggests it was ever a 1917 Enfield.

It is a Gew-98 Mauser, and always was a Gew-98 Mauser.

rc

 

[savetheclaypigeons]

That was easy - the writing was on the side!