1940 337 rc k98

[Gillen1]

Just looking to show for CGN's pleasure my latest milsurp purchase. I have a Russian capture 337 K98 mauser. Barrel and receiver match (obviously), as well as the front sight. The stock matches the butplate, but that is it. The rest is a mismatch of various codes and electro pencil.

The bore is excellent, much better than most milsurps I have come across. No real pitting and very good shiny rifling.

Now I must admit, I have "bubba'd" it slightly. When I first got it, it was covered in shellac. And it was very flaky, and missing in a few areas completely. So I removed it and gave it a very slight oil finish since the wood was dry after removing the shellac.

I am glad I removed it however, as I was able to uncover a lot of stamps, and to my novice opinion, leads me to think the stock may not have been sanded. I could be wrong. On the underside of the stock there are a number of stamps.

9550
b
a eagle with wa623 (maybe)
cot
a eagle with wa??

on the right side there is:
eagle above a M
two eagle with wa623 stamps.

Now inside the stock there is also some interesting lettering. There is the 9550 stamp, but also some handwritten letters. Maybe a stock makers name or a soldiers name? I have only had one other k98 before and this handwritten lettering was not present.

Anyway, I am very pleased with this K98. I will try it out on the weekend to see how it shoots.


Here is a link to the pictures.https://imgur.com/a/XfsfD

 

[Recce21]

I like the Kriegsmarine stock.

 

[Mike Webb]

Nice stock and it is unsanded, I think. A Steyr produced stock that was originally on a 660 code rifle issued to the German Navy.

 

[Desert_Fox]

Neat.

That stock would have most likely originally been on a German captured and finished/rebuilt Polish G29/40. Many G29/40s went to the Kriegsmarine and sometimes the bolt take-down disc will be marked with an "O" or an "N" and some numbers, denoting its service in the Nordsee or Ostsee fleets.

 

[Gillen1]

Thanks for the info. I don't see any marks on the bolt take down disk. I have never seen the code on this rifle before. I should look it up to see where it was made.

 

[Desert_Fox]

Thanks for the info. I don't see any marks on the bolt take down disk. I have never seen the code on this rifle before. I should look it up to see where it was made.

Gustloff Werke in Weimar, before the plant switched to Slave Labour at Buchenwald just in the forest outside of Weimar.

Lots of firearms on display in the museum at Buchenwald. They made K98s and G43s there as well, under SS supervision, until it was bombed by the allies. Held mostly political prisoners there like German Communists etc...

Then after the war, the Soviets used it to hold/kill politically unreliable East Germans.

Its quite the place to visit.

But that is besides the point, your barreled action was made at the Gustloff Werke plant in Weimar proper anyway...

 

[Gillen1]

Well, I'm glad it was made before slave labour was used. I'll keep looking into it.

 

[Mike Webb]

Thanks for the info. I don't see any marks on the bolt take down disk. I have never seen the code on this rifle before. I should look it up to see where it was made.

From what I have seen the takedown disc is usually unmarked on rifles that are stamped with the Kreigsmarine M in the wood.

 

[Remembering]

That's a great looking rifle. The cot on the stock is actually dot. Steyr made most of their stocks, but a couple times they did source some, only dot I believe. I have a bnz41 with a dot stock and that's what yours looks like to me.

 

[gordonlbyrne]

where did you buy that rifle,i have a k98 that still has the russian finish and you can see the stock cartouches trough the finish very tempeted to remove the shelack and see what it looks like

 

[Mike Webb]

where did you buy that rifle,i have a k98 that still has the russian finish and you can see the stock cartouches trough the finish very tempeted to remove the shelack and see what it looks like

I would remove it if I owned it. Makes a much better looking rifle even if mismatched in my opinion.

 

[agentcq]

One of the hardest to find examples - the 337 dated 1940 is rare - even in RC trim.

 

[Gillen1]

Rare eh? I saw that they made 139,000 that year. I guess that is a low number for a mass produced rifle.

Anyone have any input on the writing inside the stock?

 

[jbmauser]

Interesting RC. Hard to find code as others have mentioned. Not super rare but not common.

 

[Gillen1]

Is the uncommon code on this rifl make it worth more than the average RC mauser?

 

[Recce21]

Nope, sorry. The average joe doesnt care about codes honestly.

Is the uncommon code on this rifl make it worth more than the average RC mauser?

 

[Gillen1]

It's fine with me. Just didn't want to potentially ruin a valuable rifle by shooting it. I plan on shooting this regularly.

 

[bjmurata]

Nope, sorry. The average joe doesnt care about codes honestly.

The average Joe may not care much about receiver codes but there is a substantial number of dedicated K98 collectors who do. Some of the codes that are scarce and rare attract a fair bit of attention from these guys, check out some of the posts on " Gunboards " out of the states with regard to them in the K98 Mauser Forum.

 

[Recce21]

Im well aware because I am one of those guys. But the average K98 shooter doesnt care and they are in the majority of RC owners.

The average Joe may not care much about receiver codes but there is a substantial number of dedicated K98 collectors who do. Some of the codes that are scarce and rare attract a fair bit of attention from these guys, check out some of the posts on " Gunboards " out of the states with regard to them in the K98 Mauser Forum.

 

[rci2950]

Thats a real beauty.