1937 M98 Mauser (Portugese?) with matching Bayonet

[Ganderite]

I wish my rifles could talk. Where has this rifle been?

It has been used. It did not come packed in the original factory grease. The serial number on the bolt, receiver, mag floor, butt plate and barrel band all match. Pre-war quality is evident. The serial number on the bayonet matches, too.

I wonder how the bayonet managed to stay with the rifle through all the tribulations? It has never been sharpened.

So far as I can see, the rifle is complete, except for a front sight hood. I assume it should have one.

All I know about it is that it was made by factory S/42 in 1937.

I hope you Mauser experts can explain what I have and put a realistic price on it. I intend to sell off some of my collector rifles and just keep a "shooter" example of each.

 

[midnightpossum]

Sweet… I bet the rifle would be able to tell a hundred stories.

 

[rgg_7]

Too bad somebody stamped the caliber on the right receiver wall. Nice rifle otherwise.

 

[desporterizer]

Early rifles did not have a hood. Odd that the bay matches as the only matching number bayos I have heard off were on contract rifles. I would love to have it. Do you have need of an spare organs?

 

[Eaglelord17]

The early K98k's never had front sight hoods so your rifle is correct in that regard. I think they started putting them on in 1939 or so. Otherwise it is a nice rifle but I have no idea of what the actual value would be.

 

[bearhunter]

IIRC the caliber stamp on the side was done by whichever government released the rifle into surplus. It designated that this particular rifle was built for the .323 diameter bullet.

 

[desporterizer]

the rear sight has been range limited with a blob of weld. That with the markings reduces value.

 

[Mike Webb]

Nice K98 but it has been marked post war, the 72 and other marks on the left receiver wall have been added as well as the 8x57JS on the right side. This hurts the value for a collector quite a bit. I suspect the "matching " bayonet is a forgery as the only matching bayonets I have seen were Portuguese contract rifles. A 1937 rifle didn't have a sight hood though some were added later in the war. I'm no expert but I would guess $1000 for a value, others may disagree. Try to get a few estimates and take the average of all. My 2 cents.

 

[Remembering]

Germany numbered on the blade and not to the rifle except on port contracts.

 

[Ganderite]

Germany numbered on the blade and not to the rifle except on port contracts.

I don't understand this comment. Please expand.

Is it possible this rifle was made for an export contract?

It was purchased in the '70s from either Hallams or Lebaron. I doubt the bayonet number is a fake.

 

[desporterizer]

Might be an early Port 1937 contract rifle.

 

[Ganderite]

I did some searching. It appears I have a Portuguese contract rifle. Apparently the very first batch shipped did not have the crest stamped on the receiver. My rifle has the Portuguese serial number A3124 stamped clearly on the butt stock, left side. I can see the faint remains of the crest, too.

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=634323

 

[Steve1987]

Ganderite,

Wait for CanadianAR and jbmauser to come along. They are the experts on these rifles

You could be right about early Port contract but those fellows will know for sure.

Cheers,
-Steve

 

[joe n]

It's got West German markings on the receiver. The site ramp was welded at I believe 100 or 200 meters postwar under direction of the Occupation forces so the rifle could not be returned to "military use", i.e. long range shooting. Still a nice rifle, Stock looks like for Port contract that must have never got there I suppose??

 

[desporterizer]

It got there, one of the first too.

 

[Ganderite]

Thanks so much, guys. I know nothing about Mausers. This morning I did not know what a Port Mauser was - and now I have one. It will go up on EE.

 

[gaff]

appears to be 8932K bayonet and 8932 H rifle ? different font . . do you have a picture of the butt plate ? is it serialized? have you taken the stock off to check the serial number in the barrel channel? it seams to be a West German rifle with a Portuguese stock.what numbers are on the barrel bands and floor plate?

 

[desporterizer]

It was proofed in Germany before being sold. I have a 937 with similar markings.

 

[Ganderite]

appears to be 8932K bayonet and 8932 H rifle ? different font . . do you have a picture of the butt plate ? is it serialized? have you taken the stock off to check the serial number in the barrel channel? it seams to be a West German rifle with a Portuguese stock.what numbers are on the barrel bands and floor plate?

The barrel bands and floor plate are in the original set of pictures. They carry the rifle serial number. The stock is also stamped with the rifle serial number, on the bottom.

Under the rifle serial number there appears to be a lowercase "R". The bottom of the stock has the rifle serial number and an upper case "R". The letter on the bayonet could be a poorly struck "R" that looks like a "K".

 

[kjohn]

Neat rifle! Oh for a machine that we could hold over a rifle like this and have its travels written out on paper for us mortals to devour!