Gew 98
- Thread starter cigarbufff
- Start date
If you don't drop it or kick it or run ammo in it that it was never designed for, a bt of shooting likely won't damage it or reduce the "value".
It's what they were made to do.
My Gew98 gets shot, as does the Kar98b, the AZ, the '71, all of the '88s, the Test 1910 Ross, Lee-Metfords, literally "the whole shootin' match". I just don't drop them or kick the bejaysis out of them.
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It's what they were made to do.
My Gew98 gets shot, as does the Kar98b, the AZ, the '71, all of the '88s, the Test 1910 Ross, Lee-Metfords, literally "the whole shootin' match". I just don't drop them or kick the bejaysis out of them.
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Provided it is in good working condition, shooting won't hurt it a bit. Just clean the bore well if you shoot military surplus ammo out of it, chances are it will be corrosive. The only thing I would check with a mauser that has a matching bolt is make sure the wood is sound around the recoil lug, I have seen a few that were soft and rotten.
Well she was was turned into a custom sporter at one point where the original stock was re-used (indicated by the marking disc inlet on the butt stock). Chances are she is a possible vet bring back that was customized by the veteran or by someone later on down the road.
It looks like the floor plate and follower match, how about the bolt ? There should be a serial number stamped on the top of the bolt root unless it was lost when the bolt handle was bent down. I am willing to bet the original stock number on the bottom of the butt stock is intact as well, the stock appears to be unsanded. The stock looks to be matching as the butt plate matches the receiver by the looks of the serial number.
The wood type looks like beech wood, a substitute for dwindling walnut supplies for rifle stocks and an indication as to how the war was progressing for Germany.
As you can see, she is a 1916 Gewehr 98 made in Berlin at the Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken plant. Judging by the serial number, probably a mid to late 1916 made rifle. DWM was the juggernaut of firearm producers in Germany that actually had a controlling interest in Mauser Oberndorf.
She wouldn't be worth as much as if she was in her full military configuration. The good news is that she could be restored to a degree (the bent bolt handle might be an issue). Are you able to get a picture of the front sight base and area ? I am curious if the front sight base and muzzle is intact. I have restored two Gewehr 98s to complete military configuration, one in worse shape than yours, so I would be interested in giving this girl a try.
Depending on the front sight base and muzzle condition, if I were to run into this rifle at a gun show, I would say a rough value between $150-200 ?
It looks like the floor plate and follower match, how about the bolt ? There should be a serial number stamped on the top of the bolt root unless it was lost when the bolt handle was bent down. I am willing to bet the original stock number on the bottom of the butt stock is intact as well, the stock appears to be unsanded. The stock looks to be matching as the butt plate matches the receiver by the looks of the serial number.
The wood type looks like beech wood, a substitute for dwindling walnut supplies for rifle stocks and an indication as to how the war was progressing for Germany.
As you can see, she is a 1916 Gewehr 98 made in Berlin at the Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken plant. Judging by the serial number, probably a mid to late 1916 made rifle. DWM was the juggernaut of firearm producers in Germany that actually had a controlling interest in Mauser Oberndorf.
She wouldn't be worth as much as if she was in her full military configuration. The good news is that she could be restored to a degree (the bent bolt handle might be an issue). Are you able to get a picture of the front sight base and area ? I am curious if the front sight base and muzzle is intact. I have restored two Gewehr 98s to complete military configuration, one in worse shape than yours, so I would be interested in giving this girl a try.
Depending on the front sight base and muzzle condition, if I were to run into this rifle at a gun show, I would say a rough value between $150-200 ?
There is (was ?) an all matching re-finished pre war Gewehr 98 with unit markings on the EE in the ~ $500 range. I have seen complete, non-refinished Gewehr 98 bolt mis-matches sit (and fly off the EE) in the $600-700 range. All matching ones easily go for $800-1200 + depending on condition, unit markings, date, maker, battle damage...etc. Some makers are rarer than others (ex. Suhl consortium rifles) versus relatively common ones (ex. Mauser, DWM, most of the Prussian state arsenals including Spandau and Danzig. Erfurt rifles are rarer because they stopped in 1907 to switch to Kar98 production but did assembly small batch rifles in 1916-1917 from sub contracted parts and are known as "Star rifles" or "Stern Gewehrs". You can see how crazy it gets to assign a fixed value to a particular Gewehr 98 
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I do remember seeing an all matching 1914 dated DWM with unit markings go for $1000 but that was close to two years ago and the market does change.
Collector's source has three Gewehr 98 bolt mismatches for $1300 +.
I saw another sporter Gewehr 98 linger on the EE for ~ $200 not too long ago.
Demand drives price and most collectors don't go for the sporters unless for parts or for restoration projects.
In any event, you do have one interested buyer here.
.I do remember seeing an all matching 1914 dated DWM with unit markings go for $1000 but that was close to two years ago and the market does change.
Collector's source has three Gewehr 98 bolt mismatches for $1300 +.
I saw another sporter Gewehr 98 linger on the EE for ~ $200 not too long ago.
Demand drives price and most collectors don't go for the sporters unless for parts or for restoration projects.
In any event, you do have one interested buyer here
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Sported milsurps aren't worth s***. Keep them original, keep the value of them.
Those bolt mismatches are certainly not worth the Collector's Source price. $700-$800 yes, twice that, not a chance.
Friend, to some of us, money isthe LAST thing that matters.
I look at a rifle like this and I ask myself questions. NABS knows what he's talking about, so we have time-frame on this rifle. Did it shoot at my friend Rollie Hart at Beaumont-Hamel? Not likely; the rifle was too new. It COULD have shot at my friend George Diblee at Courcelette, in the first Tank attack...... or at Regina Trench 2 weeks later, when a single Company of Canadians held off a BRIGADE of Imperial German Marines for 14 hours... in a German trench. Three thousand men started on that attack and FIFTEEN made it back to our Lines. It well could have shot at my friend Jack Snow at Gueudecourt or at Monchy-le-Prueux on the day that Jack was "KIA". But Jack was a smart boy: he fooled them all..... and 60 years later I had the rare pivilege of having my butt shot off by a Great War sniper who was using MY rifle!
And that's what's important. Your rifle is a genuine Historical Artifact. It has BEEN THERE and DONE THAT. And if you can't find a T-shirt that the rifle likes, get it a nice case and go to the range.
You have bits of discolouration from surface rust on the rifle. You can remove these by CAREFUL scrubbing with EXTRA-FINE grade Steel Wool. You use the Steel Wool DRY, wipe the metal down to remove rust-dus and THEN oil it lightly. It will improve the appearance of this rifle greatly.
To restore or not to restore, that is the question. If it were mine and I could find the parts, it is ikly that I would. But I would also CERTAINLY hang onto that ORIGINAL stock: that's the one that was actually THERE.
Just my take on things. And, as Buffdog pointed out some time back, yes, my degrees ARE in History and I DID specialise in weapons systems development. But I also remember my friends, all now gone...... who were THERE and actually DID IT. And YOU can link with THEM just by holding this wonderful old relic.
Take her shooting, friend. You will BOTH enjoy it.
And be sure to have fun.
Hope this helps.
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I look at a rifle like this and I ask myself questions. NABS knows what he's talking about, so we have time-frame on this rifle. Did it shoot at my friend Rollie Hart at Beaumont-Hamel? Not likely; the rifle was too new. It COULD have shot at my friend George Diblee at Courcelette, in the first Tank attack...... or at Regina Trench 2 weeks later, when a single Company of Canadians held off a BRIGADE of Imperial German Marines for 14 hours... in a German trench. Three thousand men started on that attack and FIFTEEN made it back to our Lines. It well could have shot at my friend Jack Snow at Gueudecourt or at Monchy-le-Prueux on the day that Jack was "KIA". But Jack was a smart boy: he fooled them all..... and 60 years later I had the rare pivilege of having my butt shot off by a Great War sniper who was using MY rifle!
And that's what's important. Your rifle is a genuine Historical Artifact. It has BEEN THERE and DONE THAT. And if you can't find a T-shirt that the rifle likes, get it a nice case and go to the range.
You have bits of discolouration from surface rust on the rifle. You can remove these by CAREFUL scrubbing with EXTRA-FINE grade Steel Wool. You use the Steel Wool DRY, wipe the metal down to remove rust-dus and THEN oil it lightly. It will improve the appearance of this rifle greatly.
To restore or not to restore, that is the question. If it were mine and I could find the parts, it is ikly that I would. But I would also CERTAINLY hang onto that ORIGINAL stock: that's the one that was actually THERE.
Just my take on things. And, as Buffdog pointed out some time back, yes, my degrees ARE in History and I DID specialise in weapons systems development. But I also remember my friends, all now gone...... who were THERE and actually DID IT. And YOU can link with THEM just by holding this wonderful old relic.
Take her shooting, friend. You will BOTH enjoy it.
And be sure to have fun.
Hope this helps.
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If you are referring to the "eagle" to the left of the serial number that is the German (Prussian) property stamp meaning the rifle was accepted into military service.
You see interesting variations of these eagle stamps between Amberg, Danzig (especially Danzig rifles), and Erfurt made rifles. For instance, the Danzig crown stamp, position of the receiver marking, and eagle style, are very unique and are not duplicated on any other Gewehr 98 made by another state arsenal or private firm.
A close examination of the right side of the butt stock, if the property stamps are intact, would indicate which kingdom the rifle belonged to.
George, thank you for the kind words and for chiming in on the rifle and her current condition. You are right, these old war horses were there, they fought in those battles that today we only read about. Owning a newly made firearm that goes bang, sure that may be fun, but owning a piece of history that was in those trenches, illuminated by those star shells at night, and covered in dug out dust dripping down from the creaking ceiling beams after a heavy shelling, that is something to truly behold and shoot.
The soldier(s) that carried that rifle are long gone but his (their) legacy live on in that rifle. She survived the disbandment of the empire she was built to serve and she may have been sporterized afterwards but make sure she lives on and continues to shoot
.cigarbufff, if you are curious, your rifle was the 266,565th to come off the DWM line in 1916. My estimate on daily production at DWM puts your rifle being made sometime between August and November of that year but don't quote me. The suffix letter indicates a very high production period that must have been at least 800 rifles a month or greater. Sadly, DWM's factory records were lost during WW2 so we will never know for sure.
If you want something that will really boggle your mind, have a look at the double suffix letter carbines made at Erfurt starting in 1916 up to 1918. This means they were producing close to 1000 or more carbines a day and assembling a complete carbine almost every minute!
I hope I'm not high jacking the thread here, but, I have always wanted to find a Mauser in restoreable condition. I found one the other day and was given it (with 2 boxes of shells too!), a 1903 Spandau GEW 98. Now, it doesn't have the original stock, it's barrel has been cut down and recrowned, has new front and rear sights on it, and the bolt is also bent. For you guys who restore them, is there even a point to doing this one? Or, is it even restorable at all?
Matt
Matt
