Got my first collectors gun. Mauser k98

Mr. Dynamite said:
I was just wondering the same thing today, I wonder what the chances would be to end up with even one original part. I wonder how many guns were broken down per batch, and what the odds would be.
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That's an interesting question for sure. I have no idea on what kind of numbers were involved with each batch but I think it would have been fairly large. I've seen pictures of the captured rifles stacked in great heaps waiting to be rebuilt.
 
Ivan liked to take them apart, but he couldn't reassemble the same way.

It's the study of Thermodynamics of Entropy and Maximum Order, Disorder and Randomness. Just like a House of Cards, an Old Barn, or a pile of neatly Stacked Firewood, or an Untidy Home. Time eventually disorganizes everything and they all eventually fall down or change state due to various conditions.

Blame Ivan for RC! Thank a Vet for All Matching Numbers or Bolt Mismatch.

Mr. Dynamite said:
I was just wondering the same thing today, I wonder what the chances would be to end up with even one original part. I wonder how many guns were broken down per batch, and what the odds would be.


And forget the scope, just enjoy it as it is.
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Even had they assembled them completely or nearly matching, would it really have helped their value? I personally doubt it, but that said, I see now why some of you guys that have been at this longer say they are so over priced! The value of a mix match is not that far above what is being charged for RC's!
I was over at an older friend's house a couple weeks back and got talking about 98's only to discover he had one! Was super excited to see it, been looking high and low and here some one I know has one! It turned out be be a dot 44 and with out taking it apart, the only piece I could find that did not match was the ejector. All original finish, beautiful gun - but the bird's heads and the swast under them were neatly punched. He picked it up in the 60's for $25, and from some of the reading I have done I believe it must have been a Romanian (or somewhere around there) captured import. It is so much nicer to see one in all original configuration and finish rather than a Russ Capture, but realistically a peened and m/m gun does not look to be worth much more. Still would love to buy it from him though! ;)
 
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It sounds like he got one of the better ones. perhaps there was a better selection of K98's to choose from back in the day.
Hopefully he will sell it to you one day.
 
Mr. Dynamite said:
Yea, he said his dad chose it from the barrel full of them as it looked like the best shooter was in a mil surp store. Just makes me think, the other ones have to be out there some where still, right?
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I remember those days, and regret not grabbing a couple. There were barrels of Garands for $149.00 as well.
 
Maybe my rifle was almost original matching, but at some post world war someone lost the bolt and simply replaced that. I'm sure 10-20-30 years after the war these really weren't that sought after as originals as they are today??? Is that possible. Cause again everything matches but the bolt and all pieces on bolt.

Ohh p.s. and one of the floor plate pieces differed as well. Maybe just at one point someone just damaged gun so much he changed some parts.
 
Chago said:
Maybe my rifle was almost original matching, but at some post world war someone lost the bolt and simply replaced that. I'm sure 10-20-30 years after the war these really weren't that sought after as originals as they are today??? Is that possible. Cause again everything matches but the bolt and all pieces on bolt.

Ohh p.s. and one of the floor plate pieces differed as well. Maybe just at one point someone just damaged gun so much he changed some parts.
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That gun would have been in storage until VERY recently (as in you say you bought this from someone on here, that most likely makes you the second owner of the rifle, the person you bought it off of, probably was the first one who owned it and was also the one who removed the cosmoline out of it.). The whole concept of a Russian Capture was these were rifles captured by the Soviets during WWII. After the war the Soviets rebuilt them (they reblued, removed swastikas, put shellac on the stock etc.). Most of the time the parts were thrown into a bin and they just grabbed whatever parts were available. Mine for example was a 1944 manufactured rifle which was matched with a early K98 stock. The fact most of your parts are matching is surprising as most of the Russian Captured K98's aren't. You just happen to be lucky in that most of your parts are matching.
 
Chago said:
Maybe my rifle was almost original matching, but at some post world war someone lost the bolt and simply replaced that. I'm sure 10-20-30 years after the war these really weren't that sought after as originals as they are today??? Is that possible. Cause again everything matches but the bolt and all pieces on bolt.

Ohh p.s. and one of the floor plate pieces differed as well. Maybe just at one point someone just damaged gun so much he changed some parts.
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Is the stock matching? I don't mean the Russian stamped number on the side of the buttstock but the original factory number that would be in the barrel channel.

From previous posts, you mentioned the upper band matches but the bolt, lower band, and either the floor plate or trigger guard don't match. Is there a serial on the floorplate or trigger guard that matches?

How about some more pics of all the serials? I'm really curious.:D
 
Ok mauser I'm at work. Tonight ill try to take more.

Ill look for the stock one, only one on stock I saw was that one stamped on.
 
Its the take down disk, which can be used to help disassemble the bolt.

Note the Russian captures are almost always missing the cleaning rod, capture screws and front sight hood.
 
That gun is not mostly matching with some replaced parts. It is a russian refurb. The bluing is not even close to JP Sauer 1938 bluing, like so far its not even funny. The stock is shellacked to death, and seriallized on the side of the butt, its russian,

I highly doubt any numbers actually match, and if they do, the waffenamt isnt likely correct.


But in order to determine this pics of all serials and parts and marks need to be posted.
 
Relax man ill post the pics. I'm not arguing with anyone if it is or isn't. I was just asking a question if it perhaps was a German that someone got parts later. Again I'm new to this and know nothing about it. I don't appreciate the insinuation that I'm lieing about part numbers. I've been very open about floor plate and bolt being different numbers. And how previous owner scratched a matching number on the bolt. So in no way am I trying to fool anyone into believing I've found Adolph hitlers rifle. My cell phone is not taking clear pics as the number is pretty faded. I'm gonna try tonight when I get home off my camcorder it takes 10megapixel still images which should work. I don't own a camera as my iPhone is usually enough.
 
Not saying your trying to fool anyone. But it's always the same questions about Russian captures.
A simple search would yield facts.
The previous owner who scratched in the serial was the Soviet Union.
It's called electro pencilling.

If anything is matching with the right font and waffenamt would be a sheer miracle.
 
Looks like a Russian capture (the 'X' on the top of the receiver). The eagle on the barrel (with wings swept down) is pre-war acceptance mark. On the right side of the receiver you have a wartime acceptance stamp (wings spread out with swastika), the small eagles beside with #'s below are pre-war inspectors marks.

Being a Russian capture, the electro penciled #'s, miss-match numbers, painted/varnished wood, missing front sight guard, missing cleaning rod and I will guess two small screws on the trigger guard are absolutely correct for a Russian captured rifle. The Russians stripped them into bits and pieces, inspected and rebuilt them to go into long-term storage as an emergency/war stockpile.

The best thing (as a collector) to do is leave it just the way it is, as it tells a good story. Being an early number it may been there for the invasion of Russia and captured during the German retreat... Who knows what it's seen and done!
 
DiverDriver said:
Looks like a Russian capture (the 'X' on the top of the receiver). The eagle on the barrel (with wings swept down) is pre-war acceptance mark. On the right side of the receiver you have a wartime acceptance stamp (wings spread out with swastika), the small eagles beside with #'s below are pre-war inspectors marks.

Being a Russian capture, the electro penciled #'s, miss-match numbers, painted/varnished wood, missing front sight guard, missing cleaning rod and I will guess two small screws on the trigger guard are absolutely correct for a Russian captured rifle. The Russians stripped them into bits and pieces, inspected and rebuilt them to go into long-term storage as an emergency/war stockpile.

The best thing (as a collector) to do is leave it just the way it is, as it tells a good story. Being an early number it may been there for the invasion of Russia and captured during the German retreat... Who knows what it's seen and done!
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Eagle on the barrel is a firing proof, eagles on the right side are acceptance stamps.

Proofs wont have numbers underneath, waffenamt acceptance stamps will.

This one likely saw alot, at least the stock looks like it saw action.
 
Congrats on your first Milsurp. I still don't have a Mauser, so I'm a little jealous.

As already stated by JB, these Russian captures have a unique place in K98's history and a little collectible in their own right being that if it was surrendered to the Russians, it was probably during desperate times, and thereby you probably have a real War Horse in your hands.

Even that mismatched bolt from another K98,.... remember was surrendered on the Eastern front just like the rest of your rifle was. Was it at Kharkov from the dead hands of the meanest SOB in a SS Panzer Division, in the Kessel...Stalingrad, Prohorovka, the Heligenbeil Pocket, or at the Seelow Heights, taken from a kid of 14 who fired it maybe 50 times but never really aimed,...... see where you can go with this........A fantastic piece of modern history from the most devastating time and place in the worlds history, the Eastern front 1941-45. Cheers RTS.
 
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