Guidance on obtaining RC kar98

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RunningRiver

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Hello All!
I have been looking at the kar98s on the EE, gotenda, FOC. What questions should I be asking, what should I be looking for? What advice can the community give? My end game is to find a rifle that I can shoot for years that has the rich history to it.
Thank you so much!
Ian
 
Sorry, just noticed you live in AB and Tenda and FOC are in ON. Try contacting them. Sometimes you get a reply and sometimes not lol but give it a shot. They are great rifles
 
You need to look for one in very good condition ,with a very good bore,try to find one with german proofs in place and not punched out ,peened.If you find and early rifle it would be nice if it had an early stock same applies to a late rifle 41 to 45 should have a cuped but plate to look correct for that year.There is a nice RC on the EE right now that looks nice .Also there are the post war kar98 that can be found in very good condition with like new bores and prestine wood and metal although they they do not have wartime history.Hope this helps some .
 
There is a 1938 rc K98k on the EE right now that is one of the nicer ones I’ve seen

For Russian captures as correct as possible in terms of stock and metal hardware, as well as being in good shape is all you can ask for. They have no real significance historically as a german firearm since they have bee reworked by mother Russia. As long as it’s in good shape, bore and wood then all Russian captures are about the same
 
Things I look for in a refurbished rifle, only because you need to start somewhere ;)

Roll stamps from before the war or from small volume manufacturers. Intact recichsadler, waffenampts. Stock and small parts of the same general type as original, ie early war receiver that was paired with a flat butt stock, milled barrel bands. Bore condition. A stock that hasn’t had all the edges softened too much. Russian “finish” doesn’t have too many runs on the metal parts and isn’t flaking off the stock. Bonus points for locking screws, sight hood, cleaning rod and bayonet.

And once you know what to look for, keep an eye out for guns that have been “restored” by former owners. There’s the odd one that’s had the russian shellac or varnish stripped off and redone with tru oil or BLO. You don’t want to pay the going EE or retail price for a rifle that’s been messed with.
 
Nåjd said:
Is there a website that details what to look for broadly speaking when looking at these? A buyers guide of some sorts?
Click to expand...

Sources? Hmm. I have about a dozen books on the shelf and they invariably do not have the answer I need. There is a good one by Ball, and another by Frank de Haas (IIRC).

For starters:
- a matching German Mauser 98 (98K for Karbiner or short rifle vs Gewehr for rifle) has serial numbers all over. Matching is always desirable, but good examples are very scarce compared to mismatched.
- there are five pieces of information on a German 98K that you need to identify it from all its brothers. The year, the two or three letter code for the arsenal, the serial number, the serial number letter prefix, and the marking on the left sidewall.
- the completeness of the rifle, ie cleaning rod, front sight hood, and sling. You will always pay more to get a better example.
- be very careful with variations made in other countries. The most important two distinctions (there are many others) - large or small diameter receiver ring, which also changes the spacing on the takedown screws, and Mauser 98 vs Swedish 96 vs Yugoslav M48. These are not mutually compatible models. A 98 stock will not fit a 96 or an M48. Now, there are many many very interesting examples of Mausers made in other countries and learning about them is always a big part of the hobby.

FWIW, I have a Russian Capture 98k in the locker. Not for sale. I sold a Spanish FR7 La Coruna conversion to 7.62 NATO, and slightly regret my decision.
 
for what they are, the current ones seem overpriced. find a Yugo or Czech k98, spend the money you save on ammo or reloading supplies.
 
gaff said:
for what they are, the current ones seem overpriced. find a Yugo or Czech k98, spend the money you save on ammo or reloading supplies.
Click to expand...

I would second that. I was able to find an east german postwar rework for cheaper than what people want for RC rifles and it’s in much better shape and more collectible. I found in on the EE but had to be a bit patient
 
Nåjd said:
Is there a website that details what to look for broadly speaking when looking at these? A buyers guide of some sorts?
Click to expand...

Yes, the K98k Forum is the best online resource for the study of these rifles.
It’s free to join, and free to use: http://www.k98kforum.com/

The site is owned by Bruce Karem and Mike Steves who have co-authored the Karabiner 98k series of books which have effectively replaced Richard D. Law’s Backbone of the Wehrmacht as the new gold standard. There are three volumes that cover everything from beginning to end of production. In total there are approx 2,000 pages of material dedicated to these rifles.

If you plan on collecting the K98k, I’d suggest joining the forum and looking into the books.
 
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maple_leaf_eh said:
Sources? Hmm. I have about a dozen books on the shelf and they invariably do not have the answer I need. There is a good one by Ball, and another by Frank de Haas (IIRC).

For starters:
- a matching German Mauser 98 (98K for Karbiner or short rifle vs Gewehr for rifle) has serial numbers all over. Matching is always desirable, but good examples are very scarce compared to mismatched.
- there are five pieces of information on a German 98K that you need to identify it from all its brothers. The year, the two or three letter code for the arsenal, the serial number, the serial number letter prefix, and the marking on the left sidewall.
- the completeness of the rifle, ie cleaning rod, front sight hood, and sling. You will always pay more to get a better example.
- be very careful with variations made in other countries. The most important two distinctions (there are many others) - large or small diameter receiver ring, which also changes the spacing on the takedown screws, and Mauser 98 vs Swedish 96 vs Yugoslav M48. These are not mutually compatible models. A 98 stock will not fit a 96 or an M48. Now, there are many many very interesting examples of Mausers made in other countries and learning about them is always a big part of the hobby.

FWIW, I have a Russian Capture 98k in the locker. Not for sale. I sold a Spanish FR7 La Coruna conversion to 7.62 NATO, and slightly regret my decision.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I will look into those authors, exactly what I was looking for.
 
with RCs the sight hood, the cleaning rod and the lock screws will always be missing. If they aren't, someone's probably already had a go at restoring it.
 
RunningRiver said:
Thank you everyone for the great feedback! This is giving me a really good starting place!
Click to expand...

Here’s the link to the Karabiner 98K Series of books that I mentioned earlier. I’m not affiliated with the authors, nor am I advertising on their behalf, they’re just really solid books, so if you do decide to get into collecting these rifles, you should consider picking these up. They’ve saved my backside a few times.

https://www.thirdpartypress.com/category-s/1632.htm
 
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