Help with a Mauser dilemma?

redrommel

redrommel

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Hey guys, I'm fairly new to the hobby so please be gentle with me...

I have a dilemma. I've got two Mausers. One, is a 1943 dot that unfortunately at some point had most of its Nazi markings removed (it still retains most of one on the left side of the receiver as well as one right at the front right of the receiver). It's a very nice gun, clean and not a Russian job. It seems to be all matching numbers but I don't know enough about these to really tell. The second k98 is a Russian rework with the electro-penciled bolt and stamped stock. I bought it because it has all the bells and whistles when it comes to original markings all over the gun and it has a nice early war 1939 date (the Mod. 98 is in the cool fraktur font as well). The stock is a bit dirty on this one but nothing that a little TLC can't handle.

Now for my problem, I've always wanted a WW2 k98 sniper rifle and with my financial situation there is no way in hell I could actually get one so I bought a reproduction Ziess scope & mount to put on one of these two rifles. To mount the scope the left side of the stock would have to be cutaway and the receiver drilled & tapped. Which one should I do this to? They both cost me $350 so I have no idea which is more valuable or more collectible (I realize at that price neither of them can be too high on a collectors list). Obviously I don't want to do anything that will lower the value of these rifles as I love them both for their own reasons. Oh, and buying a new rifle is unfortunately not an option for me (unless one of you has one for under $200... *sigh* Didn't think so).

Help?

~Mike :50cal:
 
Some people will tell you that you have a bubba deamon inside you and that you must repent for your sins.

However, if you do the job to:

As close to original specifications as possible, and dont cut any corners, ie, weld the mount to something etc, you get the picture, I say go for it. Of the two, im not sure which one would be more valuable, I would need more information to make that determination. But bottom line, if your repro sniper is well done, you will have made a true to history replica which isnt too bubba, now is it?

You may want to research which codes and makers made the kind of sniper you have in mind of making, that might make your decision easier.

Heres my project, im using a original scope, repro mounts, and correct coded rifle, with all the bells and whistels:

byf44.jpg
 
Okay, thanks for your help guys! I've attached pics of every marking I could find on the non Russian k98:

On top of the receiver:
toprec.jpg

On the left of the receiver:
leftrec.jpg

On the left rear of the receiver:
leftrearrec.jpg

On the left front of the receiver:
leftfrontrec.jpg

On the right front of the receiver:
frontrightrec.jpg

On the ring at the front where the sling attaches:
slingattach.jpg

On the disc in the but of the rifle:
but.jpg


I searched all over and there was no other markings that I could find. There were some spots where I could see there was something removed (esp. around the trigger) although these spots aren't noticable unless you REALLY look.

The no drill tap mount sounds like a good interim solution for me, where might I find one of those mounts? Eventually though I really want something that looks authentic and I agree with Sigismund that when I do it it should be as near perfect as possible, I don't want to mess this up and in the end I want something that is a solid tribute to the WW2 sniper.

Here's a shot of my scope & mount:
scope.jpg


It's a side mount and I was led to believe that it was an accurate looking mount for what I want to do but I'm starting to wonder (I can post more pics of it if someone here is an expert). I've done some researching but I can't seem to find much on WW2 sniper k98's. Can anyone point me in the right direction so that I can research what would be authentic? Did they use side mounts at all?

Thanks again guys!
~Mike :50cal:
 
From your initial description, the DOT sounded like an East German refurb to me but after looking at the reciever pics, it doesn't look like it. Are there any markings on the stock? On the sides of the buttstock or on the bottom of the pistolgrip?

The mount/scope you have is a repro of a legitimate German WW2 mounting system. Your variation is a Long Side Rail, there was also a Short Side Rail. I have never tried a repro LSR so I am not sure on their effectiveness/durability. How many mounting screws does it have? 3 or 6? Did it come with a mounting plate? Here is a pic of an LSR mount:

http://www.thuringenmilitaria.com/pictures/sniperifledkl2.jpg
 
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Okay, stock markings.

Originally I didn't notice any but I'm in new light now and there seems to be a capital "H" on the left of the buttstock where the sling goes. On the bottom of the grip there is stamped a 1 and a little further back there is an 8. Other than that there are no marks that look like they ever were anything other than a small bump. The wood around the 1 and the 8 is as smooth as a baby's bum so they weren't part of a larger number. Don't know if it matters but the stock is the laminated version.

I do now notice as well that the rear sight when I lift it up has the serial #7727 plus the little WA mark so it doesn't match the rest of the rifle. Perhaps an indication that the rest may not be?

As for my scope I'm glad that it's an authentic mounting system (whether it's right for either of my rifle codes has yet to be determined...) It came with a mounting plate, 3 big screws, 3 little screws, and two little metal rods (stubs). It seems to be quite well built but then again I'm here 'cause I'm no expert.

~Mike :50cal:
 
Mauser Sniper

Did the Mauser sniper rifles have a winter trigger guard like the one on this dot 43?
I read in my Collector Grade book on K98's that the dot 43's were manufactured with milled or stamped guards.
So to make it correct you will have to change it.
Also in any of the pictured of German sniper rifles in the Mauser book 4th adition by Ball. All the sniper rifles shown have milled guards, it would probably strengthen the structue of the stock for accurate shooting.

Just my observation. Now I will be looking for the book on German sniper rifles.
 
Which one shoots the best? That's the one I would use.

If they have both been refurbed and scrubbed, it's not like you got a lot to lose by mounting the scope. But with electropencil and pinged markings, it's at the bottom of the scale for value now. Get a RC stock and cut it rather than a nice stock if that's what you have now.
 
How much that scope setup cost ya? If you don't mind me asking.
Click to expand...

Got it on ebay for just over $300. Apparently there's a good amount of these repros coming out of the Czech Republic.

Did the Mauser sniper rifles have a winter trigger guard like the one on this dot 43?
Click to expand...

The picture of the trigger guard isn't my rifle, that one is Sigismund's project.

Could be a Yugo refurb.....they scrubbed most of the chickens off the rifles......
Click to expand...

Possibly. I'm honestly not expecting much 'cause of what I payed for it. Did the Yugo's add any markings or do anything specific I could look for?

Which one shoots the best? That's the one I would use.
Click to expand...

They're both good shooters but I'd definitely give the edge to the dot 43

Though mis-matched, you still have the waffenampts and inspector eagles intact on the dot. This makes it worth a bit more, also the marking on the stock make it worth more (even if to sell separate). A dot 43 would possible have stamped barrel bands and t guard/floorplate. You could restore it to be fairly original condition. I would still go with the RC as a candidate to drill. What markings are on the t guard and floorplate - are they milled?
Click to expand...

If it's markings despite mismatch we're going for then I would say the RC 27 1939 would be the one to keep. It's loaded with them (I count at least 10 eagles at a glance)! It's serial is 1960e. Any idea what the "e" is for?

This is what I think I'm going to do... Please warn me if I'm going "Bubba" with this or if there are moral lines I'm crossing:

It seems that the peened dot 43 is the better shooter and the more historically accurate gun to turn into a WW2 sniper. However the stock is very nice and doesn't have the Russian stampings making it more valuable in a historical regard. The RC 27 1939 is full of crisp, clear, original markings making it the better example of non-destroyed hardware, while the poor stock has already been defaced (as well as the bolt and the butplate have been ep'd). I'm going to take the dot apart tonight and see if there are any more markings or numbers I can find to confirm that the dot is indeed a refurb in that it's parts are all mismatched. If it is then I have two put together rifles in which I personally don't see a moral problem of switching the stocks. By switching the stocks I can drill & tap the dot 43 and cut into the RC stock making the gun more accurate and not harming the more valuable stock. During this process I would remove the shelak from the RC (as per another thread here, I've even seen articles on trying to soak out the Russian stampings).

Thoughts? Am I insane?

~Mike :50cal:
 
Took the dot 43 apart, gave it a little clean and looked for markings.

Drumroll please...

On the inside of the stock where the barrel sits it's stamped with a "P" "K" and what looks to be the roman numeral 6 or 7 (VI or VII). It is also stamped with the serial number 8748 meaning that the stock is not original to the other bits. There were no markings that I could find on the trigger guard setup but it did look like some were removed (I can vaguely see a "00" on the inside of the the guard where the forward screw goes in but the rest was removed). The barrel is stamped clearly with a 2 and then there are a few marks that aren't clear at all but I'm sure are just remnants standard markings:

barrelmarkings.jpg


Obviously these are only partial markings but at the top left is what seems to be a "(27" And then the marking that is at the bottom right.

~Mike :50cal:
 
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