Help with researching K98 snipers
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A true sniper is exceptionally hard to verify. 1000:1 odds that they are post war rebuilds.
If they are legit, Id say a price starting at $3000 would be a bargin. But really hard to verify so usually a gamble.
Check Gunboards, K98K, etc.
And lets face facts, most people dont know what they have, they are probably put together post war.
If they are legit, Id say a price starting at $3000 would be a bargin. But really hard to verify so usually a gamble.
Check Gunboards, K98K, etc.
And lets face facts, most people dont know what they have, they are probably put together post war.
Yup, CU is correct as usual.
I just purchased some K98 VOPO clones form a fellow close to you.
The good thing about these rifles, is that all of the parts are the real thing, including the rifles.
The bad thing is they were all made up on period rifles that had been D&Ted for the short rail bases and brackets, but all of them were put together after WWII. The scopes/bases/brackets and safeties were liberated form an East German depot in 1954 and were brought into Canada a bit later. The fellow that brought them had been a member of a field police unit on the Russian front in 1944 and after being captured, spent 8 years in a Gulag repairing captured rifles. He was sent back to East Berlin, where he was assigned to a VOPO unit as a weapons tech. Because of his job, he had access to the parts.
When he got to Canada, he worked part time for International Firearms in the early sixties and came across the original sniper rifles he mounted the bases/brackets/scopes on.
They look good, but alas nothing is stamped to match the components to the rifles. This was usually done by the military and the VOPO, after the rifles were assembled and the components mated to them.
Nice rifles though. The two I've shot are quite accurate. All have 90%+ bores.
All scopes are made by different manufacturers, which was normal for German sniper rifles in the early fourties with short rail side mounts.
Trying to nail down any German sniper rifle as authentic is extremely difficult. Stripped rifles and all of the components were available in North America in quantity for several years after the war in the surplus houses.
Even if the parts are genuine and many are, it doesn't mean they were originally fitted to the rifle they are found on. Very difficult task indeed.
While researching these rifles, I went to an Australian web site where there was a complet Long Side Rail base/bracket/scope/pins and screws/leather case, advertised for AUS$600.
That is a very good price for the stuff which was in close to excellent condition.
I saw a Wetzlar 4X scope go for $900Can at the Chilliwack show last month. It was worn and looked like it had been there, done that. It lasted about an hour after the show opened.
I just purchased some K98 VOPO clones form a fellow close to you.
The good thing about these rifles, is that all of the parts are the real thing, including the rifles.
The bad thing is they were all made up on period rifles that had been D&Ted for the short rail bases and brackets, but all of them were put together after WWII. The scopes/bases/brackets and safeties were liberated form an East German depot in 1954 and were brought into Canada a bit later. The fellow that brought them had been a member of a field police unit on the Russian front in 1944 and after being captured, spent 8 years in a Gulag repairing captured rifles. He was sent back to East Berlin, where he was assigned to a VOPO unit as a weapons tech. Because of his job, he had access to the parts.
When he got to Canada, he worked part time for International Firearms in the early sixties and came across the original sniper rifles he mounted the bases/brackets/scopes on.
They look good, but alas nothing is stamped to match the components to the rifles. This was usually done by the military and the VOPO, after the rifles were assembled and the components mated to them.
Nice rifles though. The two I've shot are quite accurate. All have 90%+ bores.
All scopes are made by different manufacturers, which was normal for German sniper rifles in the early fourties with short rail side mounts.
Trying to nail down any German sniper rifle as authentic is extremely difficult. Stripped rifles and all of the components were available in North America in quantity for several years after the war in the surplus houses.
Even if the parts are genuine and many are, it doesn't mean they were originally fitted to the rifle they are found on. Very difficult task indeed.
While researching these rifles, I went to an Australian web site where there was a complet Long Side Rail base/bracket/scope/pins and screws/leather case, advertised for AUS$600.
That is a very good price for the stuff which was in close to excellent condition.
I saw a Wetzlar 4X scope go for $900Can at the Chilliwack show last month. It was worn and looked like it had been there, done that. It lasted about an hour after the show opened.
try and get photos, close ups of the scopes and actions , and post them on here . the guys will tell you if there real or made up. do the scopes have focus rings ? is the bluing new looking? are the optics coated? or clear? are there any markings on the scopes?
I would say that this is much less than true value for anything but a zf41.
There was one guy claiming to have an authentic sniper at the Easter show for about 3K. It sure didn't look authentic to me though. It has been at the show for a couple of years.
That is why I said bargain. lol. My point is that, thats the lowest starting point. I expect 5-10k for a real deal HT, LT, LSR or SSR.
Some of the scopes have a focus ring on the tube and some don't. All are well used but clear.
I've spent a lot of hours on the internet verifying the scopes and the period of their construction as well as manufacturers.
I would be happy to send the pics to someone to post for me. I am computer challenged, when it comes to posting pics. There's a mental block in my way I guess.
If its Richard Laws book on sniper varitions, then I would never rely on it to make a purchase. So much new info has been found out, and lots of the rifles in it have been found to be faked. His data is just outdated unfortunately.
The real K98k snipers are virtually unobtainable. Most if not all German Snipers would destroy or hide their rifles prior to capture. Face it the Allies would shoot most any sniper found with a rifle and the Germans would do the same.
The pricing for a real German K98k Sniper depending on type, scope set up and condition would be in the $10K range if you were lucky to ever find one.
Most if not all that you will ever run across are post war VOPO rebuilds or units that have been modified in North America. Note there is usually nothing wrong with these units as long as the seller fully discloses this fact and that they have been properly set up and checked by a competent gunsmith.
Just my 2 cents worth
The pricing for a real German K98k Sniper depending on type, scope set up and condition would be in the $10K range if you were lucky to ever find one.
Most if not all that you will ever run across are post war VOPO rebuilds or units that have been modified in North America. Note there is usually nothing wrong with these units as long as the seller fully discloses this fact and that they have been properly set up and checked by a competent gunsmith.
Just my 2 cents worth
I have these. They are a fun read, but the qualities of fakes have really gone past the books IMO.
Okay I take it they probably are fakes then seeing as their is 3 of them but what would they be worth even if all parts are original? I'm going to email the fellow tomorrow and ask for pics of the markings on the scope and action. Anything else?
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
Well gaff, I want to thank you for pointing out to me the irregularities with the mounts.
They are indeed fakes but even though they are castings, they do look good.
At least the scopes and rifles are representatives of their era and not fakes.
The old boy gave me an interesting story, interlaced with truth and BS and I loved it, so I believed it.
Remember the old by that stacked throaty singer with a sore throat that sang "It's a Heartache" I think her name was Bonnie Tyler. She sang another song with some words that went "Lie to me. I'll believe. I promice."
I was a sucker for the singer and a sucker for the sniper clones. Oh well, I knew they were put togethers but I thought all of the parts were the real deal as well. Live and learn. No fool like an old fool.
They are indeed fakes but even though they are castings, they do look good.
At least the scopes and rifles are representatives of their era and not fakes.
The old boy gave me an interesting story, interlaced with truth and BS and I loved it, so I believed it.
Remember the old by that stacked throaty singer with a sore throat that sang "It's a Heartache" I think her name was Bonnie Tyler. She sang another song with some words that went "Lie to me. I'll believe. I promice."
I was a sucker for the singer and a sucker for the sniper clones. Oh well, I knew they were put togethers but I thought all of the parts were the real deal as well. Live and learn. No fool like an old fool.
