How much does a matching Karabiner 98K go for on the market these days?
- Thread starter Taki
- Start date
- Location
- Leduc County, Alberta
I can help ArtyMan a bit with the history of his particular rifle, as he purchased it from me.
I purchased it from a friend who found it in a small town backwoods gun shop in rural Alberta. It was a farmers deer rifles for many decades, and the history of whether it was a bring back or an early import is lost to time.
Sadly the steel was already in the shape it is currently in when I bought it. Most likely the old timer hit the exposed metal with steel wool or something before he sold it to “pretty” it up? Again, only an educated guess.
The rifle, before having the wood cut back and front hands, bayo lug etc thrown away, was all matching as can be seen by the matching serial numbers on the remaining steel and stock.
I searched high and low with the usual suspects in Holland and the USA for a correct (Norwegian capture) WaA623 Flat buttplate laminate stock set to bring her back to somewhat of its former glory.
Sadly after months of searching, I couldn’t find one and settled on the stock it currently sits in. While sharing the correct WaA for the Radom factory under German supervision (WaA77), the stock it sits in is a WaA77 marked stock, but which I believe is for the earlier ERMA factory code? I didn’t realize this at the time I purchased the stock set, and sold the rifle. As it should have a stock like the sporter one it came with.
The original stock is marked with a stylized “N” on the stock takedown disc, which I believe to be for the Nord See fleet?
But anyway, I sold it to ArtyMan when I was in need of cash for another project, and it’s one of those rifles I wished I had kept... The stock set alone cost me over $500 once it landed here in Canada. Best thing to do would be to source the correct flat buttplate laminate WaA623 stock for it and trade or sell the gorgeous hardwood WaA77 stock that is on it now.
I still have all the pictures from when it was in my possession, but I bet ArtyMan could get some better photos than I have.
Also, if you ever want to sell it.... just let me know.
I purchased it from a friend who found it in a small town backwoods gun shop in rural Alberta. It was a farmers deer rifles for many decades, and the history of whether it was a bring back or an early import is lost to time.
Sadly the steel was already in the shape it is currently in when I bought it. Most likely the old timer hit the exposed metal with steel wool or something before he sold it to “pretty” it up? Again, only an educated guess.
The rifle, before having the wood cut back and front hands, bayo lug etc thrown away, was all matching as can be seen by the matching serial numbers on the remaining steel and stock.
I searched high and low with the usual suspects in Holland and the USA for a correct (Norwegian capture) WaA623 Flat buttplate laminate stock set to bring her back to somewhat of its former glory.
Sadly after months of searching, I couldn’t find one and settled on the stock it currently sits in. While sharing the correct WaA for the Radom factory under German supervision (WaA77), the stock it sits in is a WaA77 marked stock, but which I believe is for the earlier ERMA factory code? I didn’t realize this at the time I purchased the stock set, and sold the rifle. As it should have a stock like the sporter one it came with.
The original stock is marked with a stylized “N” on the stock takedown disc, which I believe to be for the Nord See fleet?
But anyway, I sold it to ArtyMan when I was in need of cash for another project, and it’s one of those rifles I wished I had kept... The stock set alone cost me over $500 once it landed here in Canada. Best thing to do would be to source the correct flat buttplate laminate WaA623 stock for it and trade or sell the gorgeous hardwood WaA77 stock that is on it now.
I still have all the pictures from when it was in my possession, but I bet ArtyMan could get some better photos than I have.
Also, if you ever want to sell it.... just let me know.
Hello,
Sorry for the late reply - life keeps getting in the way. Below are some pictures of the original, sadly sporterized stock.
Army acceptance stamp.
“N” on the stock disc.
Matching serial number.
Correct me if I am wrong, but is it likely that this rifle saw both Army and Navy service given the H and N stamps? I love the rifle but it doesn’t quite fill the K98 gap in my collection. Sort of does sort of doesn’t. I’d love to find an early or pre-war K98 in non-RC trim but it doesn’t seem likely these days.
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