Matching bnz45 kreigsmodell K98k

CanadianAR

CanadianAR

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Received this in the mail today. Prophet River broke speed records this time. Arrived at their FFL in the US Dec 10, I’m holding it today. The stars must have aligned for once. Lol

Bnz45 Kreigsmodell K98k

End of the end.

Steyr was the last operating k98k factory in the third reich. T block is the final block, only reaching 6500, and this one is 3296. So April 1945 likely.
Very crude. Pics do not tell the story. It is easily 3 times harder to #### then a regular wartime k98k, its unreal.
Crude parts with poor or no cosmetic machining.
White glue stock is very uncommon, as well as the odd size laminate handguard.
Gas shield is also not common.
A double struck eagle H, and rounded steyr hood.
Lots of solder splash.

Definitely fits the bill for my late war K98k.

Lots more high def pics here
http://s102.photobucket.com/user/CanadianZZZ/library/bnz45?sort=3&page=1





















 
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Wow, I just compared her to my 1936 and what a difference in exterior finish. You can really see the stress that was on the workers that built that rifle.
 
I just noticed the crack behind the tang, is it a surface crack only ?

The real question is, will you take her to the range soon ? :)
 
LOVE the bolt shroud - it's surprising they bothered to serialize it! The front sight hood looks like a Steyr to me - great feature. Also, the stock looks like it was sanded or reduced in height behind the tang - was it repaired?

Great find.
 
I noticed the tang sitting proud as well. Considering the possible lack of finish on the wood, could it simply be wood shrinkage from time ?
 
It isn't sanded postwar. The factory sanding job is pretty poor though.
The crack is just a small bit of delamination. White glue is know for that type of fault.

I'm not a steyr guy per se, lol just wanted a late rifle. The shroud is something else eh?

The whole gun just feels poorly assembled, it's hard to put it into words or pics, it's just not solid like a earlier rifle.
 
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A bnz45 is a hard to find rifle in matching untouched condition but combine that with the features and oddities of this one and you have a one of a kind piece.

There are just so many cool and interesting features not typically seen. The extra crude bolt shroud is hard to find, the double struck e/H on the stock, pinstripe handguard, white glue stock (very uncommon on a bnz45), lxr follower, etc,.

Just a great K98k overall. One of the best bnz45's I've ever seen.

As to the stock, Steyr was known for poorly sanding the stocks from the factory. You often see metal proud of the wood especially on the buttplates. It is interesting that they continued to sand stocks so heavily when most other makers were not sanding at all or doing very little of it. You don't see chatter or much of it too often on late Steyr stocks. It seems especially weird that they did all the sanding but cut corners badly in other areas like the machining of the bolt shrouds. Save time in one area, waste time in another.

Oh, and the solder splash is just great!

Congrats on a fantastic find Andrew!
 
Just looked through your linked album pics and remembered the solder droplets on the barrel between the rear sight and receiver. It was hard to tell what they were for sure in the seller's pics but now that you know exactly what they are, its a nice little bonus.
 
Rifle came with a really early sling not often encountered.
knurled or serrated buckle bar slings were in use from 34-38, after which time they were made smooth so they didn't mar the wood.
All existing krurled slings were to be reworked to smooth. As a result you don't often encounter one of this type. It's the first I've seen in person.
It was on the gun incorrectly when I got it, I suspect it was vet attached but who knows.

 
Well researched and carefully selected, congrats on bringing another seriously collectible rifle to Canada.

Effort pays off. Miles above the K98k's being offered on the EE in the last couple years, it looks like the U.S. really is the market for K98's.

-Steve
 
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CanadianAR,

Congratulations on finding this very nice late war Steyr K98k.

Late war Steyr code ‘swj’ WaA623 on this MP44.

Shown below is a Steyr manufactured MP44---with a few scars.
Serial number 1537F/44.

(This MP44 is a deactivated gun with a moving action.)



Underside of receiver- E/WaA623 (the Waffen-Amt inspector’s stamp at Steyr at that time) ‘swj' Steyr’s late war manufacturer’s code.
This gun is also fitted with the late war stock.





From Hans-Deiter Handrich's book Sturmgewehr.




Serial number 1537F/44 with Steyr's 'swj' late war code.






David
 
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Nice to see there is an swj coded rifle in Canada. K98k rifles started using the swj code in the T block, earliest known is about 5500 I believe. Is love to snag the swjXE k98 someday.
 
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