Mauser Mod 98 CE 44 code

tokguy

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Cool your jets, it's a wrecker. Came out of a house fire, sadness.
Do I bother posting pictures of the travesty or not?
It's numbers matching, minus the cupped buttplate and bbl bands.
Does one try to get new lumber on it and hang it on the wall...or just throw it back in the corner?






 
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It looks toast to me, pretty burnt up.
I suppose some pics for educational purposes may be in order.
What are the bets that I get an unsolicited offer for 100 $?










 
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Oh, and the floorplate isn't correct. When I put a Timney in my K98 sporter, the floor out of this rifle got used...seemed to have a touch more room. So it's still around as well as the proper screws too.
Shame, it is pretty much complete. Mauser's aren't my forte though...
 
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It'll take a while to load them up. Purists are gonna swoon at the 'Late war' lack of polish, machining marks abound.

Purists? More likely collectors that appreciate late war stuff. Not exactly sure what a "purist" is.

Post up some pics. I'm curious to see what it looks like.
 
Purists? More likely collectors that appreciate late war stuff. Not exactly sure what a "purist" is.

Post up some pics. I'm curious to see what it looks like.

jb, um...I think it's that guy in your mirror, lol.
You have probably forgot more about Mausers than I will ever learn
 
jb, um...I think it's that guy in your mirror, lol.
You have probably forgot more about Mausers than I will ever learn

lol yeah I was just bugging you.

Shame it got burnt up like that. The bolt isn't matching though, it's out of a byf43. For a short time in 43 MO applied all 5 digits to the bolt, like they did with the Port contracts. Last 2 digits match though.
 
Obviously was used by "Herr Fuhrer' in a last ditch defense effort...1000$ as is...plus shipping naturally.
Right?
Sure as lots of rough tooling marks, eh?
 
Somehow I have the feeling that rifle is OK.

It obviously got hot but from what I can see not nearly hot enough to do any damage to the heat treating of the receiver or bolt which are the only parts you need to worry about. I say this because there is still some stock wood around this areal. If it weren't there, it would mean the metal may have gotten hot enough to lose its outer hardness. the core should be relatively soft as this is where the strength in these actions is derived. Hard outer shell over softer inner core which allows flexibility and eliminates the brittleness.

Wood burns at 450F. Different steels change their homogeneity at different temperatures. Structural steel/Ductile steel will melt around 2600F. Pure Iron will melt about 2100F. Because there are different types of steel designed with different mixtures of compounds and heat treatment there are different temperatures that will effect where the homogeneity will transform. Somewhere around 785C or 1450F is where the steel turns a dark cherry red. Those 98 actions were heated by eye approximately to this temperature and quenched in oil to add carbon to the exterior and make it harder than the core. When I say quenched, I mean dipped quickly into the oil and pulled out quickly. This allows the core to cool more slowly and remain ductile. This is a very brief description of what happens.

I don't believe that rifle came anywhere near 1450F or all of the wood would have burned away. The separating lamination is also an indicator the heat wasn't high enough to cause a problem.

To me, it looks like that stock was cut down and what you see is the result of the fire. I have seen firearms that have been through fires before. I have had them checked by people with experience and the proper Brinnelle hardness testers to back up my own testing to ensure they are still viable and safe. A couple were unsafe and soft. In both cases, from trailer fires, the wood was burned completely away. That takes significant heat for an extended period of time. Trailer fires can be extremely hot.

The metal on the OP's rifle has lost its finish. Again, I have seen that on several firearms from house fires. That particular patina is caused by the FOAM fire retardant used by the firefighters when they lay a coat of it over what may or may not be salvageable material or so that they aren't blowing material around with their hoses. Yes I know, they can adjust their nozzles for just about any situation but the foam only has to go on once.

If that were my rifle, I would get it tested for hardness and if acceptable it would become a winter project. I have one such project rifle barreled in 243Win. It has several thousand rounds down the tube. Original bolt and all. Not even a hint of it letting go or any set back.

Your call, your rifle.
 
Erma made receiver too. Cool

So between your comment and JB's; I'm to understand that is worth a gentle work over and new lumber? Not pumping you two for a value; as that is pretty much madness, despite the fact that I've fielded several inquiries already.
Generations of boys have marched around with it already; visiting with my son about it, it was "From the bunkhouse that burned down at Uncle Charlies". Funny that my father never told me it's provenance, lol.
My great uncle's is the legend...better keep it around for another generation or two IMO.
And I really have no idea how one starts such a project...an oil bath I suppose. Nothing abrasive would be another guess.
There will likely be another stock arriving on Monday / Tuesday; ordered it for my K98, serendipity is the correct term no doubt. Still got to find that cupped Buttplate...and a magazine spring and follower to re-install the K98 floorplate onto the K98.
Busy, busy, lol
 
Somehow I have the feeling that rifle is OK.

It obviously got hot but from what I can see not nearly hot enough to do any damage to the heat treating of the receiver or bolt which are the only parts you need to worry about. I say this because there is still some stock wood around this areal. If it weren't there, it would mean the metal may have gotten hot enough to lose its outer hardness. the core should be relatively soft as this is where the strength in these actions is derived. Hard outer shell over softer inner core which allows flexibility and eliminates the brittleness.

Wood burns at 450F. Different steels change their homogeneity at different temperatures. Structural steel/Ductile steel will melt around 2600F. Pure Iron will melt about 2100F. Because there are different types of steel designed with different mixtures of compounds and heat treatment there are different temperatures that will effect where the homogeneity will transform. Somewhere around 785C or 1450F is where the steel turns a dark cherry red. Those 98 actions were heated by eye approximately to this temperature and quenched in oil to add carbon to the exterior and make it harder than the core. When I say quenched, I mean dipped quickly into the oil and pulled out quickly. This allows the core to cool more slowly and remain ductile. This is a very brief description of what happens.

I don't believe that rifle came anywhere near 1450F or all of the wood would have burned away. The separating lamination is also an indicator the heat wasn't high enough to cause a problem.

To me, it looks like that stock was cut down and what you see is the result of the fire. I have seen firearms that have been through fires before. I have had them checked by people with experience and the proper Brinnelle hardness testers to back up my own testing to ensure they are still viable and safe. A couple were unsafe and soft. In both cases, from trailer fires, the wood was burned completely away. That takes significant heat for an extended period of time. Trailer fires can be extremely hot.

The metal on the OP's rifle has lost its finish. Again, I have seen that on several firearms from house fires. That particular patina is caused by the FOAM fire retardant used by the firefighters when they lay a coat of it over what may or may not be salvageable material or so that they aren't blowing material around with their hoses. Yes I know, they can adjust their nozzles for just about any situation but the foam only has to go on once.

If that were my rifle, I would get it tested for hardness and if acceptable it would become a winter project. I have one such project rifle barreled in 243Win. It has several thousand rounds down the tube. Original bolt and all. Not even a hint of it letting go or any set back.

Your call, your rifle.

Not sure I would agree with all that. I will be the first to admit that my knowledge of heat treating/tempering is very limited, very little from actual practice, mostly from reading "how too" manuals. From what I can gather the "temper" can be drawn down and changed very easily at wood fire temps (400-700 deg F.) and then a very slow cool down as would be the case in a house fire. Of course the hotter it gets (closer to the 1400-1600 deg f. you speak of) and the slower the cool down will be very much more detrimental to the heat treating than the lower temp but they are all relevant I think.

All the above being said, I would probably use the gun in the OP as a bolt action "BP only" 45-70 that a lot of shooter have a desire for.
 
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