Hello guys. Here’s the story of the Norwegian 30-06 cal. K98K conversions. When WW2 ended, the germans surrendered large piles of arms. There were almost 400 000 germans in Norway at the time. Immediately post war, the regular army in Norway mostly used british arms, while the Homeguard received the “scraps” wich was a mix of prewar Norwegian guns and about anything shootable from all over Europe, brought here by the occupying germans. Same thing with uniforms and other gear. Around 1950 arms started to arrive from the USA. By 1952 there were no more arms in .303 british left in the armed forces. 30-06 became the standard caliber for the army, and 7,92x57IS for the Homeguard. It was soon decided that also the Homeguard should use 30-06, for logistical reasons. From 1955 – ’58 a large number of K98K rifles were rebarrelled at the Kongsberg arms factory. This version of the rifle was named M98k-f1 (forandring #1 = change #1). (At the same time a few thousand MG34’s were reworked to 30-06 and became the Homeguards standard MG until being replaced by the MG3 in 1993. In around 1979, the MG34’s were reworked a second time to 7,62 Nato).
http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1451
There was also a “sniper” model made. M98k-f1s (s= skarpskytter = sharpshooter). These used original german zf41 rifles and scopes. They were reworked in an own serial number range starting with 150000. About 300 – 400 were made. The Mauser rifles got a flat spot milled on the left side of the receiver were the new serialnumber was stamped. The numbers also got a prefix denoting wich branch of the armed forces the rifle belonged to. HÆR (army) for the Homeguard, FLY for the airforce, K.ART. for the coastal artillery and KNM for the navy. There was also some rifles issued to the railroads ( to shoot animals hit by trains), marked NSB. These were mostly oddities like G98/40, greek Mausers etc… The police received the G33/40’s marked POLITI. KNM and POLITI marked rifles were kept in 8mm caliber. In 1967, the army adopted the Heckler & Koch G3, named AG3 in Norway. Plans to convert the rifles to 7,62 Nato were drawn, and a small batch of M98k-f2 were made. Fewer than 100 rifles , maybe as few as 30 were converted. These had the receiver scrubbed, and new Norwegian markings added. These are extremely rare, and I have never seen as much as a picture of one. It was then decided to rearm the Homeguard with AG3’s as well, so no further M98k-f2’s were made. A lot of barrles had been made, and these were later surplussed. In 1969 the first Homeguard units in Finnmark (near the Soviet border) were issued AG3’s. The last Homeguard units traded their Mausers for AG3’s in 1978. The soldiers were allowed to buy their M98k-f1’s for 125 norwegian crowns. Most of the remaining stocks were later surplussed. The Homeguard youth organization still used the old K98K’s until 1995, but then they were retired for good.
I have two of these. A M98k-f1, 42 1940 and a M98k-f1s, DUV41. I also have collected some accessories, Homeguard uniforms and gear of the era.
Here's some pics:
https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/M98k...ABRricuw67dRYX5Wpw3DR1hxxNCMfV2rrIOWOG3A1_kLQ
https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/M98k...AA1ko9KPQvsPpLcCxiRbawmPn22pRSCbf4OTs_6IIPOaQ
https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/M98k...AC5dM1O7MmgLsIrC9Y-hVWTGXCgDWgR4lqVhkEQ8Qpm-g
http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1451
There was also a “sniper” model made. M98k-f1s (s= skarpskytter = sharpshooter). These used original german zf41 rifles and scopes. They were reworked in an own serial number range starting with 150000. About 300 – 400 were made. The Mauser rifles got a flat spot milled on the left side of the receiver were the new serialnumber was stamped. The numbers also got a prefix denoting wich branch of the armed forces the rifle belonged to. HÆR (army) for the Homeguard, FLY for the airforce, K.ART. for the coastal artillery and KNM for the navy. There was also some rifles issued to the railroads ( to shoot animals hit by trains), marked NSB. These were mostly oddities like G98/40, greek Mausers etc… The police received the G33/40’s marked POLITI. KNM and POLITI marked rifles were kept in 8mm caliber. In 1967, the army adopted the Heckler & Koch G3, named AG3 in Norway. Plans to convert the rifles to 7,62 Nato were drawn, and a small batch of M98k-f2 were made. Fewer than 100 rifles , maybe as few as 30 were converted. These had the receiver scrubbed, and new Norwegian markings added. These are extremely rare, and I have never seen as much as a picture of one. It was then decided to rearm the Homeguard with AG3’s as well, so no further M98k-f2’s were made. A lot of barrles had been made, and these were later surplussed. In 1969 the first Homeguard units in Finnmark (near the Soviet border) were issued AG3’s. The last Homeguard units traded their Mausers for AG3’s in 1978. The soldiers were allowed to buy their M98k-f1’s for 125 norwegian crowns. Most of the remaining stocks were later surplussed. The Homeguard youth organization still used the old K98K’s until 1995, but then they were retired for good.
I have two of these. A M98k-f1, 42 1940 and a M98k-f1s, DUV41. I also have collected some accessories, Homeguard uniforms and gear of the era.
Here's some pics:
https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/M98k...ABRricuw67dRYX5Wpw3DR1hxxNCMfV2rrIOWOG3A1_kLQ
https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/M98k...AA1ko9KPQvsPpLcCxiRbawmPn22pRSCbf4OTs_6IIPOaQ
https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/M98k...AC5dM1O7MmgLsIrC9Y-hVWTGXCgDWgR4lqVhkEQ8Qpm-g
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