Norwegian K98 Re-issues

K98ACTION

K98ACTION

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I have a question regarding the Norwegian Re-issued K98's. After the war Norway aquired the surrendered k98's from the German occupation force. They used them as a stop gap measure until they could get their own newer weapons.

Now I see JP has some listed for $600 (a bit expensive!) and says they were re-barreled to 30.06 cal

Now my mauser military rifles of the world book says the Norwegians re-barrelled them to fit 7.62mm NATO. That would be .308 yes?

So my question is, are Norwegian K98's flavered in two different calibers.. 30.06 & .308?

I saw one today that had 7.62mm stamped on the barrel:confused:
 
The majority were converted to 30-06, but some were converted to 308. But since the Norwegians melted down their K-98 for ashtrays recently, we will never see them on the market anymore.
 
Norwegian Mausers?????????????

Yes; I've looked at these as well, and there's two things that hold me back. One the price and Two the caliber. If they were in an original military caliber that would be great, however most guys have an 06 somewhere in their collection, a second one, well that becomes be an iffy thought.
 
Norway was getting a lot of US Military assistance after the war, and that included .30 M2 ball ammo.

As well as re barrelling the K98's, they shaved the front of the receiver, in front of the chamber, to ostensibly accomodate the longer 30/06 shell.

As for the 7.62 stamp, don't forget, there was no such thing as 7.62 NATO immediately after WW2.

I've got a 1938 Sauer and Sohn K98 Norwegian re-work. they're fine rifles. Although they were a lot cheaper back in the day.
 
"...most guys have an 06...a second one, well that becomes be an iffy thought..." It isn't the cartridge that matters for a collection. It's the rifle. Not buying a rifle just because you have another in the same chambering would be like saying you wouldn't buy a 1903A3 or 'A4 just because you have an M-1.
There's a Norwegian guy on another forum who says, the rifles were rebarreled to .30-06 in 1954. Their Navy left them in 7.92, but put on new serial numbers. They're stamped according to which service used them. "Army "HÆR" the Coastal artillery "K. A.R.T" and the air force " FLY". They were used by the Home Guard until around 1978 and sold off to Norwegian citizens in 1996(Apparently the Norwegian Government didn't know that selling rifles to their voters would turn them into blood crazed killers.). He says he got his for $140 still packed in cosmoline.
No mention of any Norwegian Mausers being converted to 7.62 NATO. There doesn't seem to be anything about it on any reliable on-line source either. Mind you, that doesn't mean it didn't happen.
 
Back in the early 70s, the 30-06 Norwegian 98 conversions coud be picke up for $35US. At the time, the Can dollar was valued higher than the US dollar. Ed Karrers Gunatorium offerd a couple of hundred of them in pristine condition at $35US each, complete with cleaning kit, sling and bayonet. Ammo was .02 cents per round for fmj. Damn those were good days.
We bought several of them to bring back and convert to sporters. We did a few, but most of them were sold as is. For some reason even at inflated prices, they were appealing to people because of the 30-06 chambering, even though they could get brand new in the wrap 8x57s for $20 Can.
The one thing we noticed, was that almost any 8mmx57 was more accurate with milsurp ammo than the Norwegian refurbs.
I recently traded off my last one, in VG- Exc condition and don't miss it at all, it would never shoot into anything better than 5inches at 100yds no matter what I tried with it. The 7.62 Nato Norwegian that I picked up more recently, is a whole different ballgame. It will shoot just about anything into 2 inches at 100yds as long as the shooter does their part.
I never did see one that wasn't issued though and I had my pick of hundreds at Ed Karrers. bearhunter
 
Thanks fella's. All good answers. The best one I like was from the Doctor. Your right, I did not even think about that, No 7.62 NATO until the late fifties something like that.

Got it. So the one I saw with 7.62mm stamped on the barrel, is 30.06. I also read somewhere that Norway ended up adopting the American M1 Garand late forties, so it made sense to re-barrel those k98's to odd six.

cheers
 
"...ended up adopting the American M1 Garand late forties..." Given to them by our Southern cousins. Their Royal Guard still uses them for parade use. Mind you, a lot of European countries ended up with M-1's.
 
The "7.62" stamping fools a lot of people. It is a good example of how ka-booms can happen. I have a 1904 Portugese still stamped 6.5, but it is actually chambered for 8x57. I also have one the Norwegian Mausers. Mine has a laminated stock and a few Nazi Eagles stamped here and there. These rifles are handy to have around if there is a "know-it-all" that needs to be taken down a peg or two. :p :p
 
kjohn said:
The "7.62" stamping fools a lot of people. It is a good example of how ka-booms can happen. I have a 1904 Portugese still stamped 6.5, but it is actually chambered for 8x57. I also have one the Norwegian Mausers. Mine has a laminated stock and a few Nazi Eagles stamped here and there. These rifles are handy to have around if there is a "know-it-all" that needs to be taken down a peg or two. :p :p
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Not a KB, but the spent casing is turnes into a fireformed straight-walled case. (ask me how I know :eek: my excuse is that I was 13 years old :slap: )

One thing that I noticed about the "newer" release of these rifles, They are missing sight hoods and cleaning rods - those available in the early seventies were all "complete".
 
Don't tell me the Norwegians started melting down the extra metal like the Russians did..HAHA..

Anyhow, here is another question, seeing as Norway basically got these k98's from the surrendered German occupation force, Which correct me if I am wrong, basically spent the war hanging around Norway until the war ended, any idea as to how many k98's they might have taken in???

And what happens to an orignal 8mm barrel when it is rebarrelled to a smaller caliber like the 30.06?
 
98k

If I remember exactly, the no. of surrended 98k was around 250.000 to 300.000, but all the 1943/44 and 45 have been used for parts only. So all the norwegians should be pre 1942's.
 
Ok, good info on the numbers etc.

So how do they make an 8mm barrel into a 30.06, did they manufacter new barrels to Mauser specs and put them on the rifles, The one I look at, the barrel on the outside looks just like a regular old stepped down k98 barrel??
 
Yes, they were newly made "stepped" barrels in 30-06. They also milled a half-moon the length of half the receiver ring to help accommodate the longer cartridge of the 30-06

kar98.jpg


K98ACTION said:
Ok, good info on the numbers etc.

So how do they make an 8mm barrel into a 30.06, did they manufacter new barrels to Mauser specs and put them on the rifles, The one I look at, the barrel on the outside looks just like a regular old stepped down k98 barrel??
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