You maybe correct. Pretty sure it's been welded as I took a closer pic. You can still see the threads from the inside.
I may just keep as is or get it D&T for claw mount with original or replica mount and 4x optic of the era.
Not sure what the Norwegians used for surplus K98k sniper variants but found a few leads online.
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Just out of curiosity.. Could the welds be drilled out? Thx.
OP, you can see on the pics how small the heated area is and that is the thinnest part of the receiver. Those welds, depending on what hardness of wire or rod was used should be able to be drilled out and re tapped. Make sure you have the proper equipment to do that job and that everything is properly centered.
I would start with a properly ground center drill. A regular drill bit will move off center when pressure is applied. Get a competent gunsmith to drill out and retap those holes. It will be money well spent and IMHO that rifle is worth the effort and cost. A sniper clone, if done properly, can be quite valuable.
Rumor has it that there is only one "German" sniper rifle in the world that has been "VERIFIED" as REAL. Axis snipers were reputed to destroy or dispose of their rifles before being caught with one as it was a sure death sentence. Snipers may be very effective warriors but they are also universally hated by the troops. Feared would be a better term. With good officers using them properly they became valuable force multipliers in the field as well as excellent sources of information from recon.
As far as only ONE genuine K98 sniper rifle existing, I sincerely doubt that. But that is the rumor. I have seen a couple in the US in private hands as well as in a regimental museum that definitely look real but there is no provenance for proof.
I also have a couple of clones of my own. The thing is, I know they're clones.
You may want to look into Norwegian K98 sniper clones. If there was anywhere in the war that such rifles would be captured intact, IMHO Norway would be the place. I have heard and read stories about what was left behind when the Nazis were displaced. Warehouses and Armories full of everything an army would use and need.
You need to do a lot of research. Look up a CGNer that goes by the handle HORILKA. He knows his stuff and has seen a lot of it first hand. Well respected for his knowledge here and on other sites on both sides of the border.