Thanks to JP at P&S for this little gem. It's a Kar98 (referred to post-WW1 as the Kar98a to differentiate it form the Kar98b) made at Danzig in 1918 and marked for Weimar Republic service under the arms limitations of the Versailles treaty with the 1920 stamp.
The rifle is all matching except the bolt, which matches itself and is a proper Kar98a bolt of the appropriate vintage. The buttplate tang is also marked to the Weimar-era Schutzpolitzei from 2 Kommando in the Prussian District of Arnsberg.
Interestingly, the stock and all the parts except the barrelled receiver are serial number 2472 and the barrelled receiver were re-serialized to that number. This, coupled with the follower, bayonet lug and buttplate being in the white and weimar police markings means it is likely a 1920's era German rebuild where it was easier to re-number a good barrelled receiver from an otherwise unserviceable carbine to match a rifle with a worn-out barrelled receiver, then to scrub and renumber all the small parts. This is not unheard of during the Weimar era. Additionally the first two digits of the serial number were added to bot hands which is a Weimar era rebuild trait. The follower and floor plate are also scrubbed and re-numbered matching in the proper font to match the re-serialized receiver.
I personally believe this carbine to be a vet bring back form WW2. In 1944, the Whermacht took in all available Police-issue Mauser rifles to make up shortages from battlefield losses and many Kar98a rifles were issued to troops, particularly fortress garrisons, artillerymen, etc. The rifle has no signs of service outside of Germany and like many vet bring backs dating to the 1945 surrender, the bolts are mis-matched because GI's grabbed a rifle from one pile and a random bolt from another.
All in all, this is a beautiful little carbine with a nice late-war walnut stock (not beech), a nice un-damaged handguard, and a great bore. I'm very happy to have found it as most I see are rather beat.
The rifle is all matching except the bolt, which matches itself and is a proper Kar98a bolt of the appropriate vintage. The buttplate tang is also marked to the Weimar-era Schutzpolitzei from 2 Kommando in the Prussian District of Arnsberg.
Interestingly, the stock and all the parts except the barrelled receiver are serial number 2472 and the barrelled receiver were re-serialized to that number. This, coupled with the follower, bayonet lug and buttplate being in the white and weimar police markings means it is likely a 1920's era German rebuild where it was easier to re-number a good barrelled receiver from an otherwise unserviceable carbine to match a rifle with a worn-out barrelled receiver, then to scrub and renumber all the small parts. This is not unheard of during the Weimar era. Additionally the first two digits of the serial number were added to bot hands which is a Weimar era rebuild trait. The follower and floor plate are also scrubbed and re-numbered matching in the proper font to match the re-serialized receiver.
I personally believe this carbine to be a vet bring back form WW2. In 1944, the Whermacht took in all available Police-issue Mauser rifles to make up shortages from battlefield losses and many Kar98a rifles were issued to troops, particularly fortress garrisons, artillerymen, etc. The rifle has no signs of service outside of Germany and like many vet bring backs dating to the 1945 surrender, the bolts are mis-matched because GI's grabbed a rifle from one pile and a random bolt from another.
All in all, this is a beautiful little carbine with a nice late-war walnut stock (not beech), a nice un-damaged handguard, and a great bore. I'm very happy to have found it as most I see are rather beat.
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