My newest addition to the MO K98k collection, a byf 45 "a" block in walnut. All matching and correct with a fantastic walnut stock featuring lots of chatter and crisp WaA135's. It's a good mix of blued and phosphate parts to really make up a good dual tone unit.
Probably the highlight of the rifle though is the bolt. The bolt is an early Sauer made armorers spare. Collectors have long been aware of the use of armorers spare bolts in late MO production but as to why or where they came from, it was anyone's guess. One theory was that they came from the Posen depot as it had been evacuated around the time these bolts start showing up at MO. Only a couple months ago a document surfaced confirming the theory. In it, it states that 10,000 armorers bolts were to be transferred to MO. A variety of different makers bolts have shown up starting in the L block of byf 44 production, with everything from Astrawerke bolts to a Kar98b bolt even. There are two other known examples with this exact same Sauer bolt in them. It's very interesting to see the combination of late war crudeness, bluing, and phosphate with the commercial quality fit and finish of the early bolt all in the same rifle.
The rest of the rifle is all MO except the safety, which is a late e/37 marked part, the trigger which is an e/18 unit, FN cocking piece, and the gqm 44 buttplate.
It also has a very nice clg 44 marked sling on it with a ja marked keeper. Definitely my nicest sling.
Couple of pics of the JPS armorers spare bolt markings:
clg44 sling and ja keeper:
Probably the highlight of the rifle though is the bolt. The bolt is an early Sauer made armorers spare. Collectors have long been aware of the use of armorers spare bolts in late MO production but as to why or where they came from, it was anyone's guess. One theory was that they came from the Posen depot as it had been evacuated around the time these bolts start showing up at MO. Only a couple months ago a document surfaced confirming the theory. In it, it states that 10,000 armorers bolts were to be transferred to MO. A variety of different makers bolts have shown up starting in the L block of byf 44 production, with everything from Astrawerke bolts to a Kar98b bolt even. There are two other known examples with this exact same Sauer bolt in them. It's very interesting to see the combination of late war crudeness, bluing, and phosphate with the commercial quality fit and finish of the early bolt all in the same rifle.
The rest of the rifle is all MO except the safety, which is a late e/37 marked part, the trigger which is an e/18 unit, FN cocking piece, and the gqm 44 buttplate.
It also has a very nice clg 44 marked sling on it with a ja marked keeper. Definitely my nicest sling.
Couple of pics of the JPS armorers spare bolt markings:
clg44 sling and ja keeper:
