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Vintage K98 Stock

otter6412
I see different tones of wood on vintage K98 Mauser stocks. Some are dark while others are considerbly lighter. An examble of a lighter stock would be one similiar to what Mitchell's Mausers sells. Does the lighter color mean that it has been sanded? The top photo is a dark example and the bottom is a light example.
Thanks
[img][/img]K98.jpg
[img][/img]K98_stock.jpg
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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • rufe-snow
    More than likely different types of wood. Darker might be Walnut, lighter Birch?
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  • lendie
    Dark= Walnut Light in this case= laminate red resin.Dieter
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  • otter6412
    I don't understand your answer of laminate red resin on the lighter stock. The stock does not appear laminated in any way. Its solid wood.
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  • rufe-snow
    It's also possible that the stock(s) are made of Birch that has been stained dark. Unstained Birch is very light in color. A military rifle has to have a dark colored stock to be less conspicuous.
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  • lendie
    The red =V= above the eagle and the red lines below are resin .The stock is made out off "plywood".Dieter
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  • gary wray
    otter6412...the top photo looks like a K98 traditional walnut stock, but the second photo is most probably a 98k laminate stock. Most WWII German 98k's had a beechwood laminated stock with a layered (about 1.5mm thick) handguard, put together with phenolic resin (mostly red) under pressure. The Germans were very good at this construction and even used it on some jet fighters later in the war! This stock was actually stronger than standard walnut and didn't warp, but heavier and harder to produce. But with wood supplies running out for rifle stocks (as early as 1937) the Germans began looking in another direction for 98k stocks. They tried a variety of other woods (elm, maple) but they failed for military purposes. They settled on beechood laminate (which gives it the light color) as it resisted warpage. Actually the steel butt plate did a good job holding the laminate together. Much later in the war, when things really started to go bad, the Germans even experimented with plastic stocks for the 98k. I don't do Mitchell Mausers so I don't know what their stocks are. I do know that most other countries that used the Mauser action would use native hardwoods for their stocks but most would stick to Walnut as did the Germans until the late 1930's. Hope this helps. Good shooting!
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  • Firepnw
    You and Dieter are right. After closer examination, it's laminate. I had no idea. Thanks for the info.
    -otter6412
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  • gary wray
    otter6412...and you are welcome. Thanks for coming to the GB Forum for your questions. Good shooting!
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