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I need help identifying German Mausers.

oddball7465
My Uncle recently passed away and his wife said I could have 1 of his guns. The gun I want was his most prized gun, a real German Mauser. What I didn't know until now, is how many Mausers he had. My Dad swears he seen it before and it had a Swastika printed on it.

What I need to know is, where would the Swastika be? The only one I thought was German was this one that said,

WAFFENFABRIK
MAUSER
OBERNDORF
1916

Would that be the one I was looking for? Does that mean anything at all? If I need to keep looking, what all should I look for the identify the one I'm looking for?
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • fordsix
    that one is WW1...with swastika it will be WW2 there should be a small stampings with eagle type bird and the swastika
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  • sandwarrior
    oddball7465,

    The best thing here is to get pics if you can. Tell your uncles wife that you need to get them and post them to see which one it is. FWIW, the swastika, IIRC, is on the left side of the front ring. That's the forward part of the action/reciever. Just behind the point at which the barrel screws into. They aren't very big. Maybe about 1/16th"-1/8th" across.

    The one you mentioned certainly is a German Mauser. Probably should say GEW 98 on the left side of it too. Edit: because as noted it's from WWI

    What you have to remember is that the Germans built many rifles for many countries. Every South American country has at least 2 versions if not more. Several Middle-Eastern countries had them built for them. Then there are the ones built in countries neighboring Germany. Belgium (FN), Poland (Danzig), Czechoslovakia, 98-22, VZ-24, 98-29 (Persian), Rumania, Hungary (not true Mausers, but close) and Yugoslavia.
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  • oddball7465
    quote:Originally posted by fordsix
    that one is WW1...with swastika it will be WW2 there should be a small stampings with eagle type bird and the swastika

    Where would the Swastika be? On the receiver? The only thing I was that would resemble that was an Eagle on the receiver holding a shield. There might have been a Swastika in the shield that I over looked.
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  • oddball7465
    quote:Originally posted by sandwarrior
    oddball7465,

    The best thing here is to get pics if you can. Tell your uncles wife that you need to get them and post them to see which one it is. FWIW, the swastika, IIRC, is on the left side of the front ring. That's the forward part of the action/reciever. Just behind the point at which the barrel screws into. They aren't very big. Maybe about 1/16th"-1/8th" across.

    The one you mentioned certainly is a German Mauser. Probably should say GEW 98 on the left side of it too. Edit: because as note it's from WWI

    What you have to remember is that the Germans built many rifles for many countries. Every South American country has at least 2 versions if not more. Several Middle-Eastern countries had them built for them. Then there are the ones built in countries neighboring Germany. Belgium (FN), Poland (Danzig), Czechoslovakia, 98-22, VZ-24, 98-29 (Persian), Rumania, Hungary (not true Mausers, but close) and Yugoslavia.

    It does say GEW 98 on the side. So the Mauser I grabbed is a German though? I'm not sure if my Dad really saw a Swastika. All I know for sure is that is was German. Also, the one I mentioned, how much do you think it's worth?
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  • sandwarrior
    I've been digging and digging to find a picture of one so I could show you, but I can't seem to find one. What I did find was one with SS runes on the left side just behind the serial number and a 'deaths head' up on top of the receiver ring.

    Anyhow, yes, the one you mentioned was a German made, German used rifle. Many others were German made, but not German used.

    edit:

    Here's what I was looking for. The Waffenampt Eagle over a swastika. I knew I'd seen them. (no I don't own one):
    http://www.mauser.org/rifles/K98k German/index.htm


    Edit II:

    I'm editing to save posts for someone else who may be able to help you a little better. Without pics and your general description I would say a couple hundred dollars. Something with the SS runes/deathhead or say a mint Persian or Mexican and you have something there. But, what you have is your basic rifle.
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  • oddball7465
    quote:Originally posted by sandwarrior
    I've been digging and digging to find a picture of one so I could show you, but I can't seem to find one. What I did find was one with SS runes on the left side just behind the serial number and a 'deaths head' up on top of the receiver ring.

    Anyhow, yes, the one you mentioned was a German made, German used rifle. Many others were German made, but not German used.

    You have any idea what my gun is worth? Its in rough condition though. If its worth a lot I'm thinking of returning it to his wife...
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  • nononsense
    oddball7465,

    Here is a picture of the Eagle/Swastika acceptance stamp:

    eagleswastikaacceptance.png

    You are missing the important point about establishing value. You need to post clear, sharp, properly lit photographs of your rifle so we can help with the value. Without these pictures it is nearly impossible to get close.

    Most proof marks and stamps are found on the action and barrel. But in many situations as with Mausers, these stamps can be found under the stock line and on the bottom of the action and barrel.

    Best.
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  • neatguns
    Your Gew-98 is a German Mauser used in WWI. It COULD have been brought home from WWII but most in the U.S. today were imported from Turkey in the 1990's. Germany sold Turkey bunches of Mausers during and after WWI. The most important issue with any Mausers is matching numbers. When made, they put the last 2 digits of the SN on almost every part of the gun. If your gun is matching it can be worth $200-750 depending on condition. Miss matched is $100-300. If there are tiny markings on the side of the barrel like "CAI ST ALB Vt Germany 8mm" it is probably from Turkey and imported by Century Arms.
    A WWII Nazi 98K Mauser will have a letter code and date on top of the receiver. Like byf 44 (Mauser 1944). The WWII Mausers will have several eagle and swastika stamps that are not hard to find.
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  • gary wray
    oddball7465......don't want to lock you out of the this thread but you asked for value. Without photos, hard to tell what you have, but you do mention a possible SS 98k which, in WWII German Mausers, is the "gold standard" of collecting (other than sniper rifles) and it sounds like you might have one. That would be the one that I would go for if offered any one of them. Don't know what you mean by "rough" but if not badly pitted "rough" could clean up. And, again, if in even average shape, a SS 98k could easily bring four digits. But, again, need photos to run it down and help you more but that is the one that I would grab, quickly.
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  • beantownshootah
    Good info already given, I'll add the following:

    a. How much a gun is worth is going to be HIGHLY dependent on what exact model its in, its history, and condition.

    b. "Just" having a swaztika mark on the gun is interesting (and maybe "cool" depending on your perspective on this sort of thing), but it doesn't necessarily mean that much about the gun's value.

    The Germans were obsessive about inspecting and marking everything. . .so nearly every rifle they issued during the Nazi era had at least one (and in some cases many) Swaztika proof marks on it somewhere. Guns with these marks aren't scarce, with values ranging from maybe $200 for a refinished Russian capture "beater" (some of which DO retain all original German marks on them) to upwards of $1000 for a pristine model of particular provenance.

    c. Watch out for fake markings! The ordinary eagle/swaztika proof marks probably won't be faked, but fake SS lightning or death's head markings ARE out there, and if you don't know your stuff, I think its possible to be "taken".
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