Looking for a Mauser 98 expert.....

johnw1961

March 03, 2012 09:54

I recently purchased a Mod. 98 (byf 44) in prety good shape (just missing the front sight hood). All the serial numbers match except for the stock. It is not a 98k stock but appears to be from a Gew 98 with WW1 acceptance markings(serial numbers match on butt plate and barrel band). The fore end was removed in front of the barrel band and the cleaning rod hole filled. The fit and finish is very good on the entire gun. It looks like it was made this way rather than being sporterized.
My question is if anyone has seen a WW11 98 barreled action on a WW1 era stock? Would it have been produced this way or do I have a rather strange sporterization job?

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  jonk

  March 03, 2012 11:40

  A good buddy of mine has a WW1 Gew 98 fitted with a 98k bolt in a 98k laminate stock. It looks like the barrel was professionally shortened and other than the rear sight, brought up to 98k standards. It doesn't look like this job was done anytime recently. I think he has what you have- a military 'put together' job. I'd suspect this was either done very late in the war in Germany when they were using existing stocks and/or recycled components, or by some nation in the immediate post war (Israel, Yugoslavia, Egypt, etc.) doing the same.
  
  It could, of course, be a basement job to utilize parts some builder had on hand but if yours is like my buddy's, it just screams that it was an arsenal job, not a basement job.
  
  Probably no way to prove it either way.

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  charliemeyer007

  March 03, 2012 12:56

  I have a byf 44 and though it shoots ok it has a lot of tooling marks. It too didn't come with the hand guard and has a wood plug in the cleaning rod hole. My 1936 S has a much nicer finish and is complete except the cleaning rod.

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  p3skyking

  March 03, 2012 13:13

  It's most likely not a German military substitute. By '44 the stock situation was walnut blanks were exhausted and laminated was all that was available.
  While later K98k's did not have a cleaning rod, they didn't have the channel for one either. If the wood isn't dished out for the bolt handle, it most assuredly was a post war replacement.

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  cbyerly

  March 03, 2012 13:24

  I have put numerous 98K actions in various other 98 mauser stocks just to make a servicable shooting rifle. Never waste servicable parts!

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