Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Can anyone identify this M98?

Looking to identify maker of this M98 action (yes, I know the number looks like a 93, but the action was highly polished and I'm certain it's an M98).

Gonna need more pictures than that.
Paul B.

Well how are you sure it's a 98? It appears to be a small ring as there appears to be no step in the action wall to the ring. If it is a 98 then I would venture in my humble mauser knowledge it may be a Turk as they were I believe small ring actions. I'm sure a real mauser expert will be along to give you the real scoop.

This is about all there is that survived the polishing. Is that a "T" peeking out under the front scope base?

Right side front receiver:


Left side front receiver:


Did that help?

WW1, or pre-WW1, vintage Imperial German small ring 98. The proof marks look like Amberg arsenal proofs to me.

The action is from a KAR 98, a shorter version of the WWI Gewehr 98 infantry rifle. The KAR was used by artillery and cavalry troops in WWI and became the basis for the later KAR98k of WWII.

KAR stands for "Karabiner" (carbine).

czech1022-
Your rifle appears to me to be a Mauser Kar98, which was a carbine form of the K98 manufactured between about 1898 and 1905. It was superseded by the Kar98a, with a slightly longer barrel to minimize the muzzle flash that occurred with the Kar98.

The Kar98 and Kar98a were made with the small ring receiver. However, it retained the large-ring threads of the Infantry rifle.

Given the "T" peeking out from the Weaver mount, it is almost certain that the original rifle was made by the factory at Erfurt.

Here's a handy reference: [color:#0000FF]The Original Kar. 98[/color]

--Bob

Great! Thanks for the help, everyone!

Momento!

I'm not convinced. Things are just NOT right.

I'm not convinced that it is German and I'm not convinced that it is an M98. I have lots of Mausers.

What caliber is it ?

My problem is inadequate photos. There should be a top view with imprinted proofs on top of the receiver. The lettering in the photo is NOT German. The proof number is clearly 93 NOT 98. There is a Spanish 93 Mauser but this doesn't look Spanish.

Mauser licensed countries all over the world.

For the moment I consider this firearm NOT yet identified.

The Imperial German Eagle and the row of three proof marks look too German not to be German. In the row of three proof marks with the crowns over them, the one on the left looks more like an Amberg proof than an Erfurt proof, but without holding the rifle in hand and inspecting it with my own eyes, I can't tell for sure.

More pictures of the entire rifle, including details of the action in 360-degrees and bolt would certainly help narrow it down a bit

If it's got a 98 bolt with shroud and third lug, it's going to be some kind of small-ring Mauser, and with that stamping by the thumb cut, pre-Weimar Gothic.

czech1022-

Would it be possible for you to remove the scope mount base on the receiver ring and post a photo of the markings that will be exposed? While I'm pretty sure it's an Erfurt product, I may have been mistaken in calling it a Kar98 receiver, rather than a Kar98a. The date be as late as 1918.

Here's an image from an unaltered rifle of what the markings might look like.

Thanks.
--Bob
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I"ll remove the scope base and get some pics tomorrow.

This is my guess too. The "T" sticking out from the base is part of the ERFURT logo. It's clearly a KAR98a and possibly a Kar98AZ. These were made by Amberg, Danzig, Erfurt and Spandau. Since ERFURT is the only one to end with a T, well.....I think ERFURT is a safe guess. My best SWAG is it will have a 1915-1917 date code since that's when the majority of them were made. Since it only has one date code and no "dirty bird" on it I believe it was out of commission before the Treaty of Versailles making it an unofficial WW1 only rifle. Some were re-dated after the war and accepted under the treaty.

From the proof marks it shows it failed it's first inspection and was sent back to be re-examined and was later accepted. On the proof marks the letters below the crowns are only the guy who inspected it, like the inspector #6 tag you find in your new fruit of the loom underwear. The "RC" below the crown on the top of the first proof shows it failed it's initial hardness inspection and was sent back to the Revisor Committee for improvement. These actions are case hardened so it wasn't a real big deal. The first inspection was for hardness testing, the second was for assembly testing and the last is for function testing.

Upon further reflection, and research, I'll have to concede that it is a 98. Further, much points to it being a KAX98 and that it is quite likely an Erfurt product. *( The stamping on the receiver says so). It is strange typeface though not like many other stampings on German made Mauser rifles. I suppose that some little unknown game changer could pop up though and surprise everyone.

It does get tricky and complicated because there is much history, various calibers, various dates of manufacture, small ring, large ring, refurbished, modified by others, proofs scrubbed rubbed and replaced. If it has all matching parts its probably an original.

Cabela's has some in their Gun Library advertised for sale at $619.99 to $950 in 7.92x57mm and 8x57mm. A private seller in Texas is asking $450.

I gave a Swedish King Gustaf 6.5mm and a Serbian Post WW1I M98 to my grandson a couple of months ago. He was ecstatic and invited all of his friends over. I also gave him my "Mauser Military Rifles of The World" book and that left me at some disadvantage.

Been really interesting to see you guys noodle this one out.

Sorry it took so long, but I have full pics for all of those Sherlock Holmes out there who have been puzzling out the mystery for me.

First of all, it's a full-on custom, with an exceptional Fajen stock, Mc Gowen 22" barrel in 6.5x55, jewelled bolt with nicely forged bolt handle, Dayton-Traister low-swing Mark II safety and what appears to be a replacement trigger (but I can't see any mfg stamp to identify it).

To those who requested full pics, here are left and right side views:





I LOVE the wood in this stock! You might not be able to see it in the pics, but the inletting is so precise that I couldn't get the thinnest of knife blades between the wood and the metal anywhere along the barrel/receiver channel.



Bolt shroud to prove it's an M98:



Bottom metal with same serial number as receiver:



and finally, for all those military firearms historians out there...
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Do the years pictured here this make it a Kar98a, rather than the Kar98?

My NRA Mauser Rifles book shows those exact receiver markings except my picture has a manufacture date of 1918 under ERFURT which is the name of the arsenal. Says it's a German Model 98a carbine. The "1920" marking presumably indicates date of acceptance by Reichswehr,the 100,000 man German Army of the post WW1 period.

Yes and no. the original Kar98 was was dropped in 1905 but after the war they were all renamed either Kar98a or Kar98b. Yours being a 1916 was either an A or an AZ. After the war the Treaty Of Versaille allowed the Germans to keep something like 18000 Kar98's in service and all of these have the 1920 stamp on them. A lot of these rifles stayed in service through WW2!

BTW, Neato rifle.

The rifle was obviously manufactured by Erfurt in Germany, but the crown looks to be the Swedish Crown.