Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles Russian Capture 98K

Traded a 24/47 Yugo for one of these. A guy in our gun club said he had a "Chinese" Mauser that was from a shipment advertised as coming from China that he bought from Century Arms quite a while back. I looked at it and pointed out to him it might have come from China but was made in Berlin in 1938. He didn't care, still wanted to trade and said he'd pay for the paperwork.

It doesn't have a bright shiny bore but still has strong rifling and otherwise is in VG condition. From everything I've read about Russian Capture Mausers this one is the real deal. The receiver's marked S/37 which indicates it was mfg. by the Berlin Lubegker company in 1938 and these rifles supposedly went east. It has an electro penciled bolt, no guard screws or front sight hood, the stock was also given a thin coat of red shellac.

It's my understanding the Russians initially disassembled these rifles and on reassembly didn't think the guard screws or sight hoods were necessary. The bolts were also initially put in a pile and some form of crude headspacing was done on reassembly. They were then electro penciled with the serial no. of the rifle they were matched with as was the stock. Most of them were shipped off to eastern European communist satellite countries and communist China.

I realize there were a lot of these and it's not a collector quality Mauser but it's a good shooter. From a history standpoint I wouldn't mind seeing where this rifles been and I'm glad I wasn't with it.

Sounds like a good project rifle.
I've seen a few of these listed lately on GB.

From everything I've read about them it's a verifiable 'been there done that" rifle. I'll shoot it but leave it as.

Quite a bit of info on them here:

https://forums.gunboards.com/

I don't think that you would want to see what that rifle has seen.

You're probably right.

Thanks Craigster.

That's a good trade. I've got an S 37 Luger and that would go good as a pair, mmm? Just curious, but does it have the buttplate or a cupped butt?

Good question. Glad you asked, I learned something. It's got the post 1941 cupped butt (just looked that up, didn't realize there was a difference) so this isn't the original stock. The stock has the same number, 3232 right above the butt on the left side that's electro penciled on the bolt.

I didn't mention in my OP that the receiver ring has three small swastika eagles on the left side and one in front of the serial # 3232 on the right side. The barrel right past the receiver on the left side appears to have had three, one above the other, of these eagles that were peened out.

i bought a russian capture years ago. Mid 30's production mauser. It had been re shellaced with that crap the russians used, russian numbers put on the buttstock, and dip parked on the metal.
I have a lot of mil surp's, and this is the only one i have ever fooled with.
It had what they call "blood pitting" on the top of the reciever on the ring, where somebody had dripped on it.
it just offended me.
so, i took the stock and resanded it getting rid of the russian markings, and blo on the wood, reblued the metal after sanding down that pitting.
I was kind of saying a few prayers that the boy/man who had leaked on it, understood.
put a new sling on it, an appropriate bayonet.
shot it one time for function, and hasn't been shot since.
I have a p/08 russian capture, and a p38 russian capture.
they did a number on those finishes.
the russians liked to peen out the swastika eagles by the way.
one i would like to have in good condition would be a k98 that made it to israel having both the nazi markings and the star of david on it.

I passed on on an Israeli K98, 7.62 conversion, at a gun show a few years back. As I recall it was priced at around $400. I'd buy it today but I'll bet they're starting at well over $500 in decent condition. Lot of history there.