Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Shot My 1937 Oberndorf Mauser 98

No doubt.

Nice old 98, for sure.

I have an assortment of 2"x6" and 1"x6" squares in my shooting bag bucket to make these type of elevation adjustments.

I'll give you props for your redneck ingenuity, which is usually reserved for Slummy

Good idea.

Thanks for the pics. A few of the 1937 Standard Modells actually started out as 98k military guns with S/42 above the banner and buffed away and 1937 below the banner and again buffed away. There are two story lines whichever one chooses to believe.

1. That they were used by SS. I don't believe that because there are no military markings on them anywhere.

2. That they started out as S/42 Code 1937 destined for 98k carbines but did not pass military inspection, but were deemed as suitable for sporting use. I believe that more than the other.

These Standard Modells were used by many security and police forces around the world, to include pre-WWII Germany. They are not military rejects that are only suitable for sports. They were designated commercial guns at the Oberndorf factory as a ruse only, to defeat Versailles Treaty inspectors.

I remember seeing a big table a gun show piled high with Turkish Mausers, 60 of them piled up like firewood. Sixty bucks a piece. like you said, German Mausers made at oberndorf. I bought one, great rifle!

Yep, back in the 1990s they were coming in in droves, by the crate full, and cheap, like you say. Back at that time, I was looking through a bunch that had just been put out on the floor, and one of them looked pristine, like it had never been issued. I immediately grabbed it, brought it up to the cashier, and she started processing me for the purchase, when the owner's son passed by and caught a glimpse of it, picked it up and looked it over admiringly. I commented, "Nice, right?" He replied, "Oh, this was put out by mistake ... it's got a defect, and we can't sell it." He then went into the back with it, and that was that. What an a-hole.

I went back and found another one, but the best of what was left, which, while functional and in reasonable shape (clean bore, too), wasn't much compared to the one the owner's son stole from me.

Anybody ever seen the Chinese "Chiang Kai Chek" Mausers? Rumor has it the receivers were hand-forged out of scrap iron, including railroad tracks, in the 1930's. I had two of them, sold as "non-firing wall hangers only" by a vendor in Shotgun News. Rough as a cob, but they looked and cycled like real Mausers.

Standard Modells are definitely Cadillacs, but there are more than a few 1937 Standard Modells that have the S/42 code above the Mauser banner and 1937 below the Mauser banner on the receiver ring with the S/42 and 1937 buffed off but still readable. This is unique to 1937. I did not say all Standard Modells were military rejects nor am I saying that all 1937 Standard Modells are military rejects. I asked how yours was marked to see if it was one of those examples. I know Standard Modells were made from 1935, possibly 1934. They are fine guns. I don't know for sure when they quit making them.

S/42 is indeed buffed out above Mauser, and 1937 is indeed buffed out below Mauser. What does this mean?

One just like mine just sold for $4,750.00. Link

I had no idea. I don't think I paid a huge sum for this gun back 30 years ago.

I listed the two most popular beliefs earlier about being SS guns or receivers that didn't pass military inspection for whatever reason. I will add a third. The Nazi's decided to openly defy the Treaty of Versailles in 1937 but then got cold feet and waited until 1938 to openly produce the 98k. That is another mystery lost to history. As I stated there are more than a few of these 1937 dual marked guns.

I had a mixmaster 1935 Standard Modell; actually I had a gun that had a 1935 Standard Modell receiver is about all. I wish I still had it!

Thanks. Mine has serial numbers all over it, and all of them match. Not sure if I should keep this rifle, or put it up for auction, considering the prices they seem to be getting.

I'll try and help you out with your problem.

1. Are you running a museum? If not, you may want the money they are bringing. Be aware of seller's remorse.

2. If you want to shoot it, either find a cheaper alternative, but 98k's in decent condition, and unmatched are going for a lot these days, or shoot it and enjoy the heck out of an extremely valuable and unique gun. The value will drop a bit as the wear and tear increases, but will still bring ridiculous money down the road.

I collected all manner of guns at one time or another. I eventually always sold the more pristine and kept the dogs to play with. There are so many Mauser variants that it is hard to collect them all. But you have one of the most desirable Mausers out there. It ranks up there but probably a bit below an Oberndorf Sporter or bonafide Nazi marked SS rune gun as far as value. You can't beat a banner Mauser as far as pure class! And you have a pristine example of a known variant that nobody seems to know why they happened. I think someone jumped the gun on 98k's either at the top and then changed their mind or a subordinate jumped the gun and was clamped down from higher. One thing for sure is there are more than a couple of these in existence and why are the other military proofs, acceptance marks, and Waffenampts absent? Who knows, maybe it was an honest mistake. One thing for sure they were not backyard conversions.

Thanks, Mike. I appreciate your commentary.

Let Happy Camper accuracy test it for you.
When he was 9 or 10.
He put 10 or 15 shots with one into the x ring.
1 hole group at 100yds...
Nice.....
He made a post about doing so...

👍👍👍👍🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Oh my bad he was 8 at the time...
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...eorge-floyd-as-jesus-christ#Post16651520

I've fired a lot of "one hole groups"- - - - -of course only having one round of ammo handy at the time helps!

But doing it at 8 yrs old
A 15 shot one hole group.
With a 98 8mm.

Absofuggingloutly infuggingcredible.




Its Alvin York and Carlos Hathcock
Reincarnated in our very own Happy Camper


We are truly blessed to have him here as a member among us.

Markmanship and spiritual guidance all in one person.

PTL!!!!

No matter what the 98 is my favorite….. in any configuration….