Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Can you help identify this rifle

I was the lucky recipient of a couple rifles. One I had no problem identirying but the other I have no clue. It has no brand name on it just the calliber and some markings on it. Here are a couple pictures of the rifle and the markings. Help me identify it if you can. Oh, that fuzzy white thing in the lower left corner of the first picture is my schnauzer. He likes guns too... : )

Not a gun writer, but the rifle is a Mauser 98 style. Not sure if it is commercial as it has the thumb cutout and charger slot. Looks like a military rework. Any markings under the front site base? Others will know more.

Are those the only identifying marks on the gun?

it's got to be custom or home made,the stamp on the barrel 30-06,are in a completely different font and look machine stamped,when you compare them to the markings on the reciever,which look hand made like a military mauser.

it's a custom rifle

If it has no other marks on it that was my guess.

It's a nice looking rifle too,simple,but nice.Just my style.

I bought a kit rifle at a gun show once it was a 257 Roberts, looked exactly like yours once I got it put together. It was a barreled action in the white, a mostly inletted stock, a hinged floor plate and weaver mounts

Yes, those are the only marks on the rifle other than the Williams sites.

Most Military Mausers have markings on the front receiver ring, which will be covered by the front scope base. Other places to look are the flat spot by the recoil lug. Numbers on the small parts, floorplate, shroud, bolt handle base, bolt itself. Earley Mauser customized often had these marks taken off. I would guess custom Military Mauser 98.

Looks like a 98 to me. Thumb groove, bolt, safety, reciever, all point in that direction.

The machine stamped barrel makes the kit gun idea seem logical.

The only thing that puzzles me is the lack of the maker's name on the barrel.
I have seen exactly three of these rifles and have owned two.
The first was in .243 Winchester that was quite accurate. I used in back in the mid to late 1970's to hunt coyotes and use it as a loaner to kids that I took on their first deer hunts. Later, I gave it as a birthday gift to the son of a friend.
The next one was in .308 Norma Magnum of all things and all I'll say it that rifle, while accurate, was brutal on my shoulder. It belonged to the editor on the newspaper in the small Nevada town I was living it at the time.
Number three was one I found at a gun show in .358 Win. and sad to say, this one does not show the good accuracy of the other two.

Now with all that out of the way, the ones I own or owned and the .308 Norma were all marked:

KODIAK North Haven
Conn. U.S.A.

The name KODIAK should be centered so as to be in front of but between North haven and Conn. It should be located just about 2" in front of the rear sight.

The rest is conjecture on my part but I feel it is probably correct, so take it for what it is worth.

I didn't see any of these rifles before the Gun Control Act of 1968,(GCA68) nor have I seen any ads in the gun rags at any time and I have some dating back to 1936. I am of the thought that after the passage of GCA68 this company under the name of Kodiak bought up a bunch of the now illegal to mail order Milsurp Mausers and converted them to inexpensive sporters. IIRC, my .243 I got by trading a Ruger .357 Security Six that I had $75 tied up in it. The .358 was $200 at the gun show.
Your stock seems to be some kind of hardwood. As I recall, the fellow's .308 Norma had a similar hardwood stock that was quite plain. Both of mine had stocks made from Maple. I suppose the very plain stocks could also be Maple that just doen't have much grain. I want to open up the stock on my .358 to put a Timney trigger on the gun but that is some of the hardest wood I've ever messed with.
Anyway, I think that is what you have.
Paul B.

It is a 98 Mauser, but whether military or commercial, I can't say.

Some of the commercial Mausers had the thumb cut out on the left receiver rail.

It has been customized. The ridge at the clip slot has been ground off, and the rear receiver ring ground and reshaped.

I don't know if commercial 98s had the raised portion at the clip slot, nor am I familiar with all the different types of safetys. This could be an after market safety.

Nice rifle, as are all 98 Mausers, anyway.

The bolt shroud and left side safety are from a commercial FN Mauser. At least the few I have are just like that.

1234567 said, "It is a 98 Mauser, but whether military or commercial, I can't say."

Based on the .243 I had and my current .358, they are definitely military actions. It looks like they removed all the original markings from the actions of the rifles I had/have.

Paul B.

It's apparently a military Model 98 that has been sporterized. The bolt handle was modified (bent down for scope) and the action polished and blued. Since there are no receiver markings, I can only assume that the receiver was re-contoured for scope amounting and the marking removed. I have a beautiful rifle (358 Win) that was similarly converted and I�d love to know the maker.

Ok. Thanks for all the information. I have a guy here in Houston that's interested in the rifle and since I don't need it or want it I'll sell it to him.

Can anybody give me an idea of what it's worth? I want to give this guy a good deal.

$250.

I agree. $250 sounds about right.
Paul B.

Rgr. 250.00 it is. Thanks.