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Posted: 12/19/2008 3:24:55 PM EDT
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I just found an old Mauser buried in a closet at my parent's house, and I want to figure out where it came from (and see if I can shoot it). Dad doesn't know how our family ended up with it, but he knows we've had it for a long time. I don't have a digicam, so I can't post pics until I borrow someone's, but the stampings are as follows:
top of receiver: a crown, ERFURT (the middle two letters are almost worn off) and under that 1917 left side of receiver: kax 98. (in old English lettering) magazine floorplate, safety, front barrel band, and back of bolt: 85 bold handle, side of barrel: 485 top of barrel: what looks like PGM and a crest under it. There are two figures above it that I can't make out. Any ideas? It needs some TLC, but the bore is in excellent shape, especially for a rifle that probably hasn't been cleaned since it ended up on this side of the Atlantic. I'd love to get this thing shooting again, and I know my dad and grandfather would get a kick out of it. |
| Yes that is a 98a, also known as a Kar 98a. Those are nice little guns. Is it original with the full length top handguard and hinged front band? That would make it extra special. It sounds like a matching example as well. You can find these more intact than 98k's because they were only issued to rear echelon's in WWII. They were originally designed for bicycle troops, but after WWI the treaty of Versailles allowed a lot more of these to be possesed than the battle rifle Gew 98. A lot of these went to post offices and railway police. The sides of the buttstocks and tangs of the buttplates give unit ID's. |
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Yep, full length handguard and hinged front band. Only problem is that at some point the buttstock was cut off, I presume so it'd fit in a sea bag. So I guess I need to clean it up, get the headspace checked and order a new stock for it. And some ammo.
Thanks for the help guys. |
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