Need help with proofs on a 98 Mauser

bigtire

I can't find any of these proofs in my books to help me identify the country of origin of this 98 Mauser sporter. Any help wouold be greatly appreciated. The gun is also for sale (along with others) on the auction side.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/SellerAuctions.asp?User=163944

Thanks

sandwarrior

bigtire,

SVeden. You will see the proof...actually what you have is a miniature crest in Robert Ball's book "Mauser Military Rifles of the World", Third edition pp. 308, 309, and 311.

EDIT:

1KYDSTER,

Heres a question for ya...do you think it was one of the contract Mausers made for Sweden by Mauser? Some of the proofs sure do look German on second look and if it's both I wonder if that isn't the cookie. a German made Swedish Mauser.

1KYDSTR

Well, that's an oddment to be sure. It has a model 98 Prussian action with that double wing eagle on there, but the other stampings are Carl Gustavs to be sure?! Another odd thing...that partial inscription on the left rain CAN'T be GEW 98...unless the GEW part of the legend is upside down?!?! Very little chance of that with the Krauts. I would be a little leary here. The aftermarket sporter barrel is in 8mm? Well, the rest of the patts like the trigger guard and action screws as well as floorplate all appear to be Swedish? The 6.5 Swede and the 8mm Mauser case heads are not the same size, and the dimensions of the 6.5 Swedish Mauser are different than ALL the other Mauser Military chamberings. They are close, but not interchangeable at nearly ALL dimentions. On the other hand, that is a graceful looking little mauser and if the barrel is really good, and the seller can confirm the chambering (and the side rail marking too...that one really weirds me out!) I say the current price is about what I would expect to pay for the SCOPE that is on iyt! Confirm those things, and if it stays under$250, I would go for it.

bigtire

I'm the one selling it.

It is chambered for 8mm Mauser, That's what I was told when I bought it and that's what I've shot through it. The serial numbers match on the reciever and floorplate too.

I can't tell if the barrel is original or just had the step turned down.

Here is a pic of the proofs on the other side of the reciever.


And the serial number on the reciever.


Found a pic of an intact GEW 98 Mark on another site. It looks like the same one to me.


Here is another that has a better example of the old style German Eagle.

1KYDSTR

Sandwarrior:
That is a good hypothesis, and I would be inclined to think that way too until recently. That is DEFINATLY a Prussian Eagle...Danzig arsenal would be my guess. Also, if it is Prussian then it would not be a German made Swede...those were all made at Oberndorf. Just got one (an 1899 date) and as far as I can tell in my research on that purchase, none were made in the Prussian arsenals. I also now see that the bottom half of the GEW 98 side rail mark was ground out in the restoration/conversion...I only have a few KAR98A'a and I have nothing to compare to in my hands. Seeing that bottom grind makes me think it was a little pitted at the woodline like many GEW's were, and had to be cleaned up before selling as a commercial hunting rifle. Another odd thing is the oposite side rail where you see the three proofs. The Germans ussually did 3 proofs on the rail there, but this one is obviously 2 old German Frakturs and a newer (note the depth of strike difference in the proofs) Carl Gustavs proof. This one starts to take on some really weird characteristics.

The only answere I have is perhaps (and I think this is a strong possibility) this is a Swedish sporting rifle made on a converted German WWI reciever for the European hunting market in the 40's or 50's. It has that Hogs back Monte Carlo and the lines with the drop in the comb sorta' scream out Scandanavia to me. It looks a little like some Sporters I've seen Allen Schisel sell over the last few years. Those are almost always Carl Gustav guns still in 6.5 x 55, or other European hunting round like 9.3 x 62. All in all pretty interesting, and a nice little rifle, with a neat scope. Have you ever had the mounts off? Is there still a reciever stamp? My guess is Danzig 1917 or so. Pretty sure that barrel is not original by the blueing, but is it WAS original, and they turned the step out, they would have had to reblue anyway. Hope you get a few more dollars than where it's sitting...should go higher I think.

sandwarrior

1KYDSTER,

I agree the Swedes that were made in Germany were supposed to all be made in Oberndorf. You mentiond the deeper Swede proof, I wonder if that wasn't a strike-over on the original? Possibly the original was scrubbed because of wear or pitting? I also had to go down and get my GEW 98 out and sure enough that's the way they look. The layout of the numbers and proofs is all the same to my GEW 98 too.

As you suggested, it is possible that this rifle is post WWII and this was a factory remake on a GEW action. Husqvarna did it with left over and new FN actions with their 146 and 640 series rifles. It might have been a lot cheaper to rework already made actions that were good than to build new. Something I read recently is that to be exported from Sweden it would have to be proofed. We in the U.S. are supposedly the only country that doesn't have a proof house. So, being a reworked sporter it would have to be proofed in Sweden but it would still keep all the original markings. Just a thought. But I now believe this at least originally to be a Danzig GEW 98.

MIKE WISKEY

i just sold a swede m-96 that was a factory make-over (63423119). that probably what you have here.

bigtire

I'm confident it will bring a lot more. I start all my auctions at $1 with no reserve and I have not been burned yet. The real bidding starts in the last few hours of the auction.

Thanks for your help guys, I even posted a link to this thread on the auction.

1KYDSTR

BigTire...I'm sure you will get more than that out of this one. Does the bolt # match? It occured to me that while I said earlier this was a mix of German and Swedish parts, that is NOT correct. The gun was restamped on all metal parts by the folks who sportered it (likely Carl Gustavs as it is their proofs) and is more or less all original minus the barrel, of course and likely the bolt. A really pretty, handy looking little sporter, and we all know how high the quality was on the old GEW 98's and how well Carl Gustavs maintained a rifle that came into their hands. Bet it shoots the lights out! Good luck, hope you make out well on this one!

bigtire

The bolt number does not match. Not sure how accurate it really is, The only time I shot it all I had was some old surplus 8mm and the scope came loose after the first few rounds. I hate to get rid of it but I need to turn some of my collection into cash.

Thanks