Note the German K98k style sling arrangement. The sling is original Czech manufacture from the late 1940's. 10 Note the serial number on the bottom of the stock. 11 Note the serial number on the bolt handle, coking piece and safety. 12 Note the fine machining marks on the receiver ring. Original early brass button type K98 Mauser / G43 leather sling keeper (frog), in very good co. Serial# 292655 Any info on this gun would really be appreciated such as: what caliber gun it started out being and what model mauser action is it or a identify mauser from serial number - K98k.
As you can see the values depend on condition and originality. Nearly every part of an early war Mauser was numbered using at least the last 2 numbers of the serial number. To be all matching all the parts need to match. The stock is laminated / plywood. Although the Mauser serial number system is simple in theory - start at 1 and go up to whatever - it was violated in practice. Mauser skipped some sizeable blocks of numbers in the early days, sometimes filling them in subsequently with later- production pistols. And some contract guns had their own serial numbers, starting again at 1.
Post-War Czech K98k (Karabiner 98) Rifle(Mfg 1945-1950 by Ceskoslovenská Zbrojovka, A.S., BRNO)
(Click PIC to Enlarge)
Originally Posted by :
Caliber: ................................. 7.92 x 57mm (8mm Mauser)
Rifling & Twist: ....................... 4 Groove, Right Hand
Barrel Length: ........................ 23.62 in. (600mm)
Overall Length: ...................... 43.7 in. (1110mm)
Weight: ................................. 8.38 lb. (3.8 kg without sling, ammo or bayonet)
Magazine Capacity: ................ 5 rounds
Total K98k Qty Mfg ................. unknown quantity (1945 - 1950 {estimated})
Sources: ....................... The 'Arctic' K98k (click here), LateWar.com (click here), CZECHOSLOVAK Mauser Bayonets and Variations (click here) and MG34-MG42 GERMAN UNIVERSAL MACHINEGUNS by Folke Myrvang ISBN No. 0-88935-278-X
Canadian Collector Market Value Estimate: $
Post-War Czech K98k (Karabiner 98) Rifle
(37 picture virtual tour)
Observations: (by 'Claven2')Caliber: ................................. 7.92 x 57mm (8mm Mauser)
Rifling & Twist: ....................... 4 Groove, Right Hand
Barrel Length: ........................ 23.62 in. (600mm)
Overall Length: ...................... 43.7 in. (1110mm)
Weight: ................................. 8.38 lb. (3.8 kg without sling, ammo or bayonet)
Magazine Capacity: ................ 5 rounds
Total K98k Qty Mfg ................. unknown quantity (1945 - 1950 {estimated})
Sources: ....................... The 'Arctic' K98k (click here), LateWar.com (click here), CZECHOSLOVAK Mauser Bayonets and Variations (click here) and MG34-MG42 GERMAN UNIVERSAL MACHINEGUNS by Folke Myrvang ISBN No. 0-88935-278-X
Canadian Collector Market Value Estimate: $
Post-War Czech K98k (Karabiner 98) Rifle
(37 picture virtual tour)
Note: Pics of rifle provided courtesy of Milsurps.com moderator Claven2.
Before the Second World War, Czechoslovakia had produced the VZ-24 Mauser rifle for many years at their arms factory in in the city of Brno, having received most of their tooling from Germany under the Versailles Treaty in the 1920's. When the Third Reich occupied the Sudatenland and annexed the rest of Czechoslovakia in 1938 and 1939 respectively, the arms plant at Brno was incorporated into the Nazi armaments industry. The VZ-24 continued to be manufactured as the G24(t) and in 1940, the G33/40 mountaineer's carbine was added to production for the German Heer. All this changed in 1943 when pressures on the German arms industry and re-organization of rifle production within the Reich dictated that the Brno factory be re-assigned to begin production of the standard K98k pattern service rifle. At the same time, the plant also took the lead in MG34 manufacture despite the MG34 having been largely supplanted in the infantry by the MG42. This was because the MG34 was better suited to static defense positions in fortress mounts and for use in armored vehicles. From 1942 through 1944, the factory at Brno (known at the time as Waffen-Werke Brunn) utilized the manufacturer's code 'dot', though in 1945 it was switched to 'swp'.
When the war ended, the Brno factory was largely untouched by the war. After the German surrender, the Czech government kept the production lines open and producing armaments. The earliest weapons were assembled entirely of parts left over from the German undertakings at the factory. Thousands of receivers and small parts were still in the production queue and required only final assembly. swp45 and dot44 coded rifles with upper-case serial number suffixes and rampant lion firing proofs are of post-war assembly, regardless the number of German proofs found on the individual parts. 'dot45' coded weapons are, without exception, of post-war manufacture, the Czechs having adopted the older dot code after using up all the left-over swp45 and dot44 coded receivers first, many of which had sat in storage after being rejected by WaffenAmpt inspectors for minor flaws during the war.
Early in post-war production, the supply of trigger guards was depleted. Waffen Werke Brunn had received trigger guards and floorplates primarily from Mauser and Gustloff Werke after 1943 due to the abundance of extra production at these facilities once the stamped and welded construction bottom metal parts had been adopted. As the Brno factory no longer posessed the necessary machines to manufacture the older pattern parts, it was decided to tool up to manufacture newer, mass-produced, stamped and welded bottom metal assemblies which combined the features of the American M1903A3 trigger guard and the late-war stamped K98k bottom metal assemblies. The result was an integrated magazine and trigger guard with an enlarged trigger guard bow to facilitate the rifle's operation when wearing gloves. Despite modern marketing techniques, the post-war Czech triger guard design was NEVER implemented during the war by the Germans. The Germans issued a winter trigger guard insert with a toggle that extended along the stock's pistol grip for winter combat. Additionally, the Czechs NEVER marketed their post-war Mausers as 'winter' or 'Arctic' models. Rather, they sought to provide one model of rifle to their armed forces which could be used in a variety of climates. The feature proved successful and once immediate dometic needs for arms had been addressed, the post-war Czech version of the K98k rapidly became a very popular export rifle until production ceased in about 1950. It is believed that the last receiver code to be used was 'tgf50', apparently for sale to East Germany, though tgf coded bayonets have been reported with dates as early as 1946. The first year that tgf was used as a rifle code is unknown to the author.
Most of the post-war Czech K98k's intended for domestic consumption were built without German-style factory codes, or in the case where a coded receiver was used, the codes were scrubbed. The receivers were then roll-marked with the Czech 'Rampant Lion' crest. Probably the largest early purchaser of Czech K98k rifles was the fledgling state of Israel. Israel purchased many thousands of new and refurbished WW2 German K98k rifles from the Czechs. They can be found with original ww2 German markings, with post-war dot and swp codes, and occasionally with the domestic production style rampant lion crest. Most were later refurbished in Israel during the 1950's and converted to 7.62 Nato. Although other countries also purchased large quantities of Czech produced K98k's, it is very uncommon to encounter these rifles with intact rampant lion crests. At some point after the initial sales to Israel, it appears the Czechs decided to not sell rifles with their domestic rampant lion crest to foreign customers any longer. Late-production rifles will be coded with the earlier dot45 markings or will bear the tgf production code. As the Czech military began phasing out the issuing of K98k rifles in favor of semi-automatic and select-fire rifles, namely the VZ52 and VZ58, these largely obsolete Mausers were typically lightly refurbished and the Czech lion crests finely ground off prior to being reblued. These ex-Czech army rifles were subsequently sold to a host of customer nations. It is not known to the author whether the crests were ground off to facilitate sale, or if the crests were removed as a matter of policy while still in Czech inventories.
(Click PIC to Enlarge)
Rifles which were refurbished and subsequently sold out of Czech Army inventories will generally have the 1950's era 'crossed swords' proof addded next to the serial number in addition to the normally encountered rampant lion firing proofs. Some very late tgf coded rifles sold abroad may also have the crossed swords proof as well, as it is generally accepted that the marking came into use in approximately 1950.
Typical features of Czech post-war production include:
-Rampant Lion firing proofs.
-Semi-kriegsmodel stock with the bolt take-down in the cupped buttplate. Stocks will most commonly be equipped with a bayonet lug.
-Often WW2 german marked parts are found mixed with new production parts.
-Stocks are usually made of either laminated Beech or Walnut.
-Trigger guards are typically either recycled German parts or post-war stamped construction with enlarged trigger guard bow.
-Serial numbers will have upper-case serial number suffixes.
-Receivers rings will typically be: scrubbed, stamped with rampant lion crest, or coded dot44, dot45, swp45 or tgf50.
-Bolt bodies will often be of the kriegsmodel pattern without a guide rib and with drilled round gas escape holes, though the late tgf50 coded rifle bolts had guide ribs.
-Extractors will usually be CZ marked on the reverse side.
-Rifles will be serial number marked on the receiver, buttplate, bolt handle, safety, cocking piece, firing pin, bolt shroud, both barrel bands, trigger guard and the buttstock.
-Rear sight will be of the late-war pattern, unserialized, and without reverse side range markings.
-Czech made K98k slings resemble WW2 German slings except that they usually lack the cross-hatch pattern, and the sling loop will be riveted together, not sewn.
-Czech made bolt bodies will be stamped with the rampant lion firing proof on the bolt knob.
-On receivers not of Nazi origin, the side-wall will generally be stamped 'Ceskoslovenská Zbrojovka, A.S., BRNO'
Collector's Comments and Feedback:
1.
Post-war Czech made K98k's offer the budget-minded collector a wonderful opportunity to experience what using a matching, non-refurb German K98k is like. These Czech rifles were made to the same standard, on the same machinery, and in many cases by the same workers who produced the dot coded rifles for the Germans in occupied Czechoslovakia. The rifles are well made of quality components and typically are great shooters. They are also collectible as cold-war era Mauser rifles and can still be had inexpensively if the potential buyer looks around a bit for a nice example. Many of these rifles, expecially the ex-Czech army rifles with scrubbed lion crests, tend to be sold inexpensively by un-informed dealers who presume the rifles are of German origin and that someone has 'customized' a Nazi K98k to the point it is no longer collectible. The situation is exacerbated by the utter lack of published info available on post-war Czech made mausers. In the event a collector encounters a Czech K98k with an intact rampant lion crest which has not been refurbished in Israel or converted to 7.62, the savvy collector will note that such a rifle is rare as post-war mausers go and will pay accordingly. This being said, ex-Czech army mausers with the 'crossed-swords' proof next to the serial number are normally encountered scrubbed and this should not diminish the value significantly as the work was done while the rifle was still in a Czech arsenal prior to being surplused or sold.
Typically, these rifles are easily found matching and in VG or better condition. ........... (Feedback by 'Claven2')
| Model Designation: | Karbiner 98 Kurz |
| Caliber: | 7.92mm (7.92X57) |
| Overall Length: | 1,110mm (43.7') |
| Weight: | Solid stock; 3.8kg (8.38lbs.) Laminated stock: 4kg. |
| Magazine: | 5 round, fixed box |
| Front sight: | Inverted 'V' notch (later models had a sight hood cover) |
| Rear sight: | 'V' notch adjustable up to 2,000 meters |
| Rifling: | 4 grooves, right hand twist, one turn every 240mm |
| Safety: | 3-way safety lever on rear of bolt. Left to fire, right to safe, center to load. |
| Markings: | With few exceptions, every K98 was stamped with manufacturers' code and date on top of receiver. |
In June 1934, the German army adopted the Mauser Karbiner 98 kurz as the standard service rifle of the German army. It remained in service until the end of the war in May 1945. Eleven years in production produced over 14 million K98s, and out of the 14 million produced, there are over 100 combinations of maker codes and production years. All of this combined with the fact that the Mauser K98 is one of the best bolt actions designs of all time, makes the K98k one of the most collectable rifles of WWII, and perhaps of all time.
Dates, Makers, and Codes :
In 1934 only two manufacturers where assigned to produce the K98k. These were the Mauser plant at Obendorf, and the firm of J.P. Sauer & Sohn at Suhl. Mauser, Obendorf was the only manufacturer to produce the K98 from 1934-1945. Each year later, other makers were added to produce the K98k, while some makers where dropped due to production demands or interests in producing other weapons, such as machine guns, machine pistols, or other small arms that were needed. By 1943 there were at least 7 factories that were producers of the rifle. Each makers code, dates, and proof markings for each year are listed below.
| 1934 |
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| 1935 |
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| 1936 |
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| 1937 |
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| 1938 |
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| 1939 |
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| 1940 |
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| 1941 |
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| 1942 |
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| 1943 |
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| 1944 |
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| 1945 |
*- Later (higher) serial numbers were issued as Kriegsmodells. |
K98 Variations-
During the war several changes and/or alterations were made to the K98. Most of these changes were simply design alterations that were made to simplify or increase production of the rifle. Some of these were totally different model of the K98, including the G33/40. The G33/40 was basically a shortened version of the K98. The G33/40 was only in production for 3 years, from 1940-1942. It was produced by Waffen Werke Brunn, Brunn. It fired the exact same 7.92mm round, and had the same Mauser 98 action. However, that is where the similarities end. The G33/40 had several different parts that were not matching with the K98. These included: the bolt, stock, cleaning rod, sight hood cover, upper hand guard, barrel bands, sling, and even the bayonet. Below is an example of the G33/40, that was made in 1941, and bears the maker's code 'dot 1941.' Note also in the pictures below the differences between the standard K98 and the G33/40.
Another example of the changes made to the K98 late in the war is the introduction of the Kriegsmodell K98. The Kriegsmodell K98 is basically the most simplified version of the K98. Several design changes were made to produce the Kriegsmodell. Several items were completely eliminated, such as: bayonet lug, cleaning rod, bolt disassembly disk, bolt guide, barrel band spring, and even the locking screws for the floor plate. Kriegsmodell K98s are usually late 1944 or 1945 production. They will usually have very rough machined parts, and stocks will be rough and usually unfinished. Below are pictures of a Kriegsmodell K98, that was made by Mauser, Obendorf in 1945, and is marked 'byf 45.' Note also in the pictures below the differences between the standard K98, and the Kriegsmodell K98.
All pictures below submitted by Matt Weber unless otherwise stated
Click on images to enlarge
| K98 made by Mauser, Obendorf in 1945, and labeled 'byf 45'. Notice the phosphated finish to this piece, and also notice that the model designation 'Mod. 98' has been moved from the side of the receiver to the top of the receiver. |
| K98 made by Waffen Werke, Brunn, Brunn in 1944, and is marked 'dot 1944'. Note that this late war K98 is marked with the full year 1944, and not just the partial year '44' or simply '4'. Also notice the rough machine markings on this late war piece. |
| K98 made by Waffen Werke, Brunn, Bystrica in 1943, and is marked 'dou 43'. Typical mid-war production and finish on this piece |
| G33/40 made by Waffen Werke, Brunn, Brunn, and is marked 'dot 1941'. Note the caliber markings on top of the receiver, 7,88. Also notice that the upper hand guard wood wraps around behind the rear sight. |
| Comparison of the standard K98 bolt (right), and the Kriegsmodell K98 bolt (left). Notice the bolt on the right has typical milled out, oval shaped cooling holes, while the bolt on the left has round, drilled out cooling holes. |
| This picture shows us 2 K98 bolts. Notice that the bolt on the left is missing the bolt guide. That's because this bolt is a Kriegsmodell K98 bolt. Notice also that it is parkerized. The one on the right is a standard K98 bolt, and is blued. |
| Two floor plates for the K98. The one on the right is a milled floorplate. This type can be found on pre-war, and early war time K98 models. The left one is a stamped floor plate, and is found on late war K98s. Notice also on this one that it is also missing the locking screws. That is because this floor plate is for a K98 Kriegsmodell. |
| Two K98 trigger guards. The one on the right is a milled trigger guard. Again these are found on pre-war and early war K98s. The one on the left is a stamped trigger guard, and is found on late war K98s. Notice again that this stamped trigger guard is missing the locking screws, which means that this trigger guard is for a Kriegsmodell K98. |
| Front barrel band. This is a mid-war production barrel band. It is milled type, but not formed like the 'H' types. Serial number are marked on these, but late war stamped barrel bands usually won't have serial numbers on them. This is a 1943 date K98. |
| The test firing proof will be located on the aft of the bolt handle. As shown here. |
| Serial numbers on the k98 stocks are usually located under the stock, half way between the hand grip, and the buttplate. As shown here. |
| Bolt of the K98 shows us 3 serial number locations: top of bolt, safety lever, and bolt handle. |
| Serial numbers as found on the rear sight leaf, and sight adjustment. Note that very late war K98s might not have any serial numbers marked on these parts. All early war or pre-war K98s should have serial numbers on these though! This K98 is a 1943 date. |
| Serial numbers for the reciever and barrel on a K98. Note aslo the acceptance proof markings. |
| Serial numbers also found on rear sight base. This is also a 1943 k98. |
| If you look at the top view of the bolt of a G33/40 you will not see any serial numbers on it like was shown on the top of a K98 bolt assembly. You will notice that you can see the test fire proof marking on the top of the bolt handle. |
| That is because the serial number is located on the aft side of the bolt turn down handle as shown here. |
| Business end of the G33/40 shows us more differences from the K98. The cleaning rod is shorter. The sight hood cover is also smaller. Also you will notice that the barrel is the same diameter throughout, unlike the K98 which has a wider step for the front sight to mounted to. |
| The floor plate and trigger guard assemble, are both milled types, and are very similar to that of the K98. However, notice that the G33/40 will not have any locking screws like the K98 (exception being the Kriegsmodell K98). Notice also, the hollowed out bolt knob. |
| Of couse the G33/40 will be marked as such in the same location on the reciever as the K98 is. |
| Also the rear sight on the G33/40 is much smaller, and is marked in different graduations. |
| Even the barrel bands are different on a G33/40! The front barrel band appears to be the same as on an early K98, but you will notice that the band spring is mounted on the left side, and not on the right side as on a K98! The rear band is totally different, and has a retaining screw at the bottom of the band. |
| Of course the G33/40 will be marked as such in the same location on the receiver as the K98 is. |