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Prior to 1968, the only "import mark" was the Country of Origin (COO) mark required of all imported goods. The GCA '68 and the associated regulations changed the rule for firearms, requiring the name and address of the importer (can be abbreviated) and the caliber. This is to allow the firearm to be traced back to the importer the same way as commercial arms. This grew out of the difficulty of tracing the Kennedy assassination rifle in 1963. (Imported commercial arms normally have both the manufacturer's and importer's name and address, and the caliber, applied at the factory.)
The COO marking on milsurp guns imported pre-'68 was not always applied. That was due to simple human error when dealing with hundreds of thousands of guns, but it was rare. U.S.-made items coming back did not require marking, but I have seen Savage-made No. 4 rifles marked "ENGLAND"; the importer's workers were not gun experts.
As to K.98k's, I have seen only a few pre-68 imports with no marking. I have two, and both have the "GERMANY" mark on the front of the trigger guard just ahead of the magazine floorplate. The marks are not very big, but they are there. There was no rule about where to apply the mark, and the location is not consistent. I have seen the mark on the barrel, back of the rear sight; on the rear sight base; on the barrel ahead of the stock; on the receiver ring; and on the bayonet lug. If you know that your K.98k's were commercially imported, check again; I think most will be marked.
Jim
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