model 98 mauser

4wheeler · November 16, 2014, 10:31 PM

i have a mauser marked bcd 4 and it is only 39" long i have looked all over the internet and cant find a pic of one that looks like it. all serial #s match ahs all of the waffenmet markings and appears to be unmolested with the exception fo the stock being varnished. can any one help. i will have to set up photo bucket or something to post pics,

ray22 · November 16, 2014, 11:02 PM

Could possibly be a sporterized model. A lot of them were done when originally imported. I have a 1909 Argentina Mauser that has all matching numbers that was done in the 50's.

4wheeler · November 16, 2014, 11:21 PM

it appears to be the original stock but it stops at the first band that holds the sling. it only has about 6" of barrel after that. the barrel is only 19" but the serial number matches the rest of the gun.

tahunua001 · November 17, 2014, 12:24 AM

two ideas come to mind. one is a sporterized model, many bring backs and such were cut just ahead of the rear stock band and some guys even cut down the barrels to make them better for brush hunting. another one may be the spanish FR7 or FR8 mausers converted to 7.62 nato, they cut them down to look somewhat like the jungle carbine enfields with a short barrel. does the front of the stock terminate with a flat plate a few inches back from the muzzle?

this pic belongs to another member here, does yours look like the one at the bottom?

Hawg · November 17, 2014, 01:47 AM

BCD is code for the Gustloff Werke factory in Weimar, Germany. If its in its original military configuration with a 19 inch barrel its a mountain troops short rifle similar to the 33/40. Varnish is the correct finish.

4wheeler · November 17, 2014, 07:47 PM

i did the reaserch on the markings it is marked a 98 not 30/40 but the barrel is short and the stock stops 1/2" past the sling band and has about 6" of barrel past the stock. all serial #s match. i am at a loss workig on getting a pic posted.

4wheeler · November 17, 2014, 09:27 PM

image.jpg

4wheeler · November 17, 2014, 09:35 PM

image.jpg

4wheeler · November 17, 2014, 09:36 PM

image.jpg

tahunua001 · November 17, 2014, 10:33 PM

those are really grainy... not much help...

I'm pretty sure that's no factory hack job. I believe you just have a bubba'd sporter job.

James K · November 18, 2014, 12:21 AM

A bit different from the usual as someone cut the stock off ahead of the band, then chopped the barrel and reset the front sight. But it is still a "bubba" job, not some rare factory variation.

Jim

Hawg · November 18, 2014, 12:32 AM

What Jim said.

James K · November 18, 2014, 12:45 AM

The "Gustloff" story is interesting. Wilhelm Gustloff was a German Nazi who was assassinated by Communists in Switzerland in 1936. The Nazis made him a martyr to the cause and a hero, even though a few years later Hitler ordered the killing of SA members of a similar bent.

Factories (like the Jewish-owned Simson plant) that were not run by "loyal" Nazis were taken over by the government, then turned over to the Nazi party and run for the profit of the party and its backers. Many of those enterprises were named after Gustloff and combined under the name "Gustloff Werke" (Gustloff Works). Of course, the government made sure the "Gustloff Werke" got very profitable government contracts; it was not hard to make money, since labor was mostly from the concentration camps.

Jim

mapsjanhere · November 19, 2014, 11:41 AM

Looks to me like a duffel cut rifle that got its barrel shortened. If a GI was trying to bring home an unregistered souvenir, the stock didn't fit into the duffel bag. So they were typically cut off at the first band. There's a lot of restored duffel cut guns, but some went the other way and trimmed the barrel.

James K · November 19, 2014, 09:58 PM

Someone put that front sight on, and a GI would probably not have had access to the equipment to do that. So maybe a combination of a "duffel cut" and some other work later on.

FWIW, the only "registration" would have been the permission paper, and whether the GI had that or not was often irrelevant. Army regulations required that all the GI's belongings had to fit in his duffel bag; unit commanders could choose whether or not to enforce that, and many didn't. But some did, so if a GI was in such a unit, his souvenir had to fit in the bag, whether he had a paper or not. As to the paper, again sometimes MP's at the point of debarkation would ask for it, sometimes there was no check at all.

The father of a friend brought back a P.35(p) Radom through NY; the MPs took the gun, and a welder in NYPD uniform welded up the muzzle and the gun was given back. Obviously, that was not a universal practice, but it was done to comply with NYC law, which even then was completely insane on handguns.

Jim

hammered54 · December 19, 2014, 01:23 PM

I've read many of these story's about paper work for bringing back rifles from overseas.
my Dad ...R.I.P. sent many back home thru the mail ..so he told us 11 in all, plus other things Bayonets...belts..helmets..even a P08.
just wrapped them up in brown paper and string and shipped them home to the family address....all arrived in good shape.
still have most of it.

Matt.

James K · December 19, 2014, 01:42 PM

It was illegal to mail guns home, but many GIs did so and got away with it. It was also illegal to bring back guns without the "capture papers" but again many had none and were never asked for them. That applied only to captured enemy weapons, though. Bringing back U.S. weapons was considered stealing government property and punishable by imprisonment. In spite of all the stories about how Grandpa or Uncle Jim brought back a dozen M1 rifles or a case of .45 pistols, it just wasn't done. Not because of ethical considerations, but because violating the rules would delay discharge and those guys wanted out ASAP!

Jim

November 16, 2014, 10:31 PM	#1
4wheeler Junior Member Join Date: November 16, 2014 Posts: 6	model 98 mauser i have a mauser marked bcd 4 and it is only 39" long i have looked all over the internet and cant find a pic of one that looks like it. all serial #s match ahs all of the waffenmet markings and appears to be unmolested with the exception fo the stock being varnished. can any one help. i will have to set up photo bucket or something to post pics,

November 17, 2014, 12:24 AM	#4
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	two ideas come to mind. one is a sporterized model, many bring backs and such were cut just ahead of the rear stock band and some guys even cut down the barrels to make them better for brush hunting. another one may be the spanish FR7 or FR8 mausers converted to 7.62 nato, they cut them down to look somewhat like the jungle carbine enfields with a short barrel. does the front of the stock terminate with a flat plate a few inches back from the muzzle? this pic belongs to another member here, does yours look like the one at the bottom? __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

November 17, 2014, 10:33 PM	#10
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	those are really grainy... not much help... I'm pretty sure that's no factory hack job. I believe you just have a bubba'd sporter job. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

November 19, 2014, 11:41 AM	#14
mapsjanhere Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 2,832	Looks to me like a duffel cut rifle that got its barrel shortened. If a GI was trying to bring home an unregistered souvenir, the stock didn't fit into the duffel bag. So they were typically cut off at the first band. There's a lot of restored duffel cut guns, but some went the other way and trimmed the barrel. __________________ I used to love being able to hit hard at 1000 yards. As I get older I find hitting a mini ram at 200 yards with the 22 oddly more satisfying.

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November 16, 2014, 11:02 PM	#2
ray22 Junior Member Join Date: December 27, 2009 Posts: 3	Could possibly be a sporterized model. A lot of them were done when originally imported. I have a 1909 Argentina Mauser that has all matching numbers that was done in the 50's.

November 16, 2014, 11:21 PM	#3
4wheeler Junior Member Join Date: November 16, 2014 Posts: 6	it appears to be the original stock but it stops at the first band that holds the sling. it only has about 6" of barrel after that. the barrel is only 19" but the serial number matches the rest of the gun.

November 17, 2014, 01:47 AM	#5
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	BCD is code for the Gustloff Werke factory in Weimar, Germany. If its in its original military configuration with a 19 inch barrel its a mountain troops short rifle similar to the 33/40. Varnish is the correct finish.

November 17, 2014, 07:47 PM	#6
4wheeler Junior Member Join Date: November 16, 2014 Posts: 6	i did the reaserch on the markings it is marked a 98 not 30/40 but the barrel is short and the stock stops 1/2" past the sling band and has about 6" of barrel past the stock. all serial #s match. i am at a loss workig on getting a pic posted.

November 17, 2014, 09:27 PM	#7
4wheeler Junior Member Join Date: November 16, 2014 Posts: 6	image.jpg

November 17, 2014, 09:35 PM	#8
4wheeler Junior Member Join Date: November 16, 2014 Posts: 6	image.jpg

November 17, 2014, 09:36 PM	#9
4wheeler Junior Member Join Date: November 16, 2014 Posts: 6	image.jpg

November 18, 2014, 12:21 AM	#11
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	A bit different from the usual as someone cut the stock off ahead of the band, then chopped the barrel and reset the front sight. But it is still a "bubba" job, not some rare factory variation. Jim

November 18, 2014, 12:32 AM	#12
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	What Jim said.

November 18, 2014, 12:45 AM	#13
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	The "Gustloff" story is interesting. Wilhelm Gustloff was a German Nazi who was assassinated by Communists in Switzerland in 1936. The Nazis made him a martyr to the cause and a hero, even though a few years later Hitler ordered the killing of SA members of a similar bent. Factories (like the Jewish-owned Simson plant) that were not run by "loyal" Nazis were taken over by the government, then turned over to the Nazi party and run for the profit of the party and its backers. Many of those enterprises were named after Gustloff and combined under the name "Gustloff Werke" (Gustloff Works). Of course, the government made sure the "Gustloff Werke" got very profitable government contracts; it was not hard to make money, since labor was mostly from the concentration camps. Jim

November 19, 2014, 09:58 PM	#15
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Someone put that front sight on, and a GI would probably not have had access to the equipment to do that. So maybe a combination of a "duffel cut" and some other work later on. FWIW, the only "registration" would have been the permission paper, and whether the GI had that or not was often irrelevant. Army regulations required that all the GI's belongings had to fit in his duffel bag; unit commanders could choose whether or not to enforce that, and many didn't. But some did, so if a GI was in such a unit, his souvenir had to fit in the bag, whether he had a paper or not. As to the paper, again sometimes MP's at the point of debarkation would ask for it, sometimes there was no check at all. The father of a friend brought back a P.35(p) Radom through NY; the MPs took the gun, and a welder in NYPD uniform welded up the muzzle and the gun was given back. Obviously, that was not a universal practice, but it was done to comply with NYC law, which even then was completely insane on handguns. Jim

December 19, 2014, 01:23 PM	#16
hammered54 Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2010 Location: Pinckney,Michigan Posts: 151	I've read many of these story's about paper work for bringing back rifles from overseas. my Dad ...R.I.P. sent many back home thru the mail ..so he told us 11 in all, plus other things Bayonets...belts..helmets..even a P08. just wrapped them up in brown paper and string and shipped them home to the family address....all arrived in good shape. still have most of it. Matt.

December 19, 2014, 01:42 PM	#17
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	It was illegal to mail guns home, but many GIs did so and got away with it. It was also illegal to bring back guns without the "capture papers" but again many had none and were never asked for them. That applied only to captured enemy weapons, though. Bringing back U.S. weapons was considered stealing government property and punishable by imprisonment. In spite of all the stories about how Grandpa or Uncle Jim brought back a dozen M1 rifles or a case of .45 pistols, it just wasn't done. Not because of ethical considerations, but because violating the rules would delay discharge and those guys wanted out ASAP! Jim