[mattL46]

Originally Posted by Scorch

Not necessarily true. Pre-WW2 sporter rifles also had thumb slots for using chargers, they were the "speed loader" of the day, so even commercial rifles had thumb notches. After WW2, pretty much all commercial 98s had smooth sides with no thumb cutout.

This rifle is almost certainly a converted military 98, military surplus was a great source for guns for sporting purposes after WW1 and after the Nazis purged a lot of old 98s out of the system when the K98k was adopted.

Thanks so much for the thoughts/contributions!!