Help With A Mauser 98k

00_Green · August 18, 2013, 11:57 AM

I was given a German 98k Mauser, It's stamper DOU 41 on top of the receiver and by serial number was produced in 42.

All things considered, the bolt, receiver, and barrel look great, good bore, great finish with the expected wear for a rifle of it's age.

The floor plate and trigger guard are rusty and will need to be refinished by the time I get done cleaning up the rust. The butt plate is in fair to poor condition. The hand guard and stock are in great shape but they are not a matched pair. The barrel bands do not properly fit the two pieces when assembled.

Where can I find an original floor plate/trigger guard, and where do i find a hand guard to match the stock?

My priority would be finding the wood hand guard to match the stock.
Worst case on the metal parts would be a bead blast, polish, send out to be blued.

Thanks!

James K · August 18, 2013, 08:40 PM

Well, it might have started out as a K.98k, Certainly Brno (Waffenwerke Brunn at Bystrica) wasn't making anything else in 1941, but the stock, handguard and some other parts are not from a K.98k, and the stock has obviously been cut down to fit the rifle. I cannot determine what rifle it was made for, perhaps a Gew. 98. The handguard may be from a VZ-24.

The "41" (1941) is the year of manufacture, so I am not sure how you determined "by serial number" that the gun was made in 1942.

Try www.gunpartscorp.com for a K.98k trigger guard and floor plate. A K.98k stock will be hard to find, but post-war and repro stocks and handguards are available. Possibly the folks at www.k98kforum.com can be of greater assistance.

Jim

mapsjanhere · August 18, 2013, 08:40 PM

First, your Bruenn made 98 k was made in 41. Serial numbers were restarted at the beginning of each year. As for your metal parts, are the parts numbered to the gun? If so, keeping them together would be more valuable than great looks. As for the wood, it looks pretty well matched to me. It's not like they were making the handguards from the same chunk of wood like the rest. Finding a better matched one will require a lot of gun show trips.

Edit: Didn't realize that "not matched" is a euphemism for "doesn't fit"

00_Green · August 18, 2013, 09:10 PM

I was using the DOU and serial number on a 98 site to date the rifle. Since the original post I have found G.24(t) stamped on the left side of the reciever. My thanks to both of you for the replies, I have more research to do and welcome any help available.

James K · August 18, 2013, 10:42 PM

I erred in some of what I wrote earlier. Bystrica continued production of the Vz.24 up to 1942, even though the Germans had imposed their own marking system, so a dou 41 would not have been a K.98k, but, as you say, a G.24(t). They are similar, but not identical rifles. The stock and handguard of your gun don't match up and don't appear to be from either rifle.

The German nomenclature system with weapons captured or made for them in occupied countries was to use the German abbreviation for the weapon type (G for Gewehr or rifle), followed by a number that didn't conflict with a German number for the same type, followed by a letter in parentheses indicating the original country, in this case a "t" for Tschechoslowakei (the German spelling of Czechoslovakia).

The date confusion came about because the list you consulted was for the K.98k. Since Bystrica did not begin production of the K.98k itself until 1942, and manufacturers began with serial number 1 with each New Year, the serial list came up with 1942 for a dou K. 98k. with that serial number.

Jim

August 18, 2013, 11:57 AM	#1
00_Green Junior Member Join Date: April 13, 2009 Posts: 14	Help With A Mauser 98k I was given a German 98k Mauser, It's stamper DOU 41 on top of the receiver and by serial number was produced in 42. All things considered, the bolt, receiver, and barrel look great, good bore, great finish with the expected wear for a rifle of it's age. The floor plate and trigger guard are rusty and will need to be refinished by the time I get done cleaning up the rust. The butt plate is in fair to poor condition. The hand guard and stock are in great shape but they are not a matched pair. The barrel bands do not properly fit the two pieces when assembled. Where can I find an original floor plate/trigger guard, and where do i find a hand guard to match the stock? My priority would be finding the wood hand guard to match the stock. Worst case on the metal parts would be a bead blast, polish, send out to be blued. Thanks!

August 18, 2013, 08:40 PM	#3
mapsjanhere Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 2,832	First, your Bruenn made 98 k was made in 41. Serial numbers were restarted at the beginning of each year. As for your metal parts, are the parts numbered to the gun? If so, keeping them together would be more valuable than great looks. As for the wood, it looks pretty well matched to me. It's not like they were making the handguards from the same chunk of wood like the rest. Finding a better matched one will require a lot of gun show trips. Edit: Didn't realize that "not matched" is a euphemism for "doesn't fit" __________________ 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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August 18, 2013, 08:40 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Well, it might have started out as a K.98k, Certainly Brno (Waffenwerke Brunn at Bystrica) wasn't making anything else in 1941, but the stock, handguard and some other parts are not from a K.98k, and the stock has obviously been cut down to fit the rifle. I cannot determine what rifle it was made for, perhaps a Gew. 98. The handguard may be from a VZ-24. The "41" (1941) is the year of manufacture, so I am not sure how you determined "by serial number" that the gun was made in 1942. Try www.gunpartscorp.com for a K.98k trigger guard and floor plate. A K.98k stock will be hard to find, but post-war and repro stocks and handguards are available. Possibly the folks at www.k98kforum.com can be of greater assistance. Jim

August 18, 2013, 09:10 PM	#4
00_Green Junior Member Join Date: April 13, 2009 Posts: 14	I was using the DOU and serial number on a 98 site to date the rifle. Since the original post I have found G.24(t) stamped on the left side of the reciever. My thanks to both of you for the replies, I have more research to do and welcome any help available.

August 18, 2013, 10:42 PM	#5
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	I erred in some of what I wrote earlier. Bystrica continued production of the Vz.24 up to 1942, even though the Germans had imposed their own marking system, so a dou 41 would not have been a K.98k, but, as you say, a G.24(t). They are similar, but not identical rifles. The stock and handguard of your gun don't match up and don't appear to be from either rifle. The German nomenclature system with weapons captured or made for them in occupied countries was to use the German abbreviation for the weapon type (G for Gewehr or rifle), followed by a number that didn't conflict with a German number for the same type, followed by a letter in parentheses indicating the original country, in this case a "t" for Tschechoslowakei (the German spelling of Czechoslovakia). The date confusion came about because the list you consulted was for the K.98k. Since Bystrica did not begin production of the K.98k itself until 1942, and manufacturers began with serial number 1 with each New Year, the serial list came up with 1942 for a dou K. 98k. with that serial number. Jim