Just wondering if anyone knows anything about a K. Kahles H/6x49 scope? It's mounted on a short side rail K98 and my question is, is this a correct scope for that wartime period? I've only seen the 4x scopes and am not familiar with this one. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
- Thread starter drumstick54
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There's no serial number so I assume it's a commercial scope. It's marked K. Kahles and is a 6x49 scope which I think is unusual. I'm trying to get more photos and will post any other info that comes up. It just doesn't look like a period scope to me but I've been wrong before. Thanks for your reply!
I am not an expert on K98 sniper rifles, but I've read about 80 to 90% of what one sees for sale is a put together rifle, and very few originals exist in the USA. I have two good books of these rifles, Peter Sencih's book, and Richard Law's book on K98 snipers.
The rifle pictured is the final form of the short side mount with the unique vertical locking lever (circa late 1943 - in 1944 they adopted the long side mount). It is believed that final short side version was invented by the Saur firm in 1943. (Source: Sniper Variations of the German K98k Rifle, by Richard D. Law (page 30).
I would want to see a 'ce 43' or possibly 'byf 43' as the base K98 rifle. The mount should have a serial number that matches the rifle and scope if original, although even in Law's book his example does not have a matching set-up. Scopes associated with that mount are 4x Dialytan and 4x Kahles. I think the best advice I read re German K98 snipers is do not pay a lot for one unless examined by a true K98 expert, as again, most are either fake snipers or a post-war put together based on whatever optics and mounts could be acquired.
That said, I have read one excerpt of a 6x scope being used by a famous German sniper, but I don't know the details. He, like many snipers, had his rifle immediately destroyed when he heard that Germany had surrendered. He apparently had it run over with a half-track, as any German solider getting caught with a sniper rifle in May 1945 would likely be executed on the spot by the Russians, and I doubt American soldiers would have showed a lot of mercy either if they came upon a German soldier with a sniper rifle....
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Thank you for the info. This rifle has a post war mount so it's definitely not a wartime sniper. I was just concerned about the scope not being of that period and you're correct about not paying too much for it. I've seen some incredible prices on obvious fakes on Gun Broker but then again, they do look real until closer examination.
The fact that the only adjustment on the scope itself is for elevation is period correct. Kahles scopes made during the war years are marked with the code CAD. 6 power leads me to believe early postwar production.
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