• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

WWII era 98 mauser help

2Shots

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
May 19, 2011
667
4
69
So Indiana
I acquired a rifle a few years ago that was supposedly build by a Czec or Polish rifle builder that the americans liberated to this country during WWII because the Germans forced him to build sniper rifles for them. I assume he was a gunsmith pre war. His name was Scheer or Schneer or similar. Anybody know anything about this. The rifle is on a K98 action, super heavy barrel, had target mounts of the day. It was probably a post war benchrest build.
 
Re: WWII era 98 mauser help

I thought you blokes only took the rocket scientists back with you?
laugh.gif


Sounds interesting though...got any pics of the rifle or any markings - I'm sure that would help?
 
Re: WWII era 98 mauser help

I'll dig it out of the safe and get some. And it's a good thing we did!
 
Re: WWII era 98 mauser help

Ahh, thought they would go straight to the folder, sorry.
 
Re: WWII era 98 mauser help

What you have there is a donor K98 action that someone built a prone flat range rifle around. Bright polished bluing, heavy barrel, tiger striped walnut, grip cap (missing), barrel mounted sight blocks for a return to battery scope (Fecker/Lyman type bases on there BTW) - all the trappings of a 50s era target rifle build.

I changed the photo number in the link and was able to see 8 pics. I could not tell if it is set up to take irons or not.

That is an "any rifle", that is any rifle/any sight target rifle; not a "sniper" rifle by any stretch of the imagination.

What is it chambered in?
 
Re: WWII era 98 mauser help

That is a beautiful rifle!!!
Certainly worth several thousand dollars as well, but it's beautiful!!

98-1.jpg

98-2.jpg

98-3.jpg

98-4.jpg

98-5.jpg

98-6.jpg

98-7.jpg

98-8.jpg

 
Re: WWII era 98 mauser help

No idea who the gunsmith is (and maybe now you'll never know?)...but I'd stick my neck out and say the donor rifle was a contract Mauser....adn possibly from the shape of the crown motif, a Portuguese Mauser. But not sure why the name Danzig appears...
 
Re: WWII era 98 mauser help

That's a WW1 pre-98 mauser.

From another forum:

If it says Gew.98 on the side it is a standard large ring action.Orgianally in 8mm mauser.if it says Kar.98 it is a small ring action. for the WW1 carbine.The Gew.98 is a standard large ring action.They are good.Danzig is one of the state arsenals that produced rifles For Imperial germany thru WW1.Danzig,Amberg,Erfurt and Spandau.Those are the 4 state arsenals.Orginally the Gew.98 had a 29" barrel and a straight bolt.The Kar.98 had a turn down bolt that had a flat side bolt knob,that was knurled on the flat,Stocked almost to muzzle with a staking hook and sight ears.Good luck on your purchase.
 
Re: WWII era 98 mauser help

I can't hardly read the date, but I think 1935, I don't know the caliber, I am thinking 30-06 but not sure. The workmanship is very nice the barrel is 28" about 1.10" all the way down. Figured it was a bench gun because of the weight. Not sure what I am going to do with it but I figured it was a nice build for it's day so why not.
 
Re: WWII era 98 mauser help

Not a bench gun by ANY means. As was said above its an NRA "any rifle/any sight" Prone rifle for Long range. It has a handstop and front swivel, a nice big one, for use with a sling. A mans rifle from back in the day when it was pubicly supported popular sport. Think of it like a 1950's PALMA rifle with Unertl Mounts. That is an awesome rifle. Find out the chambering, make ammo, sling up and go shoot it. I'd love to have that rifle to compete with, just for the history of it if nothing else.
 
Re: WWII era 98 mauser help

Nice rifle!

Danzig was the state arsenal in what is now Gdansk, Poland. Danzig became Gdansk after WWII. The Poles built rifles for themselves after WWII but moved the Danzig equipment to Warsaw. That is why you still see Danzig on there. It would have to be an arsenal re-work with a date of 1935. There is also the possibility that says 1915, in which case it would be original.

However, the rifle is not original and there is nothing unique about it other than the features added to it are, as mentioned above, from the late forties through early sixties. So, price-wise it isn't going to bring a whole bunch. It certainly would be a rifle I'd like to have though.

If you can get hold of some used 8mm brass and some 30-06 brass and see what it is chambered in now. Take a sharpie and color the entire shoulder and maybe some lines up the neck and down the body, to see where the chamber hits. If none of that makes sense a gunsmith can do a cerro-cast of the chamber for you. Or, you can do it too. Then measure what you have.

I've got a bunch of old rebuilt Mausers and some of them shoot incredibly well. do yourself a favor and find out what this is and get a scope on it and shoot it. You'll be surprised at how good they are.