OnlyMil
Junior Member
Happy Veteran's Day! Thought I might finally post what is likely the nicest German rifle in my possession with some uncommon/rare accessories. This was a pickup from Sam Levy a little over two years ago now. It was previously in his collection for 50 years. It was the only German rifle he still had, and after it sat for a while, we finally came to an agreement on this rifle. It is an all matching early "gg" block Kar98 made at Erfurt in 1918, and appears to be the latest reported per the sticky reference. Hambone/Craig has similarly posted an Erfurt "gg" block some 12 years ago ( LINK ) that is even later in production than this one. Both being made in the waning months of the war before the armistice. Per Peter Kuck (which I know is a bit of an unreliable source), approximately 348,193 Kar98s were produced in 1918 at Erfurt. The "gg" block then being the 2nd to last block, and the last full block, of manufacture before production ceased altogether. If this rifle was ever issued to troops, I'm guessing it was "only dropped once". It has no apparent signs of being retained by the Weimar government or any paramilitary group post-war along with no rework characteristics, while also escaping destruction as mandated by the Allied Commission. There are no import marks either, and is not duffle-cut. I've no clue how it got here, but all the happier it did. The late-war blued finished is almost black in composition (which made it a major PITA to photograph) and the Type 3 single-piece beechwood stock with grasping grooves and takedown disc, in uncharacteristic fashion, has retained its stamps incredibly well. The matching handguard is walnut. The bore is excellent. Appears hardly fired if fired at all.
On top of a nice rifle in it's own right, this rifle came with an original Weissenburger Kar98 mud cover. The Kar98 cover was unique in that unlike the Gewehr 98 mud cover, which had the spring clip clasp over the barrel behind the rear sight, the Kar98 with it's FL handguard and small-ring receiver, necessitated a larger piece of spring steel covering the bottom metal, secured over the receiver markings. Both pieces of the cover are marked "W CO DRP" and bear their own Fraktur acceptance marks. The mud cover functions the same way as the Gewehr 98 one, and reciprocates when the action is cycled. This mud cover has been on this rifle a very long time (at least 50 years spanning the time Sam owned it), and I have provided a photo showing the "cover wear" where it has obscured the stock for a long time. Given the smaller overall production numbers of the Kar98 when compared to the Gewehr 98, the Kar98 cover is far less encountered, and I know off the top of my head of only one other Weissenburger cover floating around the forum.
A second item, which I have yet to see on the forum, is the Kar98 flash hider. The only other one I found was in the Amoskeag auction records when Craig Brown's collection was up for sale. This piece of kit is rare in that it was often discarded. With the flash hider attached, it makes the rifle the same length as a Gewehr 98, practically defeating the purpose of the carbine altogether. It is nothing more than a metal tube with a simple locking ring that attaches to the retaining ring on the muzzle. I imagine in combat conditions it could get in the way and be quite fragile. It does not restrict the use of a bayonet however (the locking ring can rotate freely to either side), and the semi-circular retaining ring on a bayonet will support the flash hider nicely. The only marking present is a "G in triangle" mark, with no Fraktur acceptance ever being observed.
This rifle is at the very top of my collection, and helps to complete my "trifecta" or "trinity" of the Kar98 rifle spanning Pre-War and Wartime production, as well as Post-War Weimar reworking. Please enjoy the copious number of photos I took for this one! Here is the data sheet™:
Receiver: 513gg
Barrel: 513gg (BU.? or BO.? 212)
Front Sight: 13
Rear Sight Base: 13
Rear Sight: 13
Rear Sight Slider: 13
Bolt Release: 13
Trigger Sear: 13
Front Barrel Band - Lower Assembly: 13
Front Barrel Band - Upper Assembly: Unmarked
Stacking Swivel Retainer: 13
Stacking Swivel: 13
Lower Barrel Band: 13
Trigger Guard: 513
Trigger Guard Screws: 13, 13
Floor Plate: 13
Follower: 13
Stock: 513
Stock Channel: 513
Stock Sling Cutout: 13
Handguard: 513
Buttplate: 513
Bayonet Lug: Blank/Illegible (worn)
Bolt body: 513gg
Safety: 13
Cocking Piece: 13
Bolt shroud: 13
Firing Pin: 13
Extractor: 13
On top of a nice rifle in it's own right, this rifle came with an original Weissenburger Kar98 mud cover. The Kar98 cover was unique in that unlike the Gewehr 98 mud cover, which had the spring clip clasp over the barrel behind the rear sight, the Kar98 with it's FL handguard and small-ring receiver, necessitated a larger piece of spring steel covering the bottom metal, secured over the receiver markings. Both pieces of the cover are marked "W CO DRP" and bear their own Fraktur acceptance marks. The mud cover functions the same way as the Gewehr 98 one, and reciprocates when the action is cycled. This mud cover has been on this rifle a very long time (at least 50 years spanning the time Sam owned it), and I have provided a photo showing the "cover wear" where it has obscured the stock for a long time. Given the smaller overall production numbers of the Kar98 when compared to the Gewehr 98, the Kar98 cover is far less encountered, and I know off the top of my head of only one other Weissenburger cover floating around the forum.
A second item, which I have yet to see on the forum, is the Kar98 flash hider. The only other one I found was in the Amoskeag auction records when Craig Brown's collection was up for sale. This piece of kit is rare in that it was often discarded. With the flash hider attached, it makes the rifle the same length as a Gewehr 98, practically defeating the purpose of the carbine altogether. It is nothing more than a metal tube with a simple locking ring that attaches to the retaining ring on the muzzle. I imagine in combat conditions it could get in the way and be quite fragile. It does not restrict the use of a bayonet however (the locking ring can rotate freely to either side), and the semi-circular retaining ring on a bayonet will support the flash hider nicely. The only marking present is a "G in triangle" mark, with no Fraktur acceptance ever being observed.
This rifle is at the very top of my collection, and helps to complete my "trifecta" or "trinity" of the Kar98 rifle spanning Pre-War and Wartime production, as well as Post-War Weimar reworking. Please enjoy the copious number of photos I took for this one! Here is the data sheet™:
Receiver: 513gg
Barrel: 513gg (BU.? or BO.? 212)
Front Sight: 13
Rear Sight Base: 13
Rear Sight: 13
Rear Sight Slider: 13
Bolt Release: 13
Trigger Sear: 13
Front Barrel Band - Lower Assembly: 13
Front Barrel Band - Upper Assembly: Unmarked
Stacking Swivel Retainer: 13
Stacking Swivel: 13
Lower Barrel Band: 13
Trigger Guard: 513
Trigger Guard Screws: 13, 13
Floor Plate: 13
Follower: 13
Stock: 513
Stock Channel: 513
Stock Sling Cutout: 13
Handguard: 513
Buttplate: 513
Bayonet Lug: Blank/Illegible (worn)
Bolt body: 513gg
Safety: 13
Cocking Piece: 13
Bolt shroud: 13
Firing Pin: 13
Extractor: 13
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….. Again, awesome Kar98 congrats
