Third Party Press

1903 MAUSER ERFURT serial# 96 Gew. 98. All matching part numbers R96 except cleaning rod #90 UPDATE traded with a forum member my #90 for a #96

A start, when RR or relent data is omitted it is because I simplified to populate the data, will try to fill in and expand as battery permits. Generally it shows the general progression, but leaves much to collector perspective. This is seen on most of the Prussian start up (generally as I recollect- 1905'ish the normal pattern is followed)

Naturally this is a tiny snapshot of what actually occurred

1899

103 – C/X C/X C/X C/D (f/p receiver) (FBR)
276 – C/X C/X C/R (f/p receiver)
476 – report (Jeff Noll – 3.G.9.5)
797 – RR- n/a (1920) (Simson barrel)
982 – C/T C/R C/R (“crown” under 1st, C/C under second) (f/p receiver)

2556 – C/T C/R C/R (BC- B.102 / Efp / C/T x3 - original barrel)
5205 – C/T C/R C/R (KM – disc- III.S.B.2.199)
5390 – report (4.O.R.9.188 - Jeff Noll)
6999 – C/T C/R C/R (C/RC under first position)
7323 – C/T C/D C/R (re-barrel- S&S BJ 15 / C/X x2 / C/E / Sfp)
7980 – C/T C/R C/R (Ef/p receiver)

1900

573 – (II.M.D.1225) (Jeff Noll)
2505 – (1920) (eGun-very pitted)

211 a – C/C C/R C/R (Kr 821 FRS rebarrel)
3254 a – (soldbuch entry)
4571 a – gundealer 2003, poor pictures)
4615 a - (eGun -poor pictures - serial probable, suffix certain)
5842 a – RR not clear

3275 b – C/T C/R C/R (KR.14 Efp C/O x3)
4551 b – C/T C/R C/R? (serial confirmed, suffix probable)

1901

731 a – (report)

7791 b – C/R C/R C/R(?) (re-barrel)
8164 b – (HH)

2 c – C/T C/T C/T (BI. 27 / Efp / C/?)(bolt E/X / Efp / E/D) (37.R.R.192)
6568 c – RR- n/a (E.B.R.J.R.78.2.232) (MauserBill)
8164 c – (report)
8356 c – RR- n/a (BO. 16 Efp C/?)
9158 c – RR- n/a (BI. 35 / Efp / C/?) (131.R.E.1.188)

1902

803 d – C/T C/T C/T
4105 d – C/R/(C/RC) C/L C/R (Bavarian re-barrel)(10.R.J.1.205)
4619 d - C/L C/L C/R (86.R.8.233) (Australia)
7446 d – C/T C/L C/A (BO.86 Erft f/p 3 acceptance)
8808 d –– C/T C/L C/A (BO.88 Erft f/p 3 acceptance)(101.R.5.202) looks original

1810 e –
7222 e –
7308 e –
9925 e – C/T C/L C/M (bolt- C/M) (K.S. 931)

1903

8368 – Pole- Suffix unknown
8841 – Suffix unknown
9037 – Suffix unknown

2462 f –
3722 f – C/E C/L C/L
8495 f – C/W C/U C/A

4051 g
5836 g – 1.G.R.E.4.231
6847 g
7041 g
8717 g – 1.R.2.32
9037 g
9897 g – 118.R.11

1905

3767 – C/K C/O C/K (80.R.M.G.19)

2109 a – RR- n/a (67.R.E.3.227)
2708 a – C/E C/A C/A
4197 a – C/W C/B? C/A

1906

3259 – C/W C/F C/F (bolt- C/K) (112.R.8.126)
5932 – C/W C/F C/F (BC- BO. 106)
 
Last edited:
Thank you - I am making an information folder to keep with the rifle, with all the information the Forum members have sent. me. I will, with appreciation, add this and any other info. you can give me to this folder, but I find that I do not know what this info. means and need a more detailed explanation of the listed items. - John M
 
john mcmaster said:
Thank you - I am making an information folder to keep with the rifle, with all the information the Forum members have sent. me. I will, with appreciation, add this and any other info. you can give me to this folder, but I find that I do not know what this info. means and need a more detailed explanation of the listed items. - John M
Click to expand...
Thanks for coming here John; this is the best place for knowledge on these, bar none.
 
john mcmaster said:
Thank you - I am making an information folder to keep with the rifle, with all the information the Forum members have sent. me. I will, with appreciation, add this and any other info. you can give me to this folder, but I find that I do not know what this info. means and need a more detailed explanation of the listed items. - John M
Click to expand...
John, Paul/Loewe tracks data on German rifles by serial number. The list he posted he compiled from auctions, these forums, and people contacting him through his website. Broken down by manufacturer (Erfurt) and year, it lists the serial number of each Gew, then any additional information. Sometimes there is nothing more than the maker, date, and serial, but when there is the receiver acceptance (the three crowned letters on the right side of the receiver which denote the inspectors who passed the weapon), barrel code (the letters then number on the barrel that denote the barrel maker and lot number), and unit mark, it is recorded. Your rifle would be read as:
Erfurt 1903 96 g - c/B c/L c/R; B.I. 107; 13.P.1.31.
 
It looks like what Paul’s trends show is that he has only 2 and perhaps 3 letter blocks being produced that year (that he has seen) instead of the 80k that your “g” suffix suggests, making it rarer still at possibility @ 20k produced. Preceding letter suffix’s show up with earlier year dated receivers. Unless I’m mistaken.
 
Thank you - I am making an information folder to keep with the rifle, with all the information the Forum members have sent. me. I will, with appreciation, add this and any other info. you can give me to this folder, but I find that I do not know what this info. means and need a more detailed explanation of the listed items. - John M
biggymu said:
It looks like what Paul’s trends show is that he has only 2 and perhaps 3 letter blocks being produced that year (that he has seen) instead of the 80k that your “g” suffix suggests, making it rarer still at possibility @ 20k produced. Preceding letter suffix’s show up with earlier year dated receivers. Unless I’m mistaken.
Click to expand...
thank you - much easier - Would that make it at #96 one of the earliest of that group known?
 
john mcmaster said:
`Thank you - I will take more pictures but my son knows how to post them and he lives out of state but I will do it as soon as possible. A quick look at the buttplate (which I did not clean) does not seem to show any markings and the 2 screws are not numbered like the ones on the rest of the gun The buttplate and screws show the most use and I am sure they are original to the gun.
Click to expand...
I cleaned the buttplate some, and about 1/4 inch below the lower screw it has a 96 stamp'
 
AN-94 said:
Typically the buttplate is serialized to the rifle, right below the bottom screw. The screws themselves won't be numbered but any additional markings on the buttplate would give insight if the rifle underwent any depot work.
Click to expand...
I cleaned the buttplate some and about 1/4 inch below the bottom screw it has a 96 stamp.
 
john mcmaster said:
I cleaned the buttplate some, and about 1/4 inch below the lower screw it has a 96 stamp'
Click to expand...
Sounds like it did not go through a depot then. If it has been reworked at some point there would be a large number for the depot and a smaller letter for the armorer above the lower screw.
 
PrayingMantis said:
Sounds like it did not go through a depot then. If it has been reworked at some point there would be a large number for the depot and a smaller letter for the armorer above the lower screw.
Click to expand...
Cleaned a little more - about 1/8 inch above lower screw is a small stamp - about 1/8 " wide and less than 3/16" long that is hard to make out but looks like the rest of the small stamps located in several other places. (def. not numbers)
 
john mcmaster said:
Cleaned a little more - about 1/8 inch above lower screw is a small stamp - about 1/8 " wide and less than 3/16" long that is hard to make out but looks like the rest of the small stamps located in several other places. (def. not numbers)
Click to expand...
That would be the buttplate’s acceptance. A small crown over a letter in fraktur font.
 
AN-94 said:
Typically the buttplate is serialized to the rifle, right below the bottom screw. The screws themselves won't be numbered but any additional markings on the buttplate would give insight if the rifle underwent any depot work.
Click to expand...
Cleaned it some - found stamps. (See below additional replies)
 
john mcmaster said:
UPDATE - Thanks to a Forum member, who traded me a number 96 orig. cleaning rod for my number 90, (what are the odds of that happening?) I now have an all parts matching Gew 98 1903 serial number 96 g Mauser rifle.
Click to expand...
I'm glad you guys were able to work a trade. It's a nice rifle and even better now that you've got the correct rod in it.
 
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