Polish K98 P.F.K WARSAWA 1925

Thought I would post the other Polish rifle I was fortunate to acquire from the same resource. Only ever saw another example in close condition and it was almost 50 years ago. At that time was beginning to collect German longarms in earnest after the sale of my Polish/German P35 (Radom) collection. What deterred me was the shiny bore with rust pitting... although I do recall it had a walnut stock and with both rust blue with components like the rear sight, screws and bolt release being Nitre blue. Don't remember the receiver marking/date. The rifle pictured is 100% matched, mirror bore and bolt face looks as new. This rifle appears to have seen very little service and doubt it was ever used in combat. Wear on the receiver top, rear receiver/stripper clip guide, rear sight and buttplate make me think it was taken from storage by the Germans. There are several minor scrapes and dings on the stock as well... making me think this rifle ended up in one or more surrender/capture piles during it's time in Europe. Possibly it was issued out to a German organization which was rear echelon and static, as it exhibits shoulder carry. Though I have had other Polish K98s, they were German reissue pieces. Typically they carried a acceptance stamp on the stock behind rear trigger guard screw, blued/numbered components and follower modified to act as a hold-open. Krukster86 mentioned this piece is a first-year production. Of note is the fashion of numbering components... as typically done in German manufacture as opposed to the later, Polish style.

Remaining photos from OP:

It is shocking to see one of these in factory fresh condition. Interesting that it had a walnut stock as opposed to beech, but yet still has the hardwood reinforcement. A true unicorn!

Without a doubt.....One Beautiful Carbine! Thanks for sharing.........

Very nice rifle…. Congrats

Amazing rifle, thanks for sharing! The stock stamps are almost never that crisp.

The condition of that rifle is amazing.

Thanks for the thoughtful comments all. So, I finally have the three major Polish service rifles... K98, Wz98a & Wz29 to go with my 1939 Eagle P35.

BTW, I know there are a few books out there regarding both Polish pre-WW2 arms/bayonets. However, from what I have seen they are typically in Polish. In addition, pictures are sketches or colored plates. I only want to see real arms, so are there any recommendations...? A definitive book is yet (if ever) to be written... and would be nice to see one done on the Czech pre-WW2 arms and Vz 23/4 in particular.

pwcosol said:

BTW, I know there are a few books out there regarding both Polish pre-WW2 arms/bayonets. However, from what I have seen they are typically in Polish. In addition, pictures are sketches or colored plates. I only want to see real arms, so are there any recommendations...? A definitive book is yet (if ever) to be written... and would be nice to see one done on the Czech pre-WW2 arms and Vz 23/4 in particular.

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I wish…
The closest I can offer right now is the English language version of “Bayonets of the Polish Army 1918-1939” by Janusz Jarosławski. Sometimes I see a copy floating around on eBay.

I have yet to find a collector focused book on Polish Mausers, that covers aspects of design, development, testing, field trials, service use, meanings of markings l, changes over time, production numbers, unit assignments, etc., in Polish…let alone in English!

krukster86 said:

I wish…I have yet to find a collector focused book on Polish Mausers, that covers aspects of design, development, testing, field trials, service use, meanings of markings l, changes over time, production numbers, unit assignments, etc., in Polish…let alone in English!

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Back in the day was published in Germany "Deutsch Waffen Journal" (DWJ.de). Their periodical contained very well done articles, archival research and are still around today. I think they still publish online and members have access to search the archives. I wonder if perhaps something may have been written in their journals...

krukster86 said:

I wish…
The closest I can offer right now is the English language version of “Bayonets of the Polish Army 1918-1939” by Janusz Jarosławski. Sometimes I see a copy floating around on eBay.

I have yet to find a collector focused book on Polish Mausers, that covers aspects of design, development, testing, field trials, service use, meanings of markings l, changes over time, production numbers, unit assignments, etc., in Polish…let alone in English!

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Books by Janusz Jaroslawski don’t offer too much information. They are nice picture books with detailed high quality pictures only in my opinion. They miss many variants and don’t approach subjects with intent of deep study. Very limited research if any.
Book on Polish Mausers is to be written, so an open opportunity for someone. Since not too many unmessed, collector grade examples are in Poland that will be hard for such a book to be written in Poland. US based author will have to be able to dedicate a lot of time and effort to research Polish archives. So before such book appears keep buying rifles, since their prices will sky rocket after one gets published. They are still relatively cheap compared to Polish swords, hats, medals, badges, uniforms or even bayonets and other type of pre 1939 militaria.

tokarev38 said:

Books by Janusz Jaroslawski don’t offer too much information. They are nice picture books with detailed high quality pictures only in my opinion. They miss many variants and don’t approach subjects with intent of deep study. Very limited research if any.
Book on Polish Mausers is to be written, so an open opportunity for someone. Since not too many unmessed, collector grade examples are in Poland that will be hard for such a book to be written in Poland. US based author will have to be able to dedicate a lot of time and effort to research Polish archives. So before such book appears keep buying rifles, since their prices will sky rocket after one gets published. They are still relatively cheap compared to Polish swords, hats, medals, badges, uniforms or even bayonets and other type of pre 1939 militaria.

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100% couldn’t have said it any better.

As mentioned, a key problem is having a healthy data pool of “original” unmessed with rifles. Those are few and far between and as we know, exorbitantly expensive to accumulate.

It is my understanding that very recently, a two part “tome” was written / published in Poland on the Wz.28 Browning, and it is being called the first Polish “firearm collector” book worth its salt. I haven’t seen it yet but some guys I talk to rave about it.