1916 gew 98

J

jdb

Member
I have an opportunity to purchase a 1916 Gew 98. It is seems to be all matching but is missing the bolt and the lever that releases the bolt. This is not my normal area of collecting but I would like to replace the missing parts and have a representative piece. The rifle is all original, just missing the bolt.

What would a fair price be and where would be the best place to check for parts?
Thanks,
Jack
 
To give you a value we need more info. What is the maker? What is the condition? Do you have any pictures?

Buying a good all matching bolt will run you around $100 or so. I would post an add on the trader section of this forum. After collecting gew 98s you almost always end up with bolts and spare parts. I sold all my spares about a year ago.
 
Thanks for the help. if i wind up with the rifle i would want a bolt that matches itself and is appropriate for the rifle

The maker Is v. Chr. Schilling suhl. The bore looked rough and there was light rust on the end of the barrel and what could be light pitting. It has the normal dings and dents but nothing major. I do not have any photos at the moment.
 
VCS is one of the better makers, actually pretty hard to find original-matching, it is probably worth a premium over a humdrum generic 1916, though lacking a bolt is not helpful. Finding an Imperial bolt is not difficult, but finding a Suhl bolt is not easy. They can be differentiated by their acceptance and fireproof, though I doubt many would notice a difference and any Prussian bolt would do.

Value is impossible to say without pictures, seems $300-400 is a fairly safe range, if it is original-matching otherwise.
 
Picked the rifle up the afternoon. I will post photos as soon as i can, my wife helps with that. My friend refused to take any money.

It is a VSC and has not been messed with. The front band and the screw forward of the magazine are mismatched. They do match each other. The bolt and bolt release are missing. I will be posting in the trade section for an early bolt that matches itself.

Thanks for all the helpful advise.
 
A friend indeed, - you can post your needs here, if you are a legitimate post it is not a problem to mention a need or want.

While not a perfect solution, some look to MauserBill for parts swaps to "match" up a rifle. He will swap part for part of similar condition to help those in need, - matching a Imperial rifle is far less a challenge than an nazi rifle, even the acceptance can be easier to match up. Though it is often difficult to get a firm feel for the acceptance pattern on bands, very few show them, - in about 40 VCS/16 recorded, not a single one shows the band acceptance (and many do not have matching bands..).
 
jdb said:
It is a VSC and has not been messed with. The front band and the screw forward of the magazine are mismatched. They do match each other. The bolt and bolt release are missing. I will be posting in the trade section for an early bolt that matches itself.
Click to expand...

Looking forward to the pictures! V Chr Schilling might be my personal favourite; i like the long maker name.

When looking for a bolt get the first self matching Gewehr bolt you can find. Maybe then you can trade for a Suhl proofed one. Attached are examples of Suhl Eagles, they are distinctly skinny. I personally have not been able to match up any of my bolt mismatched Suhls with Suhl proofed bolts, but i have not given up hope either.
 

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Thanks for the great advice. I am still working on photos. My daughter is in soccer and cross country at her high school and this has been a very busy week.

I assume going over it with a light coat of gun oil is ok?

The serial number is 9559.
 
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