1918 Amberg Gew98m EWB

[Honkey Tonk Devil]

Here's a recent acquisition of mine, has taken it sweet time getting here...10days past oringal delivery day. To be honest I was getting nervous. It wasn't exactly what I wanted. However it was a now or never situation. I have no regrets.

It's Gew98m that doesn't have the 1920 property mark so must have been hidden. Which to my knowledge a lot of these EWB marked ones are of that nature. But please correct me if I'm wrong. Let me know what ya think. Open to it all.
Most of these are not my pictures they are from Legacy where I purchased it. Let's call it a 1000 to my FFL.

Bolt matches itself the serial numbers look a bit off, but they don't match the rifle so I would suspect that's just how they are

Barrel and receiver match although maybe it's been rebarreled..? Tigger guard, floor plate, follower, bolt release match.
Stock matches both bands and buttplate was matching then was xxxx out to match receiver.

No cleaning rod. Stock is duffle cut.
Did come with a muzzle protector and seems to a legit sling. Which is dry very dry. I have used mink oil in the past. I'm assuming that will be ok for this one as well?

Let me know if you want/need more pics.
Thanks.

 

[cj556]

Barrel is definitely a later arsenal replacement by the proof. The bolt numbers look typical Weimar to me (they are often crude). Photos of the underside of the wrist may have a depot stamp denoting which facility reworked this rifle too.

 

[chrisftk]

That's a neat one. I don't see anything nefarious on it. Looks like a legit buttplate renumbering. Does the stock match internally?

I wouldn't do anything to the sling. Most leather "conditioners" are softeners that harm old leather long term. Less is always more. A few dozen of my Gew98s have original slings and I've never had issues with them falling apart unless already damaged when they arrived.

 

[joryfreeburg]

Good looking Amberg 98m…. I am into it

 

[Honkey Tonk Devil]

Thanks fellas I do honestly appreciate it.
I plan on taking it apart this weekend and posting some pictures. I will look at the wrist again as well, but I didn't see anything like what is on some of the reworks in picture index.
Thanks for the info on the sling, there is some slight damage to it as well as the stitching.
As far as the bolt being all matching to itself and not rifle. Is this something that could have mixed up when it was brought back? Obviously probably no real way to tell. Just educated guesses.

 

[cj556]

It may have come back with the mm bolt but no real way to tell for sure unfortunately.

 

[Honkey Tonk Devil]

Some more photos. Inside stock number matches outside. Handguard matches receiver. Don't know if that's good or bad.
Unfortunately the trigger is marked 34. The bolt shroud has J W stamped on it.
I will just let the pics tell the story.

 

[Loewe]

What would help giving this rifle some context is detail of the barrel markings. It would narrow the possibilities (amd period). Namely the barrels full code and waffenamts; not everyone made G98 length barrels, -WaA would narrow the possibilities more (look e/37 which would narrow it to Suhl, but unlikely with what shows of the code, which looks more Simson, but also unlikely but several possibilities exist even though unlikely)

Lacking the 1920 property mark means it wasn't officially in government hands, though probably in Bavarian hands though black reichswehr or premilitary hands that often find their way to official property (the NS was quick to bring order to the factions with the enabling act, - it was very effective in rounding up disorder and what remained of dissent

 

[Honkey Tonk Devil]

So I knew when I bought this I was going to fix the duffle cut. I know everyone has different feelings of this and honestly I don't think any one way is right or wrong. My preference was to fix it, it is a gun and I bought it to shoot it.
I read Hambones write up on fixing duffle cut k98ks, very well written and done. I also read several others on fixing duffle cuts.
I decided a slightly different route, without going into a whole step by step process. If anyone really wants to know or has questions can also pm me and I would be more than happy to help.
What I did was get a 1/2 inch oak dowel, cut to about 7 inches drilled a 1/4 inch hole though it for the cleaning rod. Took me two trys to get one I was happy with. Then I drilled the cleaning rod channel out to 1/2 inch. Starting at a 1/4 inch moving up in 1/16 inch increments. Now if you have ever worked with wood dowels there's not much room for error holes have to drilled straight ECT.
It didn't really hit until I got to a 3/8 hole that what the hell am I going to do if I fail....failure was never really option in my mind. Had a thought hit me in that moment. This thing is over a 100 years old been traveling the world. Only to wind up in my 100 degree garage with me drilling holes in. Side note the smell of the wood is nothing like I have ever smelled before. ( I did interior remodeling for 12+ years we also had a full wood shop) Can't explain it or describe it but I will never forget it. Wether it was the actual wood or the house it's been sitting in for the past 100 years I don't know but it was unique. Had to take minute collect myself and press on. Used Titebond III to glue it all together. Seems solid.

The results were ok with me, not perfect but here are the pics. The cleaning rod goes in perfectly. I will have to Dremel out the cleaning rod nut area as I don't have the nut.
I measured my other guns from the bayonet lug to end of barrel and this one falls in the middle. So I did not add any material to take up for the duffle cut. Let me know your thoughts or questions. Pics

 

[Honkey Tonk Devil]

What would help giving this rifle some context is detail of the barrel markings. It would narrow the possibilities (amd period). Namely the barrels full code and waffenamts; not everyone made G98 length barrels, -WaA would narrow the possibilities more (look e/37 which would narrow it to Suhl, but unlikely with what shows of the code, which looks more Simson, but also unlikely but several possibilities exist even though unlikely)

Lacking the 1920 property mark means it wasn't officially in government hands, though probably in Bavarian hands though black reichswehr or premilitary hands that often find their way to official property (the NS was quick to bring order to the factions with the enabling act, - it was very effective in rounding up disorder and what remained of dissent

Here are some pics, best I could get. Looks like eagle over 37. It has the solid sight base sleeve. One of the books I have which is more of a quick ref more or less says the would ones were referb under the Third Reich. Please correct me if I'm wrong or if you need better pics. Thanks

 

[Loewe]

This is a JPS (or possibly CGH, - though fxo barrels are only know starting in 1943, but it is highly probable they made barrels very early and mix with JPS barrels... (Mike Steves wrote a groundbreaking study on the distinctions for the MRJ before the bible set was released, not to blow Mike too much on this it was seriously some of the best conclusions I have ever seen on this subject, even Joe Steen was impressed at the time)

I assume this is a G98 length barrel, it looks it, not sure I have seen a JPS/CGH G98 barrel before dated 1940, 39's are fairly rare, but 1940 is possible. This is wartime replaced either way.

**I would examine the stock closely for signs of who did the work, the buttstock small (wrist) to buttplate. Usually the depot marked their work with small stamped the stock or rarely the buttplate, it can be very small and or faint (worn) Identifying the depot would enhance value and it surely would have been marked though possibly worn to oblivion

 

[Honkey Tonk Devil]

I have looked through the picture reference and looked for what others look like with depot marks. I cannot find any on the stock. I have looked with a flashlight, with glare from sunlight to maybe find something faint. No such luck. Stock was sanded at some point in time maybe when it went through a refurb, but then it should have depot markings I would think. Checked butt plate as well only thing I can make out is the imperial marking on it.
Maybe it was sanded once it was state side, but with the way it currently looks I really doubt that. If someone was going to sand it they would have sanded some of the rough areas out imo.

 

[Honkey Tonk Devil]

Got out to the farm to do some shooting yesterday. Duffle cut repair help up just fine put around 30-40 rounds through it. Stock was wiped down with Howards butcher block conditioner. Seems to really absorb into the wood. Doesn't seem to "sweat out" as easily as others. Gotta say looks good in the sun.