1939 Mauser K98k info needed

Leaf-blowing gooback said:
Are you sure about this?

Does anybody else not detect a compromised bore, per below:

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I'd have to see it in person. Bore photos are always hard to parse. Personally it doesn't look like a bulged or ringed barrel to me, whatever that crud is seems to be sitting along and above the surface. To my eye it looks like fibrous debris of some kind.

But, again, bore photos are notoriously hard to get right. If it were my gun I'd run a brush and a few patches down it to see what's what, maybe re-photograph it with better lighting and if possible a better camera after that. I mean, ideally you'd run a bore scope down it. They're cheap enough (sub $100) that everyone should have one if you're getting into multi-thousand dollar rifles.

Maybe the barrel is humped, maybe no. I don't think so, but I'm also saying that there really isn't enough in that photo to call it one way or the other.

edit: the fact that I think I can clearly see some crap sitting on top of a land makes me suspect the bore is just filthy. Again, though, poorly focused photo with the background blown out from a too bright light and the usual reflection/shadow wonkiness you see with bore photos.
 
Cyrano4747 said:
The short version is, it would be a research project, although not a major one. It's not really something you'll be able to do online.

The fact that it was a camp in the Rhineland both helps and hinders you. Those were all temporary measures that mostly served as holding pens to process the millions of surrendering Germans that they had to deal with in early 1945. The good news is that knowing that gives you a starting location, and we know (roughly) how many of them there were (more on that later). The terms you want to start with is Rheinweisenlager and Prisoner of War Temporary Enclosure. That sounds like what you're describing. There are 19 known ones, although the US Army admitted in the 70s that they had lost track of some of the smaller ones in the interim. I'm presuming your grandfather was in the US military. If you can piece together what unit he was in, towns that he was located near, etc. it would be a big help. From there you're probably just going to have to dig in at NARA and try to chase threads. You can start looking at their catalog online and searching, for example I just dug up the Roster of Internees at Prisoner of War Temporary Enclosure C-3-Heilbrown- 16 Oct 45. (edit: to be clear that is likely useless to you, just an example of something I could dig up in about 30 seconds of poking around in the POW Temporary Enclosure files) Unfortunately past that - as in actually looking at records - there's not really a good way to do that remotely - it will involve either traveling to the DC area yourself, or hiring a researcher to do that for you. If you're REALLY lucky you might find a few that have been digitized, but they're far and few between.

If you have any way of getting some more specifics from family or from your grandfather's records that will help a lot. It's not impossible without that - you've obviously got his name, for example - but every little bit helps to focus it.

There's also a non-zero chance that if he was a camp commander that something exists about him in the German state archives. Correspondence and the like, I've worked in those records and it's not uncommon for the first few years of the occupation to find a lot of interaction with the occupation authorities. That's a secondary place to focus, though. First stop is going to be NARA.
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That’s very helpful thanks. So this is his Military Record & Seperation that I was able to send off & get. I have marked out his personal information.
I know from a newspaper article from his hometown it states after additional training in Texas he then joined the staff of a prisoner of war enclosure upon arriving in England and was responsible for its current high level of efficient administration.
It stated he was responsible for the administration & operation of an installation which can accommodate as many as 10,000 captured enemy soldiers.
The enclosure was for many months one of its kind in this theater of operations as the only enclosure in the United Kingdom which has facilities for wounded prisoners of war.
That’s what I was able to find from that article & then I have some pictures of what appears to be a POW camp from above & one of him talking with some officers. The newspaper article appears to be from 1944. Not sure what the destroyed bridge is from in the pictures.
 

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Leaf-blowing gooback said:
Kids don't give orders, & more than 1 member here has offered savvy advice. There's just no future in being butt-hurt.

It's OK to learn from asking questions - over & over, even. It's not up to me to comprehend the answers - that's why you're here: to learn something, no matter how long it takes.
When we all see questions like: "Can I disassemble the gun & clean it?" or "Do many people disassemble these & clean them?" - it makes us wonder if this kid can blow his own nose, or even zip his own fly.

You're playing in the Big Leagues now, dear fellow: & it's time to start acting like a collector.

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I’m not a kid & unfortunately there is always one asshole in every forum & I guess you are that one. As a surgeon & also being at ground zero on 9/11 that day & for days after, you should learn who the hell you are talking to.
My life doesn’t revolve around some “collectible gun”. Everyone loves to talk a big game online but I would kick your a$$ if you spoke to me that way to my face.
 
Cyrano4747 said:
I'd have to see it in person. Bore photos are always hard to parse. Personally it doesn't look like a bulged or ringed barrel to me, whatever that crud is seems to be sitting along and above the surface. To my eye it looks like fibrous debris of some kind.
edit: the fact that I think I can clearly see some crap sitting on top of a land makes me suspect the bore is just filthy. Again, though, poorly focused photo with the background blown out from a too bright light and the usual reflection/shadow wonkiness you see with bore photos.
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At minimum: a shed jacket, lodged & fuzed.
 
Leaf-blowing gooback said:
Are you sure about this?

Does anybody else not detect a compromised bore, per below:

View attachment 357417
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Compromised to what purpose? If this was a mismatched shooter grade K98k, or candidate for a fake sniper, I would want to see the bore after a good Cleaning. But it’s not. It is a matching, VG condition example of a more difficult to find maker date. No collector I know would shoot this rifle. Nor refrain from purchasing it based on bore condition. The goal is to maintain and prevent any future deterioration. A couple oiled swabs down the bore will do that.
If the barrel is damaged, bulged or ringed, as you suggest, (I see no evidence of that, just a dirty bore with minor land wear commensurate with normal use) then no manner of aggressive cleaning will remedy that.

(I was typing while you were posting photo of a clean barrel)
 
jwdomfs said:
Ok well if you are an “administrator “ then possibly address the person who stated “have I ever cleaned a gun” & then when I stated he didn’t need to be condescending ranted on as I am being a child.
There are plenty other forums I can gain information from, plus my life doesn’t revolve around this. It’s not disruption, I don’t believe he would speak to me to my face in that manner so I was just letting him know that.
Nice to see the other very helpful members though regarding my questions.
Thanks
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You are fine. You are not the subject of behavioral correction. You can tell easily who our longtime members are who have helped you and who is simply here with a two digit post count being disruptive. There are other sites on the www but none of this international quality of membership and information. None close. Welcome.
 
Saten said:
You are fine. You are not the subject of behavioral correction. You can tell easily who our longtime members are who have helped you and who is simply here with a two digit post count being disruptive. There are other sites on the www but none of this international quality of membership and information. None close. Welcome.
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Thanks, I appreciate it. I just joined two days ago & when someone behaves like that from just asking a question it irks me. Sorry about that. There are a lot of internet brave people that would never speak to someone like that in person. I have really appreciated all of the helpful advice.
 
runner said:
No collector I know would shoot this rifle.
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Meh, I'd shoot it. Frankly a 98k is pretty hard to screw up if it's in mechanically good condition (no cracks in the stock, no setback on the recoil lug in the stock, etc). I might swap out the firing pin just to be on the safe side. Is it totally risk-free? No, but all things considered it's pretty low risk. It's not a gun that you're going to be dragging through the snow to kill deer with or banging away 500 rounds of cheap Turkish surplus over a weekend with. A safe queen that goes out to the range once in a while.

A box or two of mild commercial 8mm once a year? Not something that would bother me in the slightest.
 
Cyrano4747 said:
Meh, I'd shoot it. Frankly a 98k is pretty hard to screw up if it's in mechanically good condition (no cracks in the stock, no setback on the recoil lug in the stock, etc). I might swap out the firing pin just to be on the safe side. Is it totally risk-free? No, but all things considered it's pretty low risk. It's not a gun that you're going to be dragging through the snow to kill deer with or banging away 500 rounds of cheap Turkish surplus over a weekend with. A safe queen that goes out to the range once in a while.

A box or two of mild commercial 8mm once a year? Not something that would bother me in the slightest.
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Yea, but I don’t know you😀.
Seriously, you are correct that a K98k , if the wood is solid, is very unlikely to break from shooting. I have been shooting them for 40 years and have never had a part break from shooting. ( now G/K 43s, whole different story)
To me the real risk isn’t in the actual shooting, it’s the getting to, at, and from the range handling plus the additional cleaning that is most likely to cause damage. I once dropped the bolt from a matching Gew. 98 while preparing to clean it. The safety was up as I was getting ready to disassemble it. It landed on the safety and snapped it off, now it’s a mostly matching Gew. 98.
Most of us have a bolt mm with a good bore that shoots to poi for range day. All guns should be handled carefully, but accidents do happen and I just don’t see the need to risk a collectible piece if an alternate is available that will serve the same purpose. Having said that , I totally respect your right to utilize your own property as you see fit.


regards,
 
runner said:
My father was also a combat veteran of the European theater. 6th armored division, Patton’s third army. Dad was severely wounded just a few weeks before the German surrender, he spent the the next 18 months in hospitals in France, England, and then the US. None of Dad’s personal belongings, his dufflebag, stored in England where he had trained for the invasion, or his backpack stored in the squad’s half track were ever returned to him. When he was finally discharged in 1946, they had to issue him new class A’s, as his only uniform was hospital garb. When he came home he had only his wallet, watch and pocket knife that were in his pockets when he was hit, and his Purple Heart, that was awarded to him in the hospital.

I knew dad had at least met the requirements for the Infantry Combat Badge, and the European Campaign Medal, and since Dad had no interest in pursuing this, I took up the task, this was in 1993. I wrote to the National archives, requesting information on the circumstances of Dads injury ( Dad was unconscious for some time and couldn’t even remember the exact day he was hit) his service records and any awards/medals he may be entitled to, and how he could acquire them.

in a few weeks I received a reply stating they had received my request, but since my dad was still living, they could not provide me with any information, the request needed to come from him. They were nice enough to provide the necessary forms dad needed to fill out. Knowing dad would not fill out all the paperwork, I did what any good son would do, I filled it out myself, called him and said I had a paper he needed to sign so if anything happened to me and my wife, my company could provide benefits information for our minor children to him on their behalf. The next time we visited, I casually said Dad, here’s that paper I need you to sign. He signed it without a glance. So off go all the proper forms, with proper signature, to the archives.
A few weeks later I received a box with a copy of dad’s Honorable discharge, and replacements for all his decorations and awards including European campaign with combat device and a Bronze Star. The only thing they did not send was a Purple Heart because their records indicated it had already been presented. Also included was a letter indicating they could not provide details about his various duty assignments, as his were among the thousands of WWll veterans records that were destroyed in a fire.

I had all the medals along with 6th armored and 3rd army patches, his NCO stripes and branch insignia professionally framed and presented it to him on his next birthday. When Dad died in 2017 at age 101, he specified in his will that all his belongings be divided equally among his children, except two things were to go to me, his 1983 Chevy pickup, (I had maintained this for him for years after he quit driving) and his framed medals. Today those medals and the one photo we have of dad in uniform hang in my living room and will one day go to my son.

The above is an awful lot of words to say that any trouble you go to, to preserve and honor your father’s service is well worth it.
Good luck
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That’s an awesome story! Yes it was my grandfather. I don’t know whatever happened to his medals for the campaigns & bronze star. That may be worth looking into if they could be replaced if possible.
 
jwdomfs, nice rifle.

Although this is a family firearm, many a collector began from such. I consider it akin to eating potato chips. You can't just have "one".

You indicated you are a surgeon. Take the same approach with "operating" on your rifle. Prep the patient, the work station, and have your tools readily available, and recite the hypocritic oath, "Do No Harm".

It appears you cleaned the barrel so this may be irrelevant for the moment. However, I recommend to anyone with rifles to invest in a proper bore guide to prevent injury to the firearm and it generally keeps your work area and firearm cleaner (please don't clean the barrel from the muzzle end). Bore guides are relatively inexpensive. I would also invest in a durable solid cleaning rod (not assembled in sections), rifle stand, and other cleaning essentials. I've been using the same set for over 20 years. I don't recommend the Wal-Mart kit on the end of isle. A good $150 investment that will last you for a very long time. There are some good Youtube videos available.

Many of these collectors, including myself, have shed tears of sorrow when cleaning and disassembly/assembly.

Happy Collecting.

PS. For the all that is Holy, please invest in a proper set of precision screw driver sets that match the correct size of EACH screw. This means length, width, and depth.
 
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Cyrano4747 said:
Man, I'm glad I have an add blocker that lets me pick out specific elements from a website. Staring at a literal anus in this guy's avatar was getting a bit weird.
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Staring into a sphincter is not advisable unless you’re a proctological specialist and being paid. The weirdness starts when you stare into it and it stares back and winks at you.
 
RavenOps said:
jwdomfs, nice rifle.

Although this is a family firearm, many a collector began from such. I consider it akin to eating potato chips. You can't just have "one".

You indicated you are a surgeon. Take the same approach with "operating" on your rifle. Prep the patient, the work station, and have your tools readily available, and recite the hypocritic oath, "Do No Harm".

It appears you cleaned the barrel so this may be irrelevant for the moment. However, I recommend to anyone with rifles to invest in a proper bore guide to prevent injury to the firearm and it generally keeps your work area and firearm cleaner (please don't clean the barrel from the muzzle end). Bore guides are relatively inexpensive. I would also invest in a durable solid cleaning rod (not assembled in sections), rifle stand, and other cleaning essentials. I've been using the same set for over 20 years. I don't recommend the Wal-Mart kit on the end of isle. A good $150 investment that will last you for a very long time. There are some good Youtube videos available.

Many of these collectors, including myself, have shed tears of sorrow when cleaning and disassembly/assembly.

Happy Collecting.

PS. For the all that is Holy, please invest in a proper set of precision screw driver sets that match the correct size of EACH screw. This means length, width, and depth.
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Thank you, will do.
 
RavenOps said:
You indicated you are a surgeon. Take the same approach with "operating" on your rifle. Prep the patient, the work station, and have your tools readily available, and recite the hypocritic oath, "Do No Harm".
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Also remember that with rifles, unlike patients, if you're feeling a little unsure you can walk away and leave it alone for as long as you want to. A K98k isn't going to bleed out.

The analogy I like is bonsai trees. You've got all the time in the world to figure out how you want to move forward.

Me, personally, the moment I find myself starting to feel frustrated is when I down tools for the day and come back later. Getting frustrated and trying to make something work or trying to WESCOG a solution with what you've got in your bench is how you end up covered in JB Weld and tears.
 
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