First K98. What do I have here?

P

Panth

Member
Hi everybody

I picked up my first K98 from the LGS today, I don't know a lot about Mausers. I found out through the paperwork that it was purchased in 2008 from Mitchell's Mausers. I gather they have a pretty bad reputation.

I'm not super concerned with how collectible it is, but I would be sad if it was a fake. I'm aware it's refinished which isn't good for the value, but that part doesn't concern me as much as the possibility of fake markings. I'm more of an enthusiast than a collector, and intend on shooting this plenty.

Basically I'd like to know if anyone can tell me anything about it. I'd like to know for sure that it is in fact a German 1943 BYF K98. The numbers on the receiver, bolt, stock, mag plate and receiver match, the sights, barrel bands and bayonet do not.

I'm also looking for ammo, sling/accessory recommendations. I ordered some PPU soft points to start with, should I steer clear of corrosive surplus ammo, or is it gtg?

Apologies for the low quality pics. Lmk if more/better pics are needed.
 

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So if it's to be a shooter it's probably good to go. They 'faked' many serial numbers and other marks but generally they used good parts. It is what it is. PPU is good IMHO and I've shot both their FMJ and SP. That ammo is non corrosive and slightly milder (allegedly) but I never crono'd it.
 
I re-read your post and yes, it IS a real German war time Mauser as are likely all the parts (although you can have the odd Imperial, Czech or other small parts) but as a representative piece and a shooter it should be solid. I wouldn't sweat it unless you paid a crazy high price.
 
Right on, that was really what I was wondering. I didn't expect something rare/valuable, but I'd be disappointed if it was something completely different than what it was sold as. It was a bit of an impulse buy, I went to look at a Yugo 24/47 but this caught my eye instead.

Do you happen to know what that marking is above the serial on the 2nd pic, that looks like sort of a crude star?
 
Panth said:
Do you happen to know what that marking is above the serial on the 2nd pic, that looks like sort of a crude star?
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It appears to be a Russian capture X that someone played with a bit. Maybe to make it look like something else??? I don't want to say definitively but that's what it looks like.
 
Ok, another stupid question.

With other bolt guns I've had, when the magazine is empty you have to depress the follower to push the bolt forward. On this K98, you don't. Is that normal? I haven't been able to shoot this yet.
 
Yep, Mitchell's put that extra line through the Russian X. I've wondered the purpose of them doing this and assumed it was a way of "hiding" the fact that they used Russian captures. To market their rifles, they used BS terminology and stories on how they came about their rifles.
 
Yes it's fairly common. 'Someone' ground off the bolt hold open. Not the end of the world.
 
Panth said:
Ok, another stupid question.

With other bolt guns I've had, when the magazine is empty you have to depress the follower to push the bolt forward. On this K98, you don't. Is that normal? I haven't been able to shoot this yet.
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That's not normal on the 98k from factory. The follower was filed down.
 
It originally was Russian Capture (RC). The Russians would disassemble the captured rifles. Throw the parts into separate piles, reblue them, then reassemble the rifles not caring about matching up the serial numbers. The story was the X applied on the receiver was to signify Russian crossed rifles. In some cases the Russians would also remove any German eagles and swastikas, depended on how ambitious Ivan was that day. Also the Russians would coat the stock in a thick red tinted shellac. Looks like Mitchells removed that.
The bolt on your rifle has been altered by Mitchell`s. The original blue and serial numbers applied by the Germans was ground off and new serial numbers applied to force match the receiver. They probably did all the other crap to the bolt as well.
 
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Panth said:
Is that likely to affect the function? I don't have 8mm rounds yet so I can't really test it.
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Absolutely not. That was only a que to tell the Soldat that his mag was empty.

Without making some kind of blanket statement Mitchell's were fully functional and generally had good or better bores.

I'll add this last caveat. Several decades ago I almost got sucked into this trap before a more knowledgeable friend of mine told me what they really were. I'm not saying they're 'bad', just not what they claimed they were.
 
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I traded a bayonet for a Mitchell`s back in 2010. I had no idea of what it was other than the fact it was a Mauser. It is one of the early Mitchell`s. Pimp shined bolt with humped serial numbers. The Mitchell`s star stamped on receiver and the stock was covered with thick coat of peeling Russian Red shellac. The stock had several Russian repairs and an internal crack that ran from the front of the mag well to the wrist. The stock got replaced and it became a front-end donor for a bad duffle cut that a forum member had. The bolt was sold to another forum member and replaced with a non-pimp shined bolt
. Russian Red 1.jpgRussian Red 2.jpgRussian Red 3.jpg
 
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grimlin13 said:
I traded a bayonet for a Mitchell`s back in 2010. I had no idea of what it was other than the fact it was a Mauser. It is one of the early Mitchell`s. Pimp shined bolt with humped serial numbers. The Mitchell`s star stamped on receiver and the stock was covered with thick coat of peeling Russian Red shellac. The stock had several Russian repairs and an internal crack that ran from the front of the mag well to the wrist. The stock got replaced and it became a front end doner for a bad duffle cut that a forum member had. The bolt was sold to another forum member and replaced with a non-pimp shined bolt
. View attachment 353830View attachment 353831View attachment 353832
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So you got one of the 'good ones'.... :ROFLMAO: Yikes
 
Often wondered why the bolts were not blued instead of being in the white? Least they would have looked more correct.
 
Remfan said:
Often wondered why the bolts were not blued instead of being in the white? Least they would have looked more correct.
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I often wondered that too. I'm guessing Mitchell's used some of the same ekspurts that war movies do. They could have easily made them even much more believable.
 
heavy_mech said:
So you got one of the 'good ones'.... :ROFLMAO: Yikes
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Yeah, loverly ain`t it. Appears that Mitchell`s wasn`t too concerned about aesthetics in the beginning. Just pimp shine and hump that bolt. get it in a box and sell it, lol. It doesn`t look like that now though.
 
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