Funky Israeli Mauser with 100 years old action

[Stopper]

I was shopping around for another shooter grade k98k style and saw a semi beaten up "Mauser with newly installed 7.62 barrel" the price was good so I took a better look. Danzig Gew98 action with k98k style bolt that appears to have been force matched. The external was pretty beaten up but no crack behind cross bolt, bore was shinny so it would make a good shooter. Barrel had typical Israeli markings and 7.62 on receiver on stock in the usual places. I asked why the seller thought it was a new barrel instead of Israeli rework. He told me he was under the impression that all German markings would have been defaced. Upon closer inspection, not a single inspection mark was touched. Only a few IDF marks were added. I knew they existed but never owned one of those with old marks intact. Although most parts were mismatched, it didn't have the ugly stamped parts (I hate those) I so I promptly paid the bloke.

Once legal paper work was done I took it home and took a good look. The number in the inside of the stock didn't match but may well have been a cut down Gew98 stock, as there was evidence of bottom sling swivel removed and plugged. It may also have been an FN short rifle stock that's has been converted. I think shortening a Gew98 stock would be too much work. The forend would need to be shortened and profiled, the butt shaped to take an Israeli k98k cup and slot for sling cut. But then converting a FN stock also required a bit of work too. I couldn't find any unit marks on the wood neither. The seller said when it was nice and shinny (it has spent the past decade or two with minimal care) he never noticed any markings neither.

I guess I will never know when I was shortened or buy whom, one can only imagine the stories it would tell if it could speak. I am happy just to have an example of an Israeli k98k (not sure if I should call it k98k or Gew98 now) with original inspection stamps intact.

I guess I will share. Here are the pics (the middle band is not I'll fitted, just not clicked in, I usually leave them like that if I expect to take the gun apart again in the near future)

By the way, it shoots great too, happy days!

 

[Stopper]

Before clean







And after. I wonder what the 66 and "box with a cross" supposed to mean?



Under the action

 

[Stopper]

I used to think Israeli k98k's were all mismatched junk but have since taken a liking after shooting my first SWP45 coded Israeli conversion.

With a decent bore, they shoot great.

Just saw another Brno with early arched three line crest and K block serial, in original 8mm too! Although it had typical Israeli stock and ugly stamped trigger guard/ H band/lower band, I just had to buy it!

It's a pity the E Lion stamp was defaced, it's not even Nazi occupation era yet, why would they bother? But I don't see Israeli Mausers in 8mm very often.....Will share once my local dealer has processed it.

 

[Stan]

I think almost any Mauser 98 receiver can be found in the form of an Israeli K98k pattern. Have seen the Gew 98's and Vz24's amongst them. That K3 Vz24 looks like it could have been one of the rifles sent to Spain in 1938 during their civil war with that letter suffix block and the cancelled 35 acceptance date, then made its way to Israel at some point. The E-Lion acceptance date was cancelled by the Czechoslovakians when it was taken from service for sale abroad. The Czechs often pulled some rifles from Army supplies to quickly fill foreign order numbers. They would replace the borrowed rifles with new production.

 

[Stopper]

I think almost any Mauser 98 receiver can be found in the form of an Israeli K98k pattern. Have seen the Gew 98's and Vz24's amongst them. That K3 Vz24 looks like it could have been one of the rifles sent to Spain in 1938 during their civil war with that letter suffix block and the cancelled 35 acceptance date, then made its way to Israel at some point. The E-Lion acceptance date was cancelled by the Czechoslovakians when it was taken from service for sale abroad. The Czechs often pulled some rifles from Army supplies to quickly fill foreign order numbers. They would replace the borrowed rifles with new production.

I get why the Isreali killed off the "nasty bird" waffenampts but wondering E Lion too? Czechoslovakia was helping them arm after all.

Now it makes sense.

By the way, did the Spanish mark their VZ24 at all? If they did on the action/barrel I may find some traces. If Wood, I guess I can forget about it.

 

[Stan]

There are some examples of the Spanish Vz24's that got the s/n added to the left side of the stock just below the receiver s/n, but haven't seen any other markings added that I recall. In any case not relevant on the replaced stock on yours. Most of the ones imported here to the USA by Interarms had an "8MM" stamp added, but that was it. Hard to say the route yours took to Israel. So many surplus rifles were well traveled after the war.

 

[Stopper]

There are some examples of the Spanish Vz24's that got the s/n added to the left side of the stock just below the receiver s/n, but haven't seen any other markings added that I recall. In any case not relevant on the replaced stock on yours. Most of the ones imported here to the USA by Interarms had an "8MM" stamp added, but that was it. Hard to say the route yours took to Israel. So many surplus rifles were well traveled after the war.

Thanks, I think I will never know.

No import mark nor 8mm stamp neither (I am in Australia, not import requirement, only a slight F/S electric pencilled on the safety before old rifles can clear customs)

 

[Telperion]

The config of the stock is Belgian indeed, but those were all beech whereas this one is walnut. Plus, the ISR stocks weren't numbered in the stock channel. So I tend to believe that this stock is rather a shortened WW1 Gew98 stock.

 

[Stan]

I would expect a bolt takedown washer, or at least an ID disc on a Gew 98 stock. Can't see evidence of either ever being there in the photos. It does seem heavily reworked though, so who knows? Maybe an old Banner-K stock?

 

[AndyB]

Possible the Spain helped Israelis in 1946-8 with some obsolete Vz.24 rifles, as this one was certainly delivered to Spain in prewar period.

 

[Telperion]

I would expect a bolt takedown washer, or at least an ID disc on a Gew 98 stock. Can't see evidence of either ever being there in the photos. It does seem heavily reworked though, so who knows? Maybe an old Banner-K stock?

I thought that I missed something. Standard-Modell stock is surely the better explanation!

 

[runner]

Could also be a repair to a damaged stock, the location approximating the location of a butt sling swivel could be coincidental.

 

[Stopper]

I guess I will never know, but it's good to do an educated guess and learn along the way, thanks all for the inout