K98 27 1938 "77" proof marks???

nybocce

Member
Hello! New to the forum (and k98's) and hope I am posting in the right place! Does anyone have any information on a 1938 K98 from factory 27 with "77" proof marks on the receiver? It is also "L" Luftwaffe marked on the stock. At first I thought they were peen marks but it clearly is a "77" and don't seem to see any swastikas anywhere. See photo.
K98 77 Markings.JPG

I really can't seem to find information other than Polish produced 29/40 rifles having them I believe:"Steyr was the assembly point for the 29/40, but the actions and most of the subcomponents were Polish. The parts came from the Radom factory when the Germans overran Poland in September of 1939. The machinery used to manufacture the rifles was German. Radom was previously the Danzig factory that built Gew98's during WW1. You can identify the parts that were Polish by the WaA77 proof."

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated...
 
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Looks like you have an Erma produced 98k with laminate stock. Believe Erma dropped the S prefix in later produced 1938 98ks. Others will be along with more info. Sounds nice!
 
..Erma dropped the S prefix in later produced 1938 98ks.

Around the time the S was dropped in 1938, inspection team 77 replaced 280. 77 would later move to Radom after the fall of Poland as the 280 team returned to Erma.
 
Looks like you have an Erma produced 98k with laminate stock. Believe Erma dropped the S prefix in later produced 1938 98ks. Others will be along with more info. Sounds nice!

Thank you. Any idea what is in the circle under the eagle and above the 77? Was the number added after the waffenamt/eagle?
 
..More likely the swastika was peened.

Not all peened. Those that did seem to falll into 2 categories generally. A round punch nearly the exact diameter stamped right on it to remove the swazi from the circle. That's this style. Others used a small pin punch and many hits to deface the entire stamp.
 
Not all peened. Those that did seem to falll into 2 categories generally. A round punch nearly the exact diameter stamped right on it to remove the swazi from the circle. That's this style. Others used a small pin punch and many hits to deface the entire stamp.

Thank you for this information. Much appreciated.
 
Well thanks Captain Obvious - lol!
View attachment 257136

I know that's what it supposed to be but can't make it out from the photos and wasn't sure if it was tied into the "77". More likely the swastika was peened.

+1 for the entertainment though!

It was easy to be cheeky on this one :laugh:, no harm intended nybocce.

Is it your rifle ? A Russian Capture ? Maybe some additional pictures could help members tell you more about it.
 
It was easy to be cheeky on this one :laugh:, no harm intended nybocce.

Is it your rifle ? A Russian Capture ? Maybe some additional pictures could help members tell you more about it.

LOL - none taken! I laughed and wanted to have a little fun. Not my rifle but will try to upload more photos. So I assume it was proofed again (re-arsenald) in Poland after they fell by the 77 team...
 
..So I assume it was proofed again (re-arsenald) in Poland after they fell by the 77 team...

Not to be knitpicky but it kind of DOES matter. So 'proof' and inspected aren't the same thing though lots of people use them almost interchangably. Bolts, barrels and chambers get proofed and it's an eagle over stamp. Parts and processes get inspected and get the waffenamt stamp e/xxx. Early on EVERY part, piece and process had inspections. Later it bacame less and less. Receiver right side originally had 4 processes inspected. Then later 3 (as in your rifle). Those e/77 are from the original manufacture at Erma.
 
Hello! New to the forum (and k98's) and hope I am posting in the right place! Does anyone have any information on a 1938 K98 from factory 27 with "77" proof marks on the receiver? It is also "L" Luftwaffe marked on the stock. At first I thought they were peen marks but it clearly is a "77" and don't seem to see any swastikas anywhere. See photo.
View attachment 256964

I really can't seem to find information other than Polish produced 29/40 rifles having them I believe:"Steyr was the assembly point for the 29/40, but the actions and most of the subcomponents were Polish. The parts came from the Radom factory when the Germans overran Poland in September of 1939. The machinery used to manufacture the rifles was German. Radom was previously the Danzig factory that built Gew98's during WW1. You can identify the parts that were Polish by the WaA77 proof."

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated...
 
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