My K98k Collection

[Aaron]

After about 10 years at it, I'm more or less calling my K98k projects "done". Every rifle I own is a restored sporter more or less except for my CE44, with some requiring far more work than others. Thank you to everyone who provided parts over the years, there are too many to name but you know who you are.

 

[Aaron]

Marked S/42 and dated 1937, SN 2574k, sporter rescue that as far as I can tell is the earliest known laminate stock K98 produced (next highest I have seen recorded in books or on forums is in the m block) as the original matching sporterized stock was laminate, all added parts are correct year and manufacturer, metal finish is roughly 80%, with heavier wear on magazine hardware, barrel rifling in excellent condition, stock is very good with small dings and scratches with no sanding, includes WaA63 marked muzzle cover.

Added parts: stock, handguard, buttplate, follower, barrel bands (reblued to match, rear band is correct early rounded type), band spring, bayonet lug, front sight blade, cleaning rod (early 10.5 inch, serialized and K marked).

 

[Aaron]

S/42 1937 Continued.

 

[Aaron]

Marked bnz. and dated 1941, SN 5464f, all added parts are correct year and manufacturer, metal finish is roughly 50%, with heavier wear above the woodline, barrel rifling in excellent condition, stock is very good Norwegian reissue original German Kriegsmarine walnut with small dings and scratches with no sanding, bolt release lever is unmarked but Polish part with rivet that was frequently used by Steyr. Added parts: stock, handguard, barrel bands, band spring, bayonet lug (all matching themselves 4794g), follower, cleaning rod with last wo digits of SN, and correct rare Steyr sighthood.

 

[Aaron]

bnz.41 continued.

 

[Aaron]

Norwegian re-arsenal chambered in 30.06. Marked bnz. and dated 1941, SN 5742g (4658 HAER Army re-arsenal), all added parts are correct year and manufacturer, metal finish is roughly 90% but with pitting, with heavier wear above the woodline, barrel rifling in excellent condition, stock is very good Norwegian reissue original German Kriegsmarine walnut with small dings and scratches with scrubbing marks on the varnish near the takedown disks, has "N" marking on takedown disk for Nordsee fleet. Triggerguard is mismatched but floorplate assembly is not, which leads me to believe it was mismatched by the Norwegians like the bolt. Added parts: Norwegian rear sight u-notch, sighthood, cleaning rod, and minty supple sling.

 

[Aaron]

bnz.41 Norwegian continued.

 

[Aaron]

Marked bnz. and dated 1941, SN 1990j, all added parts are correct year and manufacturer except for parts of the bolt, metal finish is roughly 90%, barrel rifling in excellent condition, stock is good original German Heer laminate with small dings and scratches with some sanding, delamination by receiver tang. Added parts: stock and buttplate (matching themselves SN 1994i), handguard, bolt body is Steyr production, all other parts match themselves, late cleaning rod with WaA623, and correct rare Steyr sighthood.

 

[Aaron]

bnz.41 late continued.

 

[Aaron]

Marked bcd and dated 1943, SN 6300o, all matching minus bolt which is correct bcd43 bolt, missing cleaning rod, metal finish is roughly 90% with heavy patina above the woodline, barrel rifling in very good condition, stock is good original German Heer laminate and is marked "c" for subcontractor by Dresdner Tischfabrik (Menzel), with small dings and scratches and two large cuts on one side along with small dufflecut by the bayonet lug has BR stamp and was made in the 4th week of 1943, stock acceptance designator and acceptance was eliminated in 1942 and only re-introduced in 1944 and therefore the stock is blank, rear sight is the un-pinned version which appeared in late 1942 until early 1944, buttplate has intact primer and WaA ink stamp, receiver has starburst stamp for corrected receiver that failed first inspection, Gustloff Werke was mostly an assembler so the large amount of subcontracted parts are listed below.

Subcontracted parts:

receiver, barrelbands, bolt body, bolt extractor, follower, floorplate, bayonet lug: "l" marked for Astrawerke AG, Chemnitz

triggerguard: "d" marked for Gebr. Brehmer Maschinenfabrik, Leipzig

rear sight leaf: "i" marked for Elite Diamantwerke AG, Siegmar-Schonau

rear sight base: "a" marked for Nähmatag, Nähmacschinenteile AG, Dresden

band spring: "r" marked for Strickautomatenfabrik Würker, Dresden

buttplate: "brg" and WaA497 marked for H.W. Schmidt Metallwarenfabrik, Sachsen

recoil lug: "f" marked for H.Karl Heise Maschinenbau-GmbH Böhlitz-Ehrenberg (Leipzig-Böhlitz)

trigger base: "o" marked for Madix Nähmaschinenteilefabrik, Dresden Alfred Keller & Co.

trigger, bolt cocking piece, bolt safety: "e" marked for Hermann Köhler, AG Maschinenfabrik Altenburg

bolt body: "ghn" marked for Carl Ullrich & Co. Metallwarenfabrik, Oberschönau

Added parts: bolt (all matching, SN 7835r), unmarked cleaning rod.

 

[Aaron]

bcd43 continued.

 

[Aaron]

Marked byf and dated 1944, SN 6377b, matching parts are the following: barreled action, triggerguard assembly (minus floorplate), rear sight assembly (minus base), sighthood, cleaning rod. Added parts: byf44 WaA135 proofed L2D SN floorplate, byf44 a-block bolt (matches itself), byf44 stock and stock hardware (matches itself), handguard, Oberndorf-style mill mark bayonet lug, rear sight base.
Rear sight base is exact same "WR" subcontract marked type that was previously installed, but had the handguard ring ground off and has been replaced under my ownership, triggerguard pin assembly was loose and not seating properly, so I filled the pin housing with plastic and drilled a straight hole for the pin to travel, small amounts of plastic remain that are unnoticeable.
Metal finish is roughly 95%, barrel rifling in excellent condition, stock is very good original 5 digit SN Oberndorf Heer laminate red glue.

 

[Aaron]

byf44b continued.

 

[Aaron]

Marked byf and dated 1944, SN 21933c, all matching minus stock and handguard, metal finish is roughly 95%, barrel rifling in excellent condition, stock is excellent original German Heer laminate white glue with small repair in front of the rear band.
Added parts: stock and buttplate (match themselves SN 25525), correct byf44 5 digit SN, sighthood, unmarked cleaning rod.

 

[Aaron]

byf44c continued

 

[Aaron]

Nothing special collector-wise, but my first rifle, and what started this whole journey. Yugoslavian rework, complete mix of parts with re-applied serials on several and removed firing proofs, postwar replacement elm stock, rifling is worn, all parts have been reblued, reproduction sighthood, sling, and cleaning rod, reenactor grade rifle.

 

[Aaron]

Marked bnz. and dated 1944, SN 2528e, all matching minus barrel bands and stock, metal finish is roughly 90%, barrel rifling in excellent condition, stock is original rare German Heer laminate pink glue with minor dings and scratches, minor damage by receiver tang.
Added parts: correct rare Steyr sighthood, unmarked cleaning rod, original matching pink glue stock, late pattern ground locking screws

 

[Aaron]

bnz4e continued.

 

[Aaron]

Marked bnz. and dated 1944, SN 6658e, all matching minus missing bolt, metal finish is roughly 80% with heavy patina above the woodline, barrel rifling in good condition and is moderately worn but clean, stock is original German Heer laminate white glue with minor dings and scratches with moderate damage in the sling cutout, delamination by receiver tang, front sight post wings have been ground away.
Added parts: correct rare Steyr sighthood, unmarked cleaning rod.

 

[Aaron]

bnz4e continued.