Need help with Mauser identification/ authentication

Drpeppers

Member
So I’m a first time Mauser buyer and I’m wondering what I should be looking for when inspecting this and other Mauser. My local pawn shop has a 1939 k98 with original, or so they say, bayonet and sling along with a ‘complete matching set of parts’ for 1300$ before I drop that amount on something I’m just wondering does this 1: look authentic and 2 what else should I try and look at to see. I can go back to take more pictures since I was in a bit of a rush when I was taking these

Edit: and it’s not taking 2 of my 3 photos fml

Edit2: that was complicated for no reason
 

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Thanks, what would that do for the price? Also are there any other things in the photo that are giveaways that it isn’t all og markings and such?
 
The X marking on the receiver (Russian reworking mark), shellacked stock, wrong type of butt plate for 243 1939 coded K98k, refinished metal components.

Russian Captures are literally the most common 98k you’ll find. $1300 is way too much.
 
Thanks a ton, I was iffy on that price but good to know I’m not missing anything big
No, not at all. There is nothing wrong with a Russian Capture rifle. They’re great shooters and have a neat history all their own, but they are extremely common.

And since I can see you are a new Mauser buyer Ill give you a quick explanation on the whole post-war rework thing. The vast vast majority of 98k’s on the market today are post-war reworks of some kind of another. Basically, at the end of WW2 millions of 98k’s were in the hands of various nations, or shipped to other nations as military aid. These rifles were almost all ‘reworked’ in some way or another. Basically they were stripped down, refurbished, refinished, modified etc. Russian Captures are the most common example of this, but the French, Czech’s, East Germans, Israeli’s, Norwegians, Romanian’s all did this to their stock’s of 98k’s post WW2.

Its important to be aware of this as a new member to the collecting community because, even though there is nothing wrong with these rifles, unscrupulous or ignorant sellers will often try to pass them off as matching and all original 98k’s. Many many new collectors have been duped by this trick.
 
Thanks, what would that do for the price? Also are there any other things in the photo that are giveaways that it isn’t all og markings and such?
Cupped and blued butt plate. Red shellac. Electro-penciled bolt serial number as well as the added stock number on the left as was mentioned. Agree with Hale on the price. The bayonet and sling could add to the price considerably, but without photos they could be anything.

Not sure what ‘complete matching set of parts’ even means?? Never even heard of such a thing.
 
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