Interesting Mauser Gewehr 98

[Scharfschuetze]

I found an interesting Gewehr 98 rifle over the weekend. It's an Amberg 1917 rifle from the First World War. It looked unusual as it is sans the roller coaster rear sight, yet the new style sight was serial numbered to the receiver. Bolt, receiver, barrel and most of the small parts also match up so the question was: What is it?

A little research at home revealed it to be a Weimar Republic rebuild of an older Imperial rifle. Apparently they are not rare, but it's the first one that I've seen. The Weimar eagle on the barrel and under the bolt handle were the give-a-way as to its rebuild.

The wood, finish and bore are all at least NRA very good, so as most of you already have surmised, it followed me home. The bore cleaned up quickly. I'm still getting a little blue on my patches, but it's already pretty clean. I'll check under the wood for any rust as time allows, but I think that it'll go to the range with me on Tuesday. That long sight radius is a blessing for aging eyes.

[Ithaca Gunner]

I understand these are common, but I've never actually had my paws on one. I have seen a color picture as I recall in a book of ss men in full dress black uniforms and shiny helmets each standing formation with those exact rifles.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I think some of them were reconditioned for export as well. Sounds like a great addition to your collection.

[Hamish]

What's not to like? :-D

[Scharfschuetze]

The Weimar Republic was limited to 100,000 total military personnel by the Versailles Treaty following The Great War. Given that, the Weimar rifles adopted between 1919 and 1933 (when the Nazis took over) should make the Weimar Mauser rifle one of the more uncommon military rifles of Europe. Probably why we haven't seen them at the LGS.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Seems to me that I also read about a number of these being converted to K98k configuration once that version was adopted as standard, so that would make yours even rarer. If I run across that information I'll send you the reference.

I have two of the Gew 98s in my collection with the roller coaster style rear sight, both a bit unusual in their own way. One of them is close to new and was given to the Turks in WW I and somehow missed their 1935-39 standardization program, so it's just as originally manufactured in Germany but picked up some crescent marks. The other was made for Peru with a very nice Peruvian crest on the receiver ring, originally in 7.65x53mm, but rechambered to .30 U.S. in the WW II time period. They didn't rebarrel, just rechambered, so to get it to shoot well one has to load .311 dia. bullets into the .30-06 cases.

[Ithaca Gunner]

Didn't Germany keep a good number of K98a rifles after the war? I have one stamped 1918 and 1920 above it.

[JWFilips]

Gewehr 98 ...My favorite Cast rifle!!

[Scharfschuetze]

Didn't Germany keep a good number of K98a rifles after the war? I have one stamped 1918 and 1920 above it.

Yes, they did. The 1920 date is an over stamp and is the year it was reissued to the Weimar forces. I also have one, but it is sans the second date of 1920.

[Bigslug]

Weimar rebuild huh? I learned something today. Neat!

It makes sense that they'd lose the really ornate Gew 98 sight ASAP. I'd never seen one of those (that I recall) in almost 14 years behind a gun counter and countless shows, but then I can't say I was really looking for one either.

Seems like it would be a tough find for a U.S. collector - the doughboys would have been bringing home original Gew 98's; there would have been a tendency to convert to the new short rifle format; and whatever was left would have had to survive the entire length of WWII. Ya got something special there, make no mistake.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Didn't Germany keep a good number of K98a rifles after the war? I have one stamped 1918 and 1920 above it.

Nomenclature can be confusing. Gewehr = Rifle, abbreviated Gew. or G. Karabiner = Carbine, abbreviated Kar. or K.
Small k = kurz = short.

The main battle rifle used by the Germans in WW I was Gew 98, 49.2" in overall length, the most distinctive feature being the "roller coaster" rear sight. It was unwieldy for trench raids and otherwise encumbered soldiers like artillerymen and machine gunners, so a shorter version was developed called the Kar. 98a, overall length of 43.3". During the Weimar Republic era the original Gew. 98 was the initial standard issue, but the Gew. 98 Modified was also issued, described with one sentence only in "The Book of Rifles" by W.H.B. Smith and Joseph E. Smith, "This differs from the Gew. 98 only in having a flat tangent leaf rear sight." When the German Army decided upon the rifle commonly encountered in WW II, the K98k, overall length 43.6", production was still limited by the Treaty of Versailles. This is where you'll encounter the double stamps on the receivers, indicating that the rifle was manufactured during WW I but later modified for reissue under the new standard. The double date stamp can be an indicator of simple acceptance of the rifle into Weimar service unaltered, alteration to the flat sight, or modification to K98k standards. The same (double date stamps) can be found on some Luger pistols. So, just to be technically correct, there could be no K98k rifles left over from WW I as it was a postwar development. But a double stamped K98k is a nice thing to have in one's collection because it indicates more-or-less continuous service from WW I through the Weimar Republic and into WW II, and that it probably started life as a Gew 98 with the roller coaster rear sight and was modified to K98k standards.

[Ray1946]

Really nice rifle! I think these have been going for a premium. I see a lot fewer of these at the shows than the regular Gew. 98. Really love that "in the white" receiver ring of your rifle, kind of adds something special to a nice historical piece. How does the bore look in your rifle?.........................

[Scharfschuetze]

How does the bore look in your rifle?.........................

It is probably 90% or so. It's slightly frosted, but with sharp lands and grooves and no pitting. I think that it was very well cared for, but probably suffered some from the ball ammo used during its service time. Fair wear and tear.

I'm knee deep into the hunting seasons right now so I've no range report. I've got a new 8mm mould just waiting to make boolits for it.

Speaking of Mauser Model 98a rifles, here's mine. It does not have the double date stamp so it must have been brought back by a Doughboy after the Great War. It enjoys a virtually new barrel and will produce 10 shot groups at 100 yards using Sierra 175 grain .323 spitzer of 1 and 1/2 MOA.

[marty.toms.3]

The receivers and bolts were usually blued when the tangent sights installed. Unusually that this one is still in the "white".

I have a 1920 stamped 1916 Amberg - great shooter - ad with most of these - mismatched parts. S42k marked sight dates the rebuild to 1934 most likely - s42g sights http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161009/6b222db443d53b728a721b22eccfae52.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161009/92a2a809023c3ff5538059f7d1a9c6db.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161009/f0737c518bcbb70fb610cbd42ae7f08c.jpgwere produced in 1935



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[Scharfschuetze]

s42 sights were produced in 1935

Interesting. That would place your rifle's rebuild in the early Nazi period. Does it also have the Nazi proof marks and inspection marks?

By the way, that's a nice looking rifle.

That was a nice write up of German rifle nomenclature Gebirgsjaeger. Thanks... or should I say: Vielen Dank!

[Der Gebirgsjager]

My pleasure. I really enjoy old military rifles of all persuasions.
The photos posted by marty.toms.3 show a nice rifle.
Your 98a looks like a very nice specimen. My sample is of dubious pedigree. It was probably originally German mfg., but the receiver ring has been scrubbed--or maybe there was nothing there. Apparently some were given to Poland following WW I, and it seems that they may have made some of their own. It has a good bore, but the bluing is not nearly as nice as yours (no rust though), and the stock was so beat up I just had to refinish it. I always meant to upgrade it, but a nicer one never came along.

[Mk42gunner]

One other thing on the 98a Models, they are small ring 98's that are the same action length as the normal large ring. At least all the ones I have seen were. Makes it difficult to find a semi inletted sporter stock.

Robert

[marty.toms.3]

Most of the gew98m tangent sight equipped rifles I have seen have been equipped with the s42k(1934) or s42g(1935) marked sights - leading we to believe most were converted in the mid 30's after the Nazi's had seized power. Likely they were modified to supplement the recently introduced k98k in support and training role.

A scrubbed receiver could indicate Spanish Civil War use. Spain refurbished many rifles after the war. Does it have an MP8 cartouche on the stock (Spanish mark). These were generally imported with caliber designation 8mm stamped on the barrel.

Here is my Danzig 1904 imperial gew98 next to the Amberg 1916 gew98m
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161009/3a02046c6eff9bf97867a0bc87e7bf1e.jpg


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[Der Gebirgsjager]

Mine has been in storage for 2 years, so I'm going strictly by memory, but it didn't have any markings on the stock other than the serial number if I'm recalling correctly. That doesn't prove or disprove your Spanish Civil War theory, but at about the same time I purchased the 98a I also bought a Polish Karabin 29 and there were Polish rifles on the market in that time period. These rifles were purchased mail order in about 1967, before the importer and caliber stampings were required. So I've had it for almost 50 years. I know I fired it once, maybe twice, and it shot o.k. but wasn't outstandingly accurate.

[marty.toms.3]

I also have one of the Spanish civil war Polish wz29 with scrubbed crest.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161009/ebcb7f7cccf033251a0a3d95b1a8f5b8.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161009/d46313af89958b85c0520823dac28668.jpg


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[Der Gebirgsjager]

Verrry Interesting, as Artie Shaw used to say. Yours looks much like mine, except mine has a turned down bolt like Scharfs', back up in post #13. Now there's an interesting point for speculation, straight vs. bent bolts. My first K98k came when I was about age 15, and it had a straight bolt. The bolt's serial no. didn't match the receiver's number, but I didn't know much about them at the time, and it took about a year for me to realize that the dished out area in the stock below the bolt handle's knob was probably a relief for knuckles, in which case the bolt would have to be bent. There weren't that many gun books or gun magazines around in those days, so I consulted my local gunsmith and he confirmed that it should be bent. He dug through his parts drawers and found one, but I had him bend the one that came in the rifle as I was worried about headspace--just something I had read but didn't know much about. He did a great job and it can't be distinguished from one that was originally made as a bent handle. Then, years later, I was reading about WW II and how German support troops were often issued K98k rifles with straight bolt handles. So I have to assume that sometime somewhere a bunch of rifles and their proper bent bolts were separated from each other, and then the rifles re-issued with available straight handled bolts, and the one I have may have been one of them. I have also read that in Europe it was not uncommon to store rifles and bolts separately so that should the rifles fall into the hands of enemies foreign or domestic they were useless. If these old guns could talk, the stories they could tell.......

[Hardcast416taylor]

One other thing on the 98a Models, they are small ring 98's that are the same action length as the normal large ring. At least all the ones I have seen were. Makes it difficult to find a semi inletted sporter stock.

Robert

I have a Danzig K98a double date stamp (1918/1920). I took my pick from 5 of these in a Gambles hardware store back in the early `60`s for $25. My son in high school about that time sportered it with a Bishop small ring 98 stock they had offered. Nowadays all that is offered as a small ring Mauser is for `93 and `95 7mm Mausers or Swede Mausers.Robert

[Ithaca Gunner]

I have a Danzig K98a double date stamp (1918/1920). I took my pick from 5 of these in a Gambles hardware store back in the early `60`s for $25. My son in high school about that time sportered it with a Bishop small ring 98 stock they had offered. Nowadays all that is offered as a small ring Mauser is for `93 and `95 7mm Mausers or Swede Mausers.Robert

That's exactly what mine is, a Danzig 1918/1920. The one below isn't mine, I don't have a picture of it, however it's exactly the spitting image of mine.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn179/krag1894/Karabiner_1898a_zpsw2opl64h.jpg

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Nice photos. That's exactly how mine looks also.

[Ithaca Gunner]

I don't believe the 98a gets the recognition it deserves, later in the war it was widerspread in the German Army than we might think. I've seen photos from 1917-1918 with hundreds if not thousands of German troops on the march armed with 98a's.

[Ithaca Gunner]

A question of interest to me, I had a 1904 G98 made at Spandau, s bore and so marked with the usual markings except on the but plate were more numbers and letters along with W. Funk. Could this have been a reservist or name of the original soldier of issue?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I suspect that it was a unit marking, with the caveat that "anything is possible." I know that we're talking about G98 Mausers, but on 1888 Mausers almost all you are likely to encounter have a unit marking on the left side of the front barrel band, and often it has been XXXXed out and a new series of numbers and letters stamped on when the rifle was removed from one regiment and re-issued to another, or when they were passed along to the Turks. That practice did not seem to carry over to the '98s. I have a Luger pistol stamped B.2.T.S.2.62 on the front strap which I've been told translates to pistol number 62 of the 2nd Battalion Hospital Train. I think that the German Army discouraged personalization of weapons by individuals, so as I said, it is more likely a unit marking. But I've never seen one on a '98 butt plate, so it may have been something applied locally after the war.

[bushwik]

Hi there found this thread via a Google search and seeking some help from anyone in hopes that someone can help me identify my Mauser Gew 98 with the flat sights (This is what brought me here!!) Super interesting reading all of this thread so I figured I would reply just by chance someone might be able to help me..... So I was gifted a Gew 98 from my Grandfather that brought it home from a tour in France and Germany during WWII, it is a Spandau 1916 with quite a few different markings, some which I have identified as possibly Prussian markings but there are also markings that I could not identify including the "s/42" with what looks like 2 small eagle marks on the receiver below the flat sights...

The rifle looks to have been sporterized at some point and has a nice glossy epoxy and uniquely has two Nazi coins glued to the stock where the circular bolt disassembly pieces used to be (Some handy work btw WW1 + WW2 I'm guessing). I presume this was either recommissioned or from someone's personal collection from the Great War and modified. Not sure how my Grandfather acquired it (He's gone now...) but I am am interested in cleaning it up and shooting it because it is in fine condition. I'd love to hear back from any of you if you have anything to add! Check out my photos of this awesome gun! Thanks everyone!

EDIT: Not sure why I can't attach my photos! :(

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Hi Bushwik-- welcome to the forum! I can shed a little light on your rifle. S/42 is the WW II code designation for the Mauser factory, actually in use a few years before the start of the war. The eagle marks are proof/acceptance marks and appear on many German military arms.

Spandau 1916 would, of course, be the arsenal and date of manufacture, and dates the rifle itself to WW I. Between the wars the German Army decided that they wanted a shorter rifle than the Gew 98 similar to the 98k, and many of the Gew 98s were shortened to the approx. length of the K98k and were issued for use by the German 100,000 man Treaty of Versailles army before the K98k became widely available. . From these facts I would make the assumption, that if your rifle is shorter than the WW I Gew 98 version, then it is one of these that was remodeled by the Mauser factory prior to WW II, perhaps about 1936 or 7, and not sporterized unless it has a sporter-type front sight.

Now, as to the rest, we can only speculate. Many rifles used by German honor guards were given shiny black finishes, much as many of our rifles used by color guards were nickel plated or chromed. As for the Nazi coins in the stock, that sounds very much like something a G.I. would do to customize and personalize his bring back trophy.

If you figure out how to post photos here (very easy, really) we'd enjoy seeing them and could perhaps tell you more. Again, welcome to the forum.

DG

[Wayne Smith]

Try making your photo's smaller. I have to reduce mine by about 50% to get them on here.

[Texas by God]

Thank you all for an informative and entertaining thread on the best bolt action of all time- the Mauser 98.

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[bushwik]

267323

[bushwik]

Try making your photo's smaller. I have to reduce mine by about 50% to get them on here.

Yup it was the image size apparently! I will push some addt'l photos after I edit them, thank you sir!

[bushwik]

Thank you so much for the feedback and great information! Here is a few more pictures of the firearm. I do believe it is shorter than a standard issue Gew98 so this would make sense


267324267325267326267327

[Rich/WIS]

Had an Erfurt 1918 that had been sporterized by Bubba that I bought for the action. Never did use it and ended up gaving it to a friend. They are a smaller ring action but are not the true small ring Mausers. Mine had a bent bolt handle that was flat on the bottom and checkered. Was told that they were a bit "softer" than later Mausers and should be heat treated but not sure how true that is.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

The photos do help. Could you post one of the front sight? Based on what I see in these photos it would appear that the finish is a reblue, but not the honor guard finish. Probably reblued when it was reworked by Mauser, and beginning to show a severe rust problem here and there. This style eagle dates from 1891 and is what was in use when the rifle was manufactured in 1916. The style of the eagle was later changed to one with spread wings, and in WW II there was a swastika under the eagle. The script dd under the main serial number on the left side of the receiver ring is the series number, meaning that a series went from 0001 to 9999 with a letter following the number, and then started over. So this is the second time through the alphabet. Interestingly, since the serial number on the barrel doesn't match the one on the receiver it was likely re-barreled when it went through the Mauser factory. The flat rear sights became standard between the wars and was found on all newly made and reworked rifles. The stock was cut down to make a sporter and given a coat of stock finish. I see a black square in the last photo where the stock's recoil lug would be. Has it been removed? If so, it should be replaced before you start shooting it, or you risk splitting/cracking the stock. Based upon what you said about Grandpa bringing it home from Europe, I'd assume that he sporterized it and added the coins.

[bushwik]

Hi Der Gebirgsjager! Thanks again for all of this great knowledge. What a cool story! I am attaching a few more photos per your suggestion...Some of the sights and foot as well as the stock...Take a look.

Regarding your question about the recoil lug, I am not sure what happen to it. I am pretty sure it was not there when I received this firearm. Are these easy to come by and/or install?

Lastly, I am a newbie to vintage long guns like this...What are your suggestions to clean it up? Foremost, I wouldn't mind removing some of that rust you see! Also I am pretty sure the barrel is pretty gunked up but I dont have a long enough tool to get down in there. I was looking at picking up a tool and foaming bore scrubber to get into the barrel a bit.2673572673582673592673602673612673622673632673 64267365

[Der Gebirgsjager]

My curiosity about the front sight was to determine if it was the original military sight (it is) or if it had been replaced by whomever shortened the stock.

It is about 99% certain to be chambered for 8x57mm Mauser, but I'd have that determination made before shooting it.

Hopefully the bore isn't too bad, and by using a rifle cleaning rod, bore brush, patches and bore cleaner you should be able to take it to the range.

About the recoil lug: A replacement should be very available from Numrich Gun Parts Corp. www.gunpartscorp.com or 866-686-7424. It is kind of unusual for this part to be removed from a Mauser stock, and my guess is that the previous owner was attempting to reduce the rifle's weight by removing it. This is going to tax my descriptive powers, but the block looks kind of like a "T" with the downward leg being thick and wide and the horizontal arms being short and threaded. The unit fits into an inlet inside the stock and the horizontal arms into the holes on the side where you can see something is missing. Two round, flat nuts are then threaded onto the horizontal arms from the outside of the stock where they remain visible. The nuts have two little holes in them for a special tool used to install them or remove them that has two little pins that mate into the holes for turning. This can be done satisfactorily with a small pin punch and small hammer to drift the nuts into place around and around and tighten them, but care must be taken not to deform the holes.

Since it is relatively uncommon to remove the recoil block I can not tell you if they are interchangeable on various models of Mausers made in various different countries. So when you order one you should specify that you want one for a German Gew 98 rifle. The bottom of the receiver has a lug that mates with the recoil block in the stock to hold the action is the same location shot after shot, and it's hard to believe that you could get any consistent accuracy without the block. When you visit the Gun Parts home page it will give you the option to shop by manufacturer. Click on "M" and then select Mauser and look through the pictures until you find your rifle, then order the part by part number and item number from the schematic drawing.

About the external rust: You can remove it by using some fine gun oil or Hoppe's No.9 bore cleaner and some 4-0 steel wool. The rust will come off, but will leave shiny spots and probably pits where the rust was. You can touch these spots up with cold blue.

[bushwik]

Thanks for all of this great info. I'm going to try to order the lug and get this cleaned up. I will take it to the gunsmith to ensure I purchase the correct cartridges. I'll be sure to keep the thread posted with any updates! Really appreciate the help here :)

[Texas by God]

bushwik, if you will take several measurements of the lug recess, PM them to me and I might be able to help you out. I can also provide an empty sized 7.9x57 case and .323” bullet to check your chamber with. If you want to that is.

[bushwik]

Making some progress on cleaning up the rust on some of the components. Not an easy task at all!!!

It doesnt seem like the bolt was ever blued? Did they blue that part of the gun or was it just left metal? Did they blue the bolt’s back in the day? I am wondering if I should just clean it up and leave the bare metal or blue it along with the other parts?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Never say never.....but usually the bolts were left "in the white". Sometimes you'll encounter them that were blued later in their lives, like an arsenal rebuild. Folks making sporters usually don't blue the bolt either because it's inevitable that portions of the bolt will rub on the inside of the receiver when operated and you'll end up with white streaks in the blue.

[bushwik]

Never say never.....usually don't blue the bolt either because it's inevitable that portions of the bolt will rub on the inside of the receiver when operated and you'll end up with white streaks in the blue.

Absolutely makes sense...Most of the photos I have seen online show the bolts un-blued but I have seen a couple that were...

The bolt handle thing was probably the most rusted part of the gun and this would likely be the reason why I presume, I got the bolt to a kind of dull matte grey but it doesnt seem to want to really shine. I think it looks pretty good compared to what it was...

I user Birchwood Casey Rust and Blue remover and 400 steel wool. There is some little pitting but nothing I am too concerned about....Very excited toget this back together but I am little nervous doing the blueing to be completely honest, especially on the barrel which is in excellent shape in some spots but has a few little rust spots in other areas....If I remove the rust and "spot" blue just the areas that are rusted, how hard is it going to be to get the blueing to match the existing good area's of the barrel and receiver?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

A good question. The answer is, "virtually impossible." The technical, scientific reason is that rust bluing, found on many Mausers, or hot bluing on many of the later ones is done by a different process than cold bluing. For example, hot caustic bluing is done with alkali salts, and cold bluing is usually an acid. In chemistry class they'll teach you that the two, acid and alkali, are opposites and don't coexist well. If you put a drop of cold blue on a hot blued gun you will get a visible, differently colored ring where the two meet. The only way to get a flawless blue job, where everything looks the same, is to strip off the old finish down to the bare metal and then refinish with one of the bluing methods; or, as is now days becoming more and more common, one of the spray on finishes. Probably, the practical thing to do in your situation is to spot cold blue.

The purpose of any of these methods is to protect the metal from rusting. In actual fact, bluing processes are rusting processes that produce a blue or black oxide coating that is more pleasing to the eye than is brown or red rust. However, once some of the bluing is scraped off from a given spot it is unprotected and prone to rust red. Prolonged exposure to droplets of water or high humidity without the protection of some sort of protective coating like an oil or wax will cause the existing blue to begin to rust even without an imperfection in the surface.

But, you probably don't want to completely refinish the rifle. I would suggest buying the smallest possible bottle of Oxpho Blue from Brownell's and following the directions. A little prep with some rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip, apply some with another Q-tip and rub it a little, wipe it off with an oily cloth. Very easy to use with a minimum of preparation, and usually more difficult to see the repaired area than, for example, Birchwood Casey cold blue or 44.40 Blue where you're almost certain to see a ring. However, the pits will remain under the blue and be visible. Pits result beneath the rust because the metal has been oxidized into the form of rust and now is gone. Unless one is careful to get all the rust out of the bottom of the pits, given the opportunity they will continue to rust. The only way to get rid of the pits is to polish, sand, or file them out. That brings you back to the complete refinish job again. You can try filling the pits with various substances, but it is always visible. That is one reason that the spray on, bake on, finishes have become popular, because the substance fills and conceals the pits in most cases. It is also true that almost all of the modern finishes are more durable and rust resistant than is bluing.

A visual example here, which I've posted before on other threads. Honest, fellows, I know this isn't a Mauser rifle! I have a large accumulation of firearms acquired over about 62 years of active gun fanaticism. Among them is a small assortment of Star Model B pistols. One I purchased over the internet out of Kansas from a junk shop. It was rusty throughout, and especially so under the grips. I detail stripped it and cleaned it, started carrying it under my coat in the winter, and in short order all the rust came back. Gave it the same treatment, and the rust returned again. This is because previously rusty items like to rust some more, but also probably due in part to my warm body and the cold outside air creating condensation. One of the things that irritated me the most, and was the most difficult to clean, were the grip screws that seemed to show rust almost daily. I gave up and decided to paint it with AlumaHyde II, a Brownell's product in a rattle can. The pits were filled up and sealed against further rust by the paint. I replaced the ever-rusty grip screws with stainless screws purchased on e-bay. My personal taste prefers a nicely blued pistol as shown in the first photo, but the paint job in the second photo is now about 7 years old, and has proved very practical.
267722 267721

Somehow this Llama snuck in......?

[bushwik]

A good question. The answer is, "virtually impossible." The technical, scientific reason is that rust bluing, found on many Mausers, or hot bluing on many of the later ones is done by a different process than cold bluing. For example, hot caustic bluing is done with alkali salts, and cold bluing is usually an acid. In chemistry class they'll teach you that the two, acid and alkali, are opposites and don't coexist well. If you put a drop of cold blue on a hot blued gun you will get a visible, differently colored ring where the two meet. The only way to get a flawless blue job, where everything looks the same, is to strip off the old finish down to the bare metal and then refinish with one of the bluing methods; or, as is now days becoming more and more common, one of the spray on finishes. Probably, the practical thing to do in your situation is to spot cold blue.

The purpose of any of these methods is to protect the metal from rusting. In actual fact, bluing processes are rusting processes that produce a blue or black oxide coating that is more pleasing to the eye than is brown or red rust. However, once some of the bluing is scraped off from a given spot it is unprotected and prone to rust red. Prolonged exposure to droplets of water or high humidity without the protection of some sort of protective coating like an oil or wax will cause the existing blue to begin to rust even without an imperfection in the surface.

But, you probably don't want to completely refinish the rifle. I would suggest buying the smallest possible bottle of Oxpho Blue from Brownell's and following the directions. A little prep with some rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip, apply some with another Q-tip and rub it a little, wipe it off with an oily cloth. Very easy to use with a minimum of preparation, and usually more difficult to see the repaired area than, for example, Birchwood Casey cold blue or 44.40 Blue where you're almost certain to see a ring. However, the pits will remain under the blue and be visible. Pits result beneath the rust because the metal has been oxidized into the form of rust and now is gone. Unless one is careful to get all the rust out of the bottom of the pits, given the opportunity they will continue to rust. The only way to get rid of the pits is to polish, sand, or file them out. That brings you back to the complete refinish job again. You can try filling the pits with various substances, but it is always visible. That is one reason that the spray on, bake on, finishes have become popular, because the substance fills and conceals the pits in most cases. It is also true that almost all of the modern finishes are more durable and rust resistant than is bluing.

A visual example here, which I've posted before on other threads. Honest, fellows, I know this isn't a Mauser rifle! I have a large accumulation of firearms acquired over about 62 years of active gun fanaticism. Among them is a small assortment of Star Model B pistols. One I purchased over the internet out of Kansas from a junk shop. It was rusty throughout, and especially so under the grips. I detail stripped it and cleaned it, started carrying it under my coat in the winter, and in short order all the rust came back. Gave it the same treatment, and the rust returned again. This is because previously rusty items like to rust some more, but also probably due in part to my warm body and the cold outside air creating condensation. One of the things that irritated me the most, and was the most difficult to clean, were the grip screws that seemed to show rust almost daily. I gave up and decided to paint it with AlumaHyde II, a Brownell's product in a rattle can. The pits were filled up and sealed against further rust by the paint. I replaced the ever-rusty grip screws with stainless screws purchased on e-bay. My personal taste prefers a nicely blued pistol as shown in the first photo, but the paint job in the second photo is now about 7 years old, and has proved very practical.
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Somehow this Llama snuck in......?

I saw the DuraCoat spray/hardening stuff on Amazon I was thinking about that as well...

Here is the one I was considering buying, will this work do you think?

https://www.amazon.com/Duracoat-Aerosol-Kit-Matte-Black/dp/B00N35HKMK/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=duracoat&qid=1600190128&sr=8-5

[Flophound]

Neat!
I've never seen one of them before. Happy to have seen it now. Thank you for sharing!

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I have no experience using DuraCoat. I have used baking lacquer as applied with an air brush, and Alumahyde II as described above.

Spray finishes can be tricky to apply and a little practice is in order before applying it to a treasured firearm for keeps. You have to keep the air brush or can at an approximate distance from the work and keep moving. Too close or too slow gets too much of the product on the work and produces blobs, runs, and drips. It is best to suspend the parts with thin wire from an overhead rack so that they may be turned and the material applied from all angles. My experience has been that it is best to apply several thin coats, allowing drying time in between.

I am not trying to discourage you from trying the DuraCoat product, but in reading over the specifications I see that once you activate the hardener in the can it has a 48 hr. life. So, depending on the drying time and how many coats you require, and also allowing for a little practice on something else, you might need more than one can.