German Mauser Guru

[StarMetal]

Are any of your fellows a WWII German Mauser expert? My best friend has a last ditch German Mauser, yes they had them too, not just the Japs, and it's dated either March or April of 1945. You know the war ended for Germany in May so this is really a last ditch rifle. Let's say it's basically in mint condition. Anyone know its value?

Joe

[Jumptrap]

Joe,

We had'em too, called 03A3's and Greaseguns. HAR!

I have no idea what it is worth but go over to Tuco's and ask. All the mil-surp nuts hang out there. If you want to see crude 'peacetime' work, look at any 98's made under French control after the war. Look about like an SKS in finish. Those Kraut last ditchers were made for civilian issue...the Volksturm. The Jap last ditch rifles were actually not so bad strength-wise. The horror tales you read of cast receivers is ********. Yes, they made cast receiver guns, but these were for school issue as trainers....never meant to be fired....and so marked, but in Nipponese. Now, along comes GI Joe (no pun intended) and scrafs himself a gen-u-ine soovyneer and procedes to blow it all to hell with a round of ball ammo....suddenly all them damned Jap guns is dangerous junk. Ignorance was the culprit, not the Japs. The last ditch Jappers were crude but worked as advertised.





Are any of your fellows a WWII German Mauser expert? My best friend has a last ditch German Mauser, yes they had them too, not just the Japs, and it's dated either March or April of 1945. You know the war ended for Germany in May so this is really a last ditch rifle. Let's say it's basically in mint condition. Anyone know its value?

Joe

[45 2.1]

The Japs also made cast receiver rifles ( naval issue) for regular fighting issue from I believe one arsenal. The difference on those were that the bolt engauged locking lugs that were part of the barrel, not the receiver. The training rifles were built like conventional rifles out of reject materials and had writing in Jap on the stock saying they were training rifles and not meant to be fired with regular ball ammo.

[StarMetal]

Also some Jap rifles that for whatever reason, went to schools and they were marked in a certain way in addition to the original serial numbers.

I saw my friends last ditch 98 Mauser and the best way to describe it is that it was well made cheaply. It had the same laminated stocks that they had begun to use then wood became short and it was routered out on a stock machine and frankly it wasn't too bad. The action and barrel were really nicely done. The rear sight wasn't the typical adjustable ladder sight but a simple pressed on leaf with the famous V notch in it. Of course all the stock hardware was stamped and it didn't have the bolt takedown button in the stock. Thing is this thing looks like it never left where it was made. One guy at a gunshow offered him $1200 sight unseen so my friend Bob figures it must be worth more then that then, esp being made to that close to the end of the war and being in mint condition.

Joe

Joe

[brimic]

I have a Czech K98 that was made at the end of or after the war.

These are fairly common and usually cost around $200.

They typically have a scrubbed receiver, though I've corresponded with a few others who have some marking left, usually DOT 45 which means they were indeed made in czechoslovakia.

Waffennapmts can be found on the receiver, barrel and rear sight, in various stages of being 'pinged out.'

The bolt is is missing the bolt guide rib that is typically seen on a mauser 98 bolt.

The stock is laminated, as is common with late war stocks. Barrel bands are stamped. stock does not have takedown donut, though has a hole in the cupped buttplate to serve the same purpose. The bayonet lug has a hole in it to accept a cleaning rod, but the stock underneat it, does not.

The machining is relatively rough, not mosin nagant rough, but very unsightly compared to german mausers made in the 1930s and czech mausers in the 20's and 30's.

The floorplate is nonremoveable and stamped, very similar to the arrangement on an 03A3, and the trigger guard and follower is stamped as well.



If what You have has a german build code, it might be worth a bit more.