New (old) Mauser

[EMC45]

A buddy from work just gave me a Mauser today. I have everything but the upper handguard. It is an 8MM and it says "Mod 98" on the left side of the receiver. And on the ring on the left side it says "PREDUZECE 44". On top of the ring it has 2 crossed torches and a star at the top of that. Can anyone tell me what kind of Mauser this is?(I'm sure some of the good folks here can!) Thanks, Evan

[Uncle Grinch]

Sounds like it may be Yugoslavian. My Preduzece 44 (based on a 98 full length action) has the same crest. Some were on the intermediate action, M48 and M48A actions.

[EMC45]

Thanks Uncle Grinch....And I got the answer close to home even!

[Dutchman]

Mod. 98 is the normal and common designation on the K98k German infantry rifle. Yugoslavia retained a large number of K98k after WW2 and rebuilt them. Preduzece 44 is the gov't workshop, or one of the gov't workshops that did this type of work. No matter how many times I see that word, Preduzece, I still see "prejudice" :).

Your rifle was made in Germany. The K98k was manufactured from about 1933 to 1945. I think 17,000,000 were made (17 million). A whole lot of them didn't survive the war.

My Yugo'fied, de-nazi'fied K98k. Has the same crest and Prejudice 44 on the receiver.

http://images110.fotki.com/v572/photos/4/28344/8945429/DSCF2002p-vi.jpg
http://images12.fotki.com/v200/photos/4/28344/8945429/DSCF2003p-vi.jpg

If you look real close you can see a 1 underneath the crest on the left-hand side. On the other end you can barely see a 0. That can mean only one thing. 1940. That's when it was manufactured. The WaA655 appears on the stock but more importantly it appears on the metal. This Waffenampt (inspector/acceptance) 655 was located at Mauser, Oberndorf. You're not going to get that lucky with most of these Yugo'fied K98k. Most you'll never figure out where or when it was made.

This rifle also has a witness mark on the rear sight base and barrel. And next to this witness mark (a line-up mark so the rear sight is put on in the same location) is a Czechoslovakian Waffenampt. This highly suggests it was rebarreled in Czechoslovakia post-war and ended up in Yugoland.

http://images44.fotki.com/v1419/photos/2/28344/157842/y2-vi.jpg

http://images17.fotki.com/v308/photos/2/28344/157842/y3-vi.jpg

http://images57.fotki.com/v283/photos/2/28344/157842/y6-vi.jpg

http://images17.fotki.com/v63/photos/2/28344/157842/y1-vi.jpg

There were some K98k that were rebuilt into the Yugoslavian m/48 model. The m/48 differs from the K98k mostly in the handguard configuration. The m/48 handguard is a full handguard that extends back to the receiver and forward to the lower barrel band. The K98k handguard is just an abbreviated little thing from the lower band to the front of the rear sight base.

Your new rifle could be configured any number of ways with a myriad of features. If you can take some clear photos and post them it'll save this forum from continually looking at pictures of mine:).

Dutch

[EMC45]

Mod. 98 is the normal and common designation on the K98k German infantry rifle. Yugoslavia retained a large number of K98k after WW2 and rebuilt them. Preduzece 44 is the gov't workshop, or one of the gov't workshops that did this type of work. No matter how many times I see that word, Preduzece, I still see "prejudice" :).

Your rifle was made in Germany. The K98k was manufactured from about 1933 to 1945. I think 17,000,000 were made (17 million). A whole lot of them didn't survive the war.

My Yugo'fied, de-nazi'fied K98k. Has the same crest and Prejudice 44 on the receiver.

http://images110.fotki.com/v572/photos/4/28344/8945429/DSCF2002p-vi.jpg
http://images12.fotki.com/v200/photos/4/28344/8945429/DSCF2003p-vi.jpg

If you look real close you can see a 1 underneath the crest on the left-hand side. On the other end you can barely see a 0. That can mean only one thing. 1940. That's when it was manufactured. The WaA655 appears on the stock but more importantly it appears on the metal. This Waffenampt (inspector/acceptance) 655 was located at Mauser, Oberndorf. You're not going to get that lucky with most of these Yugo'fied K98k. Most you'll never figure out where or when it was made.

This rifle also has a witness mark on the rear sight base and barrel. And next to this witness mark (a line-up mark so the rear sight is put on in the same location) is a Czechoslovakian Waffenampt. This highly suggests it was rebarreled in Czechoslovakia post-war and ended up in Yugoland.

http://images44.fotki.com/v1419/photos/2/28344/157842/y2-vi.jpg

http://images17.fotki.com/v308/photos/2/28344/157842/y3-vi.jpg

http://images57.fotki.com/v283/photos/2/28344/157842/y6-vi.jpg

http://images17.fotki.com/v63/photos/2/28344/157842/y1-vi.jpg

There were some K98k that were rebuilt into the Yugoslavian m/48 model. The m/48 differs from the K98k mostly in the handguard configuration. The m/48 handguard is a full handguard that extends back to the receiver and forward to the lower barrel band. The K98k handguard is just an abbreviated little thing from the lower band to the front of the rear sight base.

Your new rifle could be configured any number of ways with a myriad of features. If you can take some clear photos and post them it'll save this forum from continually looking at pictures of mine:).

Dutch




Dutch,
This is the first thing I thought too.

[EMC45]

That is the exact rifle I have. Minus the rust! It is not bad really. I do need the handguard for this gun too so If anyone out there has one they would part with that would be cool.

[82nd airborne]

I have several at my dads place. It will be two weeks before I am up there again, but I will send one to you free of charge if you can wait that long.

[EMC45]

I have several at my dads place. It will be two weeks before I am up there again, but I will send one to you free of charge if you can wait that long.

I will take one! Let me know what shipping is! Thanks bud!

[82nd airborne]

Shipping wont be enough to worry about. Just remind me about next Wednesday or Thursday so I can acctually remember.

[EMC45]

I sent you a PM 82nd!

[gnoahhh]

I had one of those "Prejudice" Mausers a long time ago. That's the same word I saw every time I looked at it too. As an aside the whole left side of the stock was laced with what appeared to be grenade shrapnel. I'll bet that ruined the guy's day.

[dpaqu]

Dutch did you drill and tap that for a scope?

I don't have a Mauser. I was thinking of maybe a Swiss in 6.5 but that may not be enough.

[Dutchman]

Dutch did you drill and tap that for a scope?

I don't have a Mauser. I was thinking of maybe a Swiss in 6.5 but that may not be enough.

Yes, I did it over this last summer. I really like the Leupold bases & rings. Very classy looking and all steel.

Dutch