Mauser Help

[Krh1326]

Hi all,

Unfortunately, inherited FIL’s Mauser. No info with rifle, or backstories. I know very little about the vintage rifles, and am trying to google research, but every article I’ve found so far, is written as if the reader, is familiar with the Mausers and history, to start with.
Can someone help me figure out what model from when and where?
There is 4 digit numbers, all around the rifle, on various components, including the stock, and they all match 4374.
There are various maker or proof marks all over the rifle, mostly things that look like crowns.
On the top of the chamber on receiver, there are the stamps: 1920 over Danzig over 1916

I can take pics, but I’m not sure of what to take pics of, lol. All marks and numbers are clearly visable.

I’m not interested in value/selling…. Just what is it? Where did it come from?

Going to dust it off, clean it up, and post some pics.

[racepres]

If "Danzig" is fairly large...and 1916 right under it... it is likely a Gewr 98.. WW1 battle rifle.. Made at Danzig in Germany.. The Germans really like all the components to Match... so the numbers..
But... even a Half Fair picture helps volumes..

[Hick]

I'm sure others more expert than me will add to this, but here's a start

1. The German military factories put serial numbers on lots of parts. Basically, an armorer could take apart many rifles and put them back together without mixing parts from identical rifles. So, as a minimum, it is normal to see 4275 on the stock, the bolt (often on the bolt handle) the receiver, magazine bottom plate, and cleaning rod, and even the last two digits on some of the screws and smaller parts.
2. The Royal Arsenal at Danzig would have a Crown over the word Danzig and then under that the year of manufacture. The date 1920 above all that would be a re-issue date. That is, made in Danzig in 1916 then reworked or modified in 1920.

[Krh1326]

Added pics, to original post

[Texas by God]

Unfortunately? You inherited one of the best rifles ever built. Originally it would have a 29” barrel, a “roller coaster” rear sight, and be chambered in 8x57 mm. A full length pic will tell what happened in 1920 perhaps.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Krh1326]

Yeah. Air Force vet, finally succumbed to leukemia, after being load master , transporting Agent Orange from Germany to Vietnam, then civilian life as a freight rr engineer, moving hazardous materials… so I say unfortunately I inherited… just a play on words.
I’m not home to take more pics, but yes this rifle is one and a half miles long, from buttplate to muzzle.
It does have a long, drawn out rear sight, with increments. It is 8x57. Will take and post more pics, in am.

[hc18flyer]

Nice rifle! When I bought my first Mauser, a Yugo M48 I didn't know much about them. On thing to check out and repair if needed, is the recoil lug. Mine was missing some wood and couldn't do it's job. So I ended up cracking the tang area. I repaired both areas with glass bedding and a carefull placed screw in the tang. Mine is a shooter, rather than a collector. Enjoy your new addition! hc18flyer

[pietro]

.

I hope you/yours will accept our condolences on the loss of your FIL.

Because of the same SN's on all the parts, you likely have a surplus Mauser 1898/98 battle rifle,.

Captured/surrendered battlefield rifles were partially disassembled, with the pieces tossed in a pile of like parts.

Sometimes, a GI captured a rifle on their own, and somehow kept it from the disassembly process - ergo, a non-surplus rifle with matching part SN's

When the captured/surrendered rifles were re-assembled, parts were just grabbed from the pile(s) willy-nilly, w/o searching the huge parts piles for a matching SN part.


.

[36g]

Your rifle is a standard GEW98 (Gewehr 98) or 1898 Mauser, made at Danzig arsenal in 1916 and reworked for the Weimar military or police in 1920. Basic numbers appear to match (receiver, stock, barrel). Look to see if numbers on bolt are the same. Bore diameter is 7.92mm, so it's an 8X57mm Mauser caliber. If the stock hasn't been shortened (it still has the bayonet lug and front band) it may or may not have the roller coaster style rear sight. If the rear sight base is flat on top where the sight leaf folds down then it has the later rear sight modification.

Nice rifle!

[Krh1326]

Hi all… thank you so much for the help. I’ve been immersed in research, but you guys here, really helped me understand, what it is.

The barrel is intact, not shortened. It is 29”. The bayonet lug and the little spacer block between barrel and cleaning rod is there. Those numbers match everywhere else, too. The bottom of the mag, the bolt, etc.
There is a letter “ A” stamped into the side of the shoulder stock, in such a way , that it is upright, easily readable, when standing upright on buttplate.
The steel buttplate is there , as well, intact.

Edit… the rear sight is flat on top. Very long with increments.
The only things that don’t seem to be right, is it is missing the cleaning rod, which I ordered a repro, today… and I’m not sure about the sling. I think the sling is/was a repro, because, tho old, I wouldn’t expect leather from 1920? To be in this good of shape.

[36g]

Here are some photos of a representative 1920 rework. I suspect that yours is similar.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...n_id=101017136

The sling should be the same design as a WWI GEW 98.

[GregLaROCHE]

You are lucky to have inherited that fine rifle. Take good care of it. They don’t make them like that anymore.

[Dutchman]

Unfortunately not one good fellow got the 1920 date issue correct. It is not a "rebuild" date. Not once in this thread did I see the words "treaty of Versailles".

https://www.forgottenweapons.com/wha...le-date-stamp/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Versailles

https://net.lib.byu.edu/~rdh7/wwi/versa/versa4.html

https://www.statista.com/statistics/...-restrictions/
Along with giving detailed restrictions in regards to the amount of personnel allowed in the German military, the Treaty of Versailles also laid out the exact number of weapons and rounds allowed per unit in the German army. The most commonly used weapons were rifles, of which each division was allocated 12,000 guns, with 400 rounds each (a total of 11,240 men was allowed per division). Following this, a much smaller number of machine guns and heavy weapons was allowed per division, although their ammunition allowance per weapon was usually much higher than that of the rifle, with all machine guns allocated 8,000 rounds each. If we look at the total for the entire army the highest number of units and ammunition was allocated to rifles, with 84,000 individual guns and 33.6 million rounds.

Can you guess how those rifles Germany was allowed to keep were identified? Yep, they were stamped with the date of the treaty: 1920.

The serial number of your rifle is 4374mm. To briefly explain.... They used batches of 9999 rifles with a letter suffix starting with 'a'. That gave them 26 series of rifles each with 9999 rifles. When they ran out of those first 26 letter series they started using double letters like aa bb cc dd and so on until they worked through the alphabet to mm.

The rear sight is known as the Vizier-Lange rear sight.


My Gewehr 98 was made at Mauser Oberndorf in 1916. The scope mount is my own make.


Dutch

[Krh1326]

That is awesome info. Thank you.

I’m very curious, as I’ve continued to read and research this rifle. I’m actually considering sporterizing it. I’m not sold on it. I’m not an arms collector, but it has sentimental value in our family. As is, it is relegated to a cabinet. I’m entertaining the idea of converting it to a more hunter friendly configuration… Thinking reworking and refinishing the stock, cutting and welding the bolt handle to a scope friendly angle, drilling and tapping receiver for scope, maybe shortening the barrel a touch. Maybe adding bottom metal for a detachable magazine.

I do not NEED another hunting rifle, but if I did this work, I think I would shoot it…. Frequently. Might actually look for some whitetails, with it. ( If Marlin .35 Rem will forgive me ) I can actually do most of this work, myself.
I do believe I would add 8mm to my repertoire of casting and loading.

I’m wrestling with the idea ‘ would this be a respectful, labor of love ‘ or would it be ‘ sacrilege… an affront to what it is’.

What do you guys think?

[wilecoyote]

...100% sacrilege, in my book_

[Krh1326]

I get it. I understand…. Both sides to the question. I appreciate your answer.

[Mk42gunner]

Twenty years ago, give or take a few years, I sporterized several Mausers. They were running about $100 apiece then, and even with that low entrance price, none of them ended up saving me any money over buying a new factory rifle.

Given the drastic increase in prices of inmolested milsurp rifles, I cannot recommend doing a shadetree gunsmithing project on a rifle in decent condition.

Yes it was your FIL's rifle, but you don't have any idea of when or where he acquired it. Or even if he had plans to modify it.

You knew him, I didn't. Would he rather you modify it and use it, or would he have preferred you to keep it as issued and never use it?

Keeping it 8mm with the original barrel will cut sown on costs considerably, and the 8mm is a decent round.

Maybe shoot it like it is first, although shooting the donor is usually a mistake.

Sorry for not giving a clear answer,

Robert

[john.k]

Yes,dont sport it ,sell it as a collector item ...for enough money to buy 3 new rifles and some ammo.

[wilecoyote]

I get it. I understand…. Both sides to the question. I appreciate your answer.

...without going further into your affairs, I would recommend using it and enjoying it for what it is, and that is no small thing: 8x57 caliber in this barrel length is perfectly capable of annihilating anything as, if not better, than the 30-06_
before changing it irreversibly, a market valuation would still be appropriate_
to be clearer, Dutchman above showed how a rifle can be scoped even without drilling it_
my 2c.

[charlie b]

If you don't have anyone to pass it to, and no real history to it, then do as you please. If that were my case I'd sell it and buy something else to convert. If I wanted to do the work I'd find a good M98 action, put a good custom barrel on it in 7x57, mannlicher stock, receiver peep sights. Maybe a claw mount scope.

If there is someone to leave it to, then I'd be tempted to leave in original condition.