What K98 do you have? and does it hit?

[chris ulkesh]

oh, as an example of what i mean: i had a 95% ww1 winchester mod. 97 trenchgun. they only made around 19,000 or so in ww1. i found it in the late '80's in a local store w/ the bayonet and scabbard stuck on the end! pretty rare item since most were beat through the trenches, a couple of world wars and various police actions. collectors had not caught on at that time so i got it cheap. i shot it quite often....then the the value started to make it too risky to shoot, so i sold it to a winchester collector. i think i made his whole year! so, don't think i am meaning "abuse" a rifle.

[Matt Weber]

I agree with Chris. I shoot everything I own. Sure there are some guns that I don't shoot very often, (like my G33/40). But shooting a gun say, only once a year will not lower the value of it!
K98s in particular rise in value every year. Therefore by shooting it once a year, it will still be worth more the following year!

I'm not saying to take them out in the woods deer hunting with you! (like I did! )

But Chris is right. What are you saving it for? Are you planning on selling them? If not, then why are you concerned about value?
A Weapon unused is a useless weapon!

Anyways, back to the orignal question. I have 4 K98s right now, and Yes, I shoot them all! They are a "dou43", "byf45", "dot1944", and a "dot1941".
Surprisingly my two best shooters are the two late war guns! My "byf45" is a full kriegsmodell, and keeps all of its groups inside 3" at 100 yards! The "dot1944" is even better! I can litterally hit a large head of a screw (about 1/2" diameter) at 100 yards with it! This is the rifle I used deer hunting last year!

The K98 is a great shooting rifle.
Someone also mentioned the 1903 Springfield? This is basically an American version of the '98 Mauser chambered in .30 cal. Also a great shooter as well!

Matt

[Britch]

My opinion on the matter is that it is a gun. THey were designed to be shot. I try and at least shoot every gun I own at least once to test function and accuracy, and as long as you clean your guns properly, I don't think shooting them will hurt them (Except maybe the all matching luger...they can be touchy), But K98s are very simple tough guns, Shoot away!
Brian

[Chuck McLemore]

I agree! Shooting any military weapon is great fun. I have a (243) 1939 mismatched K98, that is very accurate.

[Warren O]

I have 4 mismatches BYf42, S/42, Byf44, Bcd43, haven't fired the Bcd yet but the other 3 don't shoot they sling. Can't shoot a 2ft group at 100yds. I use'em for props with my uniforms and equipment. Guess I haven't found the right surplus ammo yet
Warren

[Ralph A]

For what it worth...

I have a 1916 Gew98 that gives me consistent six-inch groups over iron sights, 340 feet.

(340 feet is the distance from my stand to the ridge on the back of my property )

Not bad for an old man with an old gun.

[Sebastian Bianchi]

I can't see anything wrong with shooting your guns. I have two k98s, one is a Russian re-stamp and I shoot that all the time, but I would shoot the other as well (although I have not). I have shot the P-38, etc - I mean not ALL the time, but as was said a couple of times a year won't hurt.

I guess like the cars, whenever you take it out on the road you run the risk of someone running into you - but I guess that's a risk I'd be willing to take.

[Ruki vyerkh]

One I shot, one I won't

When I got my all matching-numbers ar 41 about 20 years ago I shot it all the time. Even took it bear hunting a time or two.
The one I'll never shoot is a dot 1943 I got from a former medical officer of the 78th Infantry Division. I asked him to write me a letter describing the circumstances of acquiring the gun. He wrote:
"We, the 78th Infantry Division, were in the Kesternick Lammersdorf Rollesbroik region of Germany fighting during the Battle of the Bulge. Down a slope and through the woods, below Rollesbroik, there was a quite small forester's tool house by the Roer River. At that point the river was only about twelve feet wide. Apparently a German soldier emerged from the tool house as our soldiers approached and was shot and killed. His rifle lay across his abdomen.
"Seeing no strings or wires that might be attached to a hand grenade, I took the rifle.
"Shipping regulations were quite strict in the combat area. The rifle was too long to ship. After disassembling the weapon, the stock was still too long for shipment so the distal stock had to be sawed. Unfortunately the super glues were not available in the States at that time and Elmer's did not quite do the job. Fortunately the rifle's balance and mechanisms are good. Test firing was not done by me.
"I am pleased that you like the Mauser.
"With all best wishes, I remain, Thomas L. Lucas.
"PS: Without references I am not sure that the spelling of the names of towns and villages is correct."
He had sawed the stock at an angle beneath the barrel band, sliding the band on held it together, even though his old gluing job fell apart. The numbers on the bolt match the receiver, but numbers on the nosecap and bottom of the magazine (which match each other) don't match the receiver's numbers. I'd guess an armorer pieced it together from two damaged guns, but that's only a wild guess.
It has a very nice foxhole/artillery barrage patina, and is totally functional. And - of course - since it's unfired since 1944, I'll never shoot it.
I have read that in Dec. '44 the 78th ("Lightning") was faced by the 272nd Volksgrenadier Division.
Perhaps in a month or so, after becoming an association member, I'll post photos of these k98's.
Paul C.

[Doug See]

Personally, I enjoy shooting my collection, as long as I know they are safe. I used to do Civil War reenacting and belonged to an artillery unit which owned an original 1861 12 pound howitzer, cast at Tredegar (Confederate) in 1861. The owner had a new limber made for it, and we fired dozens of 1/2 to 3/4 pound black powder charges in it at Gettysburg, Chicamauga, Resaca, Atlanta and other 125th battle anniversaries. We even took it up to north Georgia to a farm and fired two rounds of cannister at some plywood "Yankees". Firing actual rounds in an old tube increases the pressure compared to blanks, and I've gotta admit we tied two lengths of lanyard together when we fired the live rounds, just to make sure no one was too close to it (we were younger and more foolish then....). The gun worked fine, the "Yankees" were properly perforated, and the thrill of firing a piece of history that hadn't been used in 125 years was tremendous. The only guns I would not fire are mint, unfired, unissued weapons which would depreciate once used.

[Roy Queen]

I have two K98 rifles, a mismatched byf43 and bcd41 and they are really fun to shoot! In fact, the byf43 has been a favorite deer hunting rifle for me in the last 10 years, and have taken game with it. I have a matching cyq P-38 that I rarely shoot. My DDR reworked P08 I like to shoot, but like the P38, it is really not shot very often, my Communist Bloc Makarovs are used for serious range time.

[phosphateb]

i would be too scared to shoot my vg-1 and two vk98's...they might blow up or be destoryed...

[James Purnell]

I learned the hard way not to shoot my more collectable rifles. About 5 years ago I took a very crisp condition Smith Corona 03A3 to the range and ran about 50 or so rounds thru it. The gun functioned and shot great, giving me about 2 inch 5 shot groups with Lake City M2 ball. While cleaning the rifle later that night I noticed a very fine 5 inch crack in the stock extending rearward from the area behind the rear tang of the receiver. It became slightly more noticable over the next year or so. It wasn't there before I shot the rifle. The rifle might have been unfired as the condition was close to 100%. I also saw a friend break the claw section off of the extractor of a matching and very nice bnz 41 98k last year. The rifle was extracting fine and gave no indication that the extractor would break. This is of course a serial numbered and Steyr inspection marked part.

I have about 20 or so matching 98k rifles and wouldn't shoot any of them today based on these two experiences. I have fired some of them in the past. I have mismatched rifles that provide the same enjoyment and a lot less grief if something should break. I couldn't talk a buddy and advance collector out of firing his G41 M recently. He has had the rifle for years and decided he was going to fire it with or without me, so I took part. These are notorious for breaking parts. We ran about 25 rounds thru it without a hitch fortunatly. To each his own on this subject.

[P08]

Kai Steffen

So you have no "Beschussamt" markings on your K98? Lucky you. I don't have a K98 - yet - but I do have a very good condition P38 pistol that I shoot with every 3 weeks or so. It's matching numbers, but unfortunately has the "Beschussamt" markings from Beschussamt Mellrichstadt. At least they placed the marks where you don't really notice them.

BTW I like your signature...

[Joe N]

I have for k98 trifles:1)s42 1937 fully matching 2)dot 1944 fully matching 3) my pristine dual code bcd/ar 42 fully matching 4) byf 44 all matching except bolt. Don't shoot any of them anymore, definitely not the dual code.

I just wondered how many and what K98 you own.

I have only one- a 1936 S42 Mauser/ Oberndorf a.N. with the number 1468G.

And how does yours shoot- on 100m i can make 70-80mm streukreis with 10 shots- doesnt reach my mosin-nagant by far- can make 40-50mm with that one....(even with bad surplus ammo it is below 100mm- the k98 goes up to 170-180mm then)
i know you have to shoot slowly because it heats up so much and still i wouldnt be able to do a headshot on 300m....

opinions?

Gruß,
KSM