Latest find! Recent K98 imports!

[Matt Weber]

Well guys, picked up some recent K98 imports, and here they are: from top to bottom; Sauer "G"-date (will probably be selling on the estand), Unmarked Luftwaffe proofed, Mauser "K"-date, and 1937 "BSW".

I just about every K98 I could, including a double dated K98, and Even the super rare "IX" code K98! (only one I've ever seen in person!)

Matt

[Matt Weber]

Receiver markings. Here is the "BSW" 1937. First year for this maker, Berlin, Suhler-Waffen, and the only maker not to follow the Heerswaffenampt coding system. They marked thier rifles with thier company logo "BSW" instead!
They only made these for 3 years (37, 38, and 39), and code was changed first to "337", after that they merged with Gustloffwerke, and the code was changed to the more common "bcd".

Matt

[Matt Weber]

Here is the Mauser K-date. First year for production of the K98, and Mauser was one of only two firms (J.P. Sauer being the other), making them. Serial number is "307", with no letter suffix!! This is a very early K-date!!

Matt

[Matt Weber]

Next is the Sauer G-date rifle. This is the type 2 variation of the Sauer G-date with the markings on top of the chamber rather than on the right side. (this rifle will probably be sold on the estand soon!!)

Matt

[Matt Weber]

And last is a blank chamber rifle, with Luftwaffe proofs on it!
Was wondering if anyone knows who made this rifle. It does have an "eagle/359" on the top of the receiver, which would hint to me, that it may be a Sauer rework?

Matt

[Matt Weber]

Here is the pic.

[Matt Weber]

Here is one of the Luftwaffe "luftampt" markings on the receiver.

[Matt Weber]

Here is the second one on the barrel.

[Matt Weber]

Here is a wider shot of the barrel, and receiver. No other proof markings, or waffenampts at all on this one! Just the one small "eagle/359" on the receiver.

Any thoughts?

Matt

[Claven2]

That's a VERY rare LuftAmpt "blanko". As an RC it might be worth a slight premium. Wre it not an RC, it'd be a very rare and valuable rifle.

Assembled by Luftwaffe personnel at, probably, Gustloff Werke in 1941. These are typically found with Walther coded E359 blank receivers (like yours) that were originally intended as armorer replacement receivers, bcd41 receivers from regular production, bsw39 receivers left over from the end of bsw series production in 1939 and the odd scrubbed Gewehr98 receiver.

Congrats on that one! Less than 7000 are thought to have been made. I jsut recently sold No.6584e. All known examples are in the "e block".

[MikeW]

Are these Russian capture K-98s?

[Claven2]

quite obviously YES. Note the "X"'s on the receivers.

[MikeW]

quite obviously YES. Note the "X"'s on the receivers.

Yes I noticed that, but I wanted to be sure.

[phild]

That's a VERY rare LuftAmpt "blanko". As an RC it might be worth a slight premium. Wre it not an RC, it'd be a very rare and valuable rifle.

Maybe not as valuable as a non Russian capture as you say but still just as rare or even more so.

I can well remember when Russian re-work k98ks brought more money than the matched non-re-worked German ones...during the 1960s and 70s when a few were turning up from Vietnam...they actually centerpieced some 98k collections that I saw back then.

Also interesting is that dealers/collectors put about a 10% premium on Lugers and P.38s that turned up with East German VOPO stamps and re-working...they were very very rare in the U.S. at least.

[Claven2]

Maybe not as valuable as a non Russian capture as you say but still just as rare or even more so.

I can well remember when Russian re-work k98ks brought more money than the matched non-re-worked German ones...during the 1960s and 70s when a few were turning up from Vietnam...they actually centerpieced some 98k collections that I saw back then.

Also interesting is that dealers/collectors put about a 10% premium on Lugers and P.38s that turned up with East German VOPO stamps and re-working...they were very very rare in the U.S. at least.

While what you say may once have been true, the market is now flooded with RC's so their value has been diminished IMHO.