"Best" K98 manufacturer

[landsknechte]

Excluding all of the normal collectors concerns of relative rarity, which K98 manufacturer(s) is generally considered to be the "best"?

Thanks,
--Chris

[Bob in OH]

By some, 42=byf=original Mauser

[MauserKar98k]

By some, 42=byf=original Mauser

I agree 100% I love all K98s, but these are the "real" Mausers; not made under contract by some other random metal works, but made right at the main Mauser-Werke factory in Oberndorf am Neckar.

The codes "243" and "ar" also belong in this "real" Mauser category as well; being made at the Mauser-Werke factory in Berlin-Borsigwalde.

[Bob in OH]

243 not "213"

[MauserKar98k]

243 not "213"

My mistake. I posted when I was barely awake last night.

[Matt Weber]

I agree. I would also like to add J.P. Sauer in with that though. In 1934, Mauser, Obendorf, and J.P. Sauer were the first two manufacturers of the K98, and produced them the longest! (Mauser 1934-1945, and Sauer 1934-1944 respectively).

Honorable mention goes to "BSW". Only built them for 3 years,(1937-1939) but quality and finish was usually excellent on them.

Matt

[Rich Pouncey]

While not speaking with a great amount of experience-at least with 98k's-I would think that J.P.Sauer & Sohn would automatically be included with Mauser Werke as being the very best. If two were on the table for sale, one Mauser and the other Sauer and both collector's items with all things equal....I would buy both

[phild]

I think that the fact is that all of these makers of the pre-war k98k made them during that period (pre-war) to a very high standard that was set and enforced by military inspectors.

There was not a lot of room for artistic expression and freedom! Every aspect of the rifle (metal and wood finish, fit steel quality, metal hardening....simply everyting) was made and held to a tight spec.

Having said the above I would still probably give the nod albeit slight to Msuser OadN.

[geopop71]

Best K98

I have a 1942 BCD all matcher. It was assembled by the Gustloff Werke factory
and used allmost all contract parts. I believe some were assembled at one of the camps. There is no finer finish on any K98 I have examined and I have checked Mauser Mfgd as well. It's true if you do not have a Mauser, you only have a K98 Mauser designed rifle. Some collectors do not like the BCD k98 at all. Any one have any thought's on this? The one I have in particular is as nice as they can get, smooth machining and polishing a pleasure to behold! It's as close as I will ever get to a Mauser K98 and it is what it is, so I am stuck with it! I does however have al the numbers and letters that are supposed to be on it acording to Richard Laws Book.
Does any one know what year they were made at the camp, was the camp Buchenwald?
By the way, I did have a 43 byf and it too was an all matcher, the finish however was no where near the finish on the BCD 42.
Lots of factory machine marks and lathe turning marks.
Thanks Geopop

[landsknechte]

Thanks for the advice guys! I was teetering between a couple different options, and y'all reinforced the way I was leaning to begin with.

This 1938 "42" will be mine very soon. It's a Russian capture with the stock refinshed. For my purposes, reenacting and shooting, it suits me just fine. In an odd way, it's neat to know that it saw the Ostfront.

[MauserKar98k]

Good choice! Hopefully I will be getting one just like it this weekend.

[geopop71]

K98

One thing good about the Russian Capture K98's Even if the rifle itself has been taken apart and reassembled, at least you know that the parts have seen action. So whatever it is, it is a real battlefild relic!
Maybe all the parts may make up a series of battles from one put together rifle!
For sure they have all seen some fighting.
geopop

[Rich Pouncey]

It's natural to want to think that an RC is a battlefield capture and saw service on the Eastern Front, but how do we know honestly that it was? Remember, "Ivan" held parts of the Axis' former territories for almost 50 years and, I'm sure, seized military hardware that never saw any combat in any theatre. My own RC,for example: A 1941 Sauer barrel and receiver with a pure mixmaster of everything else along with a Czech firing pin. Possibly Eastern Front battlefield pickup, but I'm betting the pieces that make up my RC may have seen service elsewhere also, possibly even Normandy or possibly only garrison duty far from combat! How do we tell? Is there a way? I doubt it!

IMO the important thing is that it is a piece of history worth owning, regardless of the various parts origions. And those of us who spent a career watching "Ivan's" every move are glad the Cold War is over and that we may now buy an RC instead of having to capture it a second time!

[dale w]

best 98

i like the workman ship on the J.P Sauer rifles .i have 4 or 5 or them .the oldest one is a S-147-G that i bought years ago for $110

[MauserKar98k]

It's natural to want to think that an RC is a battlefield capture and saw service on the Eastern Front, but how do we know honestly that it was? Remember, "Ivan" held parts of the Axis' former territories for almost 50 years and, I'm sure, seized military hardware that never saw any combat in any theatre. My own RC,for example: A 1941 Sauer barrel and receiver with a pure mixmaster of everything else along with a Czech firing pin. Possibly Eastern Front battlefield pickup, but I'm betting the pieces that make up my RC may have seen service elsewhere also, possibly even Normandy or possibly only garrison duty far from combat! How do we tell? Is there a way? I doubt it!

IMO the important thing is that it is a piece of history worth owning, regardless of the various parts origions. And those of us who spent a career watching "Ivan's" every move are glad the Cold War is over and that we may now buy an RC instead of having to capture it a second time!

I have a similar opinion about RC K98s. I don't know why so many collectors turn their noses up at them. God forbid they don't have matching numbers. To me, a K98 is a K98. I don't care if there are parts of 100 different Mausers in a single K98; as long as it's original and complete, I'll take it. Plus, there is the added bonus that they are a hell of a lot cheaper than all-matching K98s.

1000th post!