My First K98k...Finally

[MauserKar98k]

I did a little more research and I found out that my K98 could have been one of the dot 1944s that was made in early 1945 out of spare parts left over from the previous year. Some were also made in Kreigsmodell configuration. I think that the very nice example above that Mike posted is also from this group of very late war K98 dot 1944(45)s.

Here is the link that this info came from:
http://www.cagedlion.com/dot_1944(45).htm

"Some of these rifles also exhibit a lack of serial numbers on the receiver, and are serialled on the barrel and not in both places."

Again, very nice Kreigsmodell Mike!

[Josh Beckett]

I will get me an RC k98k during summer or after summer. Maybe my K98k will have one of your K98k parts on it. Hopefully I can get enough money to take everything off my wish list so I can go back to Japanese guns. I need a Yugo SKS now, then an AK of some kind, then an RC k98, then a mosin, then back to japanese rifles.

Have you got the parts to your french rifle yet?

[MauserKar98k]

I will get me an RC k98k during summer or after summer. Maybe my K98k will have one of your K98k parts on it. Hopefully I can get enough money to take everything off my wish list so I can go back to Japanese guns. I need a Yugo SKS now, then an AK of some kind, then an RC k98, then a mosin, then back to japanese rifles.

Have you got the parts to your french rifle yet?

Good luck getting your Mauser Josh! Don't forget to post it once you get it.

As far as the SKS goes, I was going to recommend that you get a Yugo SKS, as their quality is a better than, say, a Chinese SKS; but it would appear that you figured this out already. Eventually, I would like to get an early, Tula-made Russian or an Albanian SKS (with the AK47-like cocking handle), but that is way at the bottom of my "wish list" at the moment.

I still have to get the firing pin and the bolt head connecting screw for my Berthier 1892/16 carbine, but, to be honest, that isn't that high of a priority to me right now, especially considering that this K98 bankrupted me.

After I get a couple more German awards, I will get the restoration parts kit for my K98 (12.5" cleaning rod, front sight hood, capture screws, and original sling) and get it so it can pass inspection again!

[Josh Beckett]

I wouldnt get the sight hood, as the later ones might not have had the sight hoods. I plan on getting the Yugo SKS or maybe a russian one. I wanted a chinese one but they are too expensive and most arent even military SKS rifles. I want to get an AK parts kit and build one on that, probably get a US made reciever for it, but the reciever has to be finished, because I dont know how to make an AK reciever. Are you going to get a new stock for your french gun?

[Tomt]

First K98

Hi MauserKar98k Congrats on your new purchase. I'm on the same wavelength as you about mismatched parts. All depends on what level you want to collect. One bit of advice before you fire it (which you probably have already thought of) is to have a competent gunsmith do a "headspace" check on the rifle. It will take him about five minutes to do this and there will be no worries about any unwanted debris in your face. That 8mm is all business. Have fun and be safe. Tomt

[MauserKar98k]

Hi MauserKar98k Congrats on your new purchase. I'm on the same wavelength as you about mismatched parts. All depends on what level you want to collect. One bit of advice before you fire it (which you probably have already thought of) is to have a competent gunsmith do a "headspace" check on the rifle. It will take him about five minutes to do this and there will be no worries about any unwanted debris in your face. That 8mm is all business. Have fun and be safe. Tomt

Thanks for the reminder Tom. As much as I like K98s, I definitely would not like to have a chunk of the receiver or bolt logged in my face. I will most definitely be getting the headspace checked before this ever goes out to the range.

[Rylan]

8mm ammo is kind of expensive correct?

I know .30-06 is pricey, as fun as it is shooting these older guns. The ammo bill can add up, I don't think the U.S. government is willing to pay for my M1 Garand ammo anymore

Some advice, if you do plan to shoot this gun often, reload your own ammo and save money.

I wish ammo was cheap......... life would be more simple

[Josh Beckett]

Ammo is cheap here in the US.

[Suber]

Ammo is cheap here in the US.

That is all relative. If you plan on shooting "cheap" Turkish 8mm ammo, you will spend more time checking EACH round for defects than its worth. I would advise not wasting time with it. I know this to be true as I bought a mess of that once and after close inspection, nearly as I was loading them into the rifle, there were many that had split necks on them. Be careful what you shoot through it.

[U-96]

I shoot Partizan. Great rounds.

[Josh Beckett]

I used the romanian surplus.

[gew98]

I shoot Partizan. Great rounds.

Privi Partisan brand ( formerly Hansen ) is rather low on the quality in comparison to any other new made rifle ammunition. Have had alot of problems with too soft brass by them and bad bullet jacket alloys that would foul bores up like older cupro nickel bullets did.
I don't know where the kid came off with late war 98k's not having sight hoods ?. Only ones I know of were VK98's with the typical crude welded on front sight. I had enough late war 98k's when I collected them to know they all left the factorires with sight hoods - right up until the end.
As for SKS rifles... I've owned vietnam bringback Chinese and Russian made examples. Never had one that could not shoot accurately - excepting one chinese SKS that had multiple bullet strikes - it was a booger to get it to shoot when I got it ... hate to think of what the guy looked like whom had been holding it !.
I have had alot of locals bring me their well used yugo SKS's all of which had the grenade launcher dead weight on them. Main problem they all had was the neglect of cleaning with corrosive ammo caused the goofy gas cutoff to corrode so bad the gas would bleed off to bad and cause continual stoppages. At that point the only fix is to get a chinese or russian gas block and replace it - a pain in the butt , but the best fix is to delete that gas cutoff gasblock on the SKS !.

[Josh Beckett]

Thanks for the info on SKS rifles, I have been trying to get a friend of my dads to sell his vietnam bringback russian for a while so I can have a bringback SKS.

[Brad G]

MauserKar98k,
Congratulations on your rifle, I do know how you feel as I held my RC Karabiner 98K 7.92x57. for the first time yesterday.
It is a shooter with a great bore and very nice action. Rounds for it will be almost $2 Australian each but hey i'm not going to be putting 1000's of rounds through it.

Regards,
Brad

[vaughn99]

nice

nice!!!