WWII Japanese Contract German 98k (42 1938) Rifle

[Ed Hicks]

WWII Japanese Contract German 98k (42 1938) Rifle with later Chinese Militia stock stamp...Matching throughout including the stock except for the hand guard and one action screw...There is some pitting beneath the wood, but overall still fine...A scarce and historically interesting K98 with an intriguing, if largely unknown, history.

[Ed Hicks]

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[Ed Hicks]

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[Ed Hicks]

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[Gary Cain]

Boy, I'll say. That's only the 2nd one I've ever seen.

[bodes]

Just curious as to how one knows this is a Japanese contracted mauser?.....My understanding per Japanese/German contract agreement was that these mauser rifles were to be taken directly from the Oberndorf assembly line.....Meaning there would be no physical changes in the standard K98k rifles issued to the wehrmacht....One exception being a banner type mauser cartouche placed where the sling goes through the butt stock on the back side.....Are there factory records with known serial number ranges for the Japanese contracted rifles?.....Bodes

[Ed Hicks]

The rifle falls into the known serial range for reported Japanese Contract 98k's sold to Japan by Mauser. They start in the "u" block of 1938 and carry through the "y" block. A later order in 1939 was shipped and includes late 42 1939 rifles in the v-w blocks (maybe more).



Quote from Gunboards K98 book author...A couple other k98 collectors and researchers have offered similar opinions on the rifle. Ed

[bodes]

The rifle falls into the known serial range for reported Japanese Contract 98k's sold to Japan by Mauser. They start in the "u" block of 1938 and carry through the "y" block. A later order in 1939 was shipped and includes late 42 1939 rifles in the v-w blocks (maybe more).



Quote from Gunboards K98 book author...A couple other k98 collectors and researchers have offered similar opinions on the rifle. Ed

Thanks for the clarification.....I was thinking yours was a no letter suffix.....I thought these rifles were drawn from later produced 1938 Oberndorf mausers.......Bodes

[HAF]

wow very interesting,just courios why this one was restamped by chinese milita? was the gun left in China by Jap troops?

[Jeff V]

Awesome find!!!

[NickG]

Amazing history!
So made in Germany, sent to Japan, captured and/or reissued to the Chinese later and now residing in NC. A well travelled rifle! Was it a US Vet bring back?
Most likely so (something like this would not have import marks!)
Great historical find!

[Alan Smith]

Any idea why the Japanese would have wanted these 98k rifles? Were they a test series for the Japanese to try out the 98 Mauser system?

Really strange to me that the Japanese would have wanted these rifles at the point in time when they were produced . . . . the Japanese by that time (as far as bolt action rifles are considered) were irrevocably committed to the Arisaka design. So . . the idea as a possible replacement for the Arisaka (6.5mm or 7.7mm) seems pretty far-fetched.

Maybe the Chinese markings are a clue here . . . given that various armed factions operating in mainland China were at that time equipped with 7.92 Mauser caliber weapons. Did any Chinese forces fight for Japan? If so, maybe these Mausers were used to equip pro-Japanese forces in China?

Just wondering how/why this "Japanese contract" 98k came into being.

[Alan Smith]

One other thought: Are we 100% sure that this rifle was sold/given to the Japanese? With a 1938 production date (i.e. prior to the Tripartite Pact in September, 1941 that ended German military support for the Chinese Nationalist army), could this rifle have actually been part of German sales to Chiang Kai-shek's forces? The Chinese Nationalists, of course, used large quantities of 8mm weapons (98 pattern rifles; Maxim MG's; copies of the Zb series MG's; etc.), so it would make sense that these 1938 Mauser production 98k's are part of the tail-end of German military/industrial support to the Chinese Nationalists.

I have a friend whose father was a small arms procurement officer for the Chinese Nationalists, stationed in pre-war Berlin. My friend lived in Berlin c. 1938 through the summer of 1941 when they (together with other members of the Chinese Nationalist "Interests Section" - they did not have an official embassy presence) were kicked out of the country (at which time they traveled with the U.S. embassy staff who were evacuating out of Germany; down through Spain; then on to Lisbon, Portugal to board a steamship for diplomatic passage to the U.S. He has told me many stories of the various small arms that were procured (from FN, Madsen, and "most of the major German firms" as he put it).

Anyway, based on the relevant dates, it seems like a 1938/1939 delivery of 98k's to the Chinese Nationalist forces would fit in just right with the known facts (and, to me, would make a lot more sense than a delivery to Japan).

Let's discuss . . . . .

[blinky]

Allen - keep in mind the Japanese military was undergoing a tremendous expansion during this time period and their own arsenals were having a difficult time keeping up with production of the then new Type 99....and the Germans of course were more than happy to produce the 98k for export. Once Japanese production started to catch up there was no real need to continue importing rifles.

[Ed Hicks]

Identification is based on verified Japanese contract orders and deliveries according to recent k98 book researchers and authors...the Chinese stamp I think is either late war or post war militia depending on sources.