How to Identify RC Mausers?

I recently purchased a '41 CE Mauser, which according to conventional wisdom, is a RC Mauser. Even though it has all matching hardware & Waffen-eagles on everything, it has a mis-matched (unmarked) bolt, new-looking capture screws & cleaning rod, and a few other "questionable" issues which lead me to believe that this rifle is not original. This prompted me to try and find out exactly what determines an "RC" Mauser...

I know that mismatched parts are a clue, along with non-matching (or missing?) capture screws & cleaning rod, and any electro-penciled parts are also a give-away. But are there any other sight-obvious clues to look for without having to disassemble a rifle to find out where it came from? How do you determine the difference between an "original" (or possibly re-furbed by another country?) and an RC? I've read where other members shout out "RC" just by looking at a picture or reading a description but I'm rather new to the Rc scene and need to know what to look for.

Thanks, and appreciate any & all replys.

--728shooter

RC's are generally mismatched on most parts. Bluing is fresh, stock has a purplish shellac, some numbers are electropenciled. The stock will have a serial number stamped on the side. Usually there is an X on the receiver. Nazi swastikas are peened. Small screws and sight cover are missing.

That is as received. A lot of guys myself included replace the missing screws, sight cover and get the horrid shellac off the stock. Not all will have the X, Not all have peened swastikas, mine has not been peened.

From your description, yours does not sound like an RC but just a mismatch which are also common. It could have been used by any number of nations after the war, it could have been brought back that way.

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

RC's are generally mismatched on most parts. Bluing is fresh, stock has a purplish shellac, some numbers are electropenciled. The stock will have a serial number stamped on the side. Usually there is an X on the receiver. Nazi swastikas are peened. Small screws and sight cover are missing.

That is as received. A lot of guys myself included replace the missing screws, sight cover and get the horrid shellac off the stock. Not all will have the X, Not all have peened swastikas, mine has not been peened.

From your description, yours does not sound like an RC but just a mismatch which are also common. It could have been used by any number of nations after the war, it could have been brought back that way.

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Thank you Aragorn243 for the reply. Mine does have a serial number stamped on the stock which does not match the receiver which leads me to believe its obviously not original, but may be an RC replacement? Top hand-guard has matching s/n to receiver. No X on the receiver, all Waffens and swastikas are sharp & intact (all over everything!), stock finish is weathered & worn but no purple/red shellac whatsoever. Oddly, there is no s/n on the bolt itself but the cocking piece & safety have different (although matching) s/n's

Will try and post pictures in the next week or so, assuming I can get my camera to take good close-ups. Thanks again, --728shooter

Pictures will help. There were other nations that had stockpiles of K98's after the war. Perhaps yours came from one of them. A lot had rebuild programs after the war. No sense throwing out perfectly good weapons. Just clean them up, fix them up and either put them in storage or offer them to some ally that needs them to fight some stupid little war.

Here you go. A picture's worth... and all that. The Russian property mark is supposed to represent crossed cannon barrels or such like but, they just look like an "X" to me. (Below and left of the "41" on the receiver ring.)
Attachment 90974 Attachment 90975
Attachment 90973 Attachment 90972

Not all Russian captures have the "X" stamp or peened Swastikas. It was a very haphazard process to stockpile them for the Russians.