"Bear" markings on a K98k?

[hockeybuff]

I was looking at a dot 45 K98k today. (sorry no pics) And it seemed like a put-to-gether rifle. It was a dot 45 receiver, serial #422, with dot marked stock and handguard, and later features. What was odd? about it was that it had a small "bear" marked on the barrel, receiver and bolt. The bear was clearly marked at the same time- same size etc. The serial number on the bolt matched but appeared to have been milled off and then restamped to match. It looked like me to be the "Berliner" bear. Any guesses?
Secondly that late in the war, did they use Mauser marked stamped trigger guards?
It had no import marks and I was wondering about that bear............

Information

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[Patrick Chadwick]

That sounds like a German civil proof of a rifle with a replacement bolt. If you can post a good picture of the markings on the receiver I might be able to say when. Private restamping of the proof marks and numbers on those three major functional parts was and is not just naughty, but a crime. Would you like fake brake cylinders on your car? So if you have reason to think the markings are fake (I cannot possibly tell from here) it might be hazardous to shoot that rifle.

Patrick

[hockeybuff]

Well I didn't buy the rifle but might, if the price is right of course.
I don't think the "Bear" stamps are fake, but strange as I've not seen a K98 with those stamps before. The odd thing to it is they are right where the NAZI proof marks would be- left side of the receiver and barrel and bolt. It had some of the inspection stamps etc as a regular production but the serial number issue on the bolt and receiver (they look post production stamped) and the bear stamp thing.
Thanks for your answer- I'll follow up

[Patrick Chadwick]

The odd thing to it is they are right where the NAZI proof marks would be- left side of the receiver and barrel and bolt.

Nothing odd about it. That is the prescribed position for German proof marks to this day. It would instead be odd if they were not in those positions.

My information is that the Berlin proof facility was set up post-war by the Federal Republic of Germany, because of the isolation of West Berlin, and only existed from 1945 to 1990. The numbers of rifles proofed must have been rather small, since the opportunity to shoot them was very restricted. It was closed down after reunification and the end of the geographical isolation.

It is very unlikely that the stamps are fake, since they would not add any value for the Nazi-nostalgia freaks, rather the reverse, and faking of stamps whose validity is still recognized is a crime - and idiotic, since as soon as a purchaser tried to register it, the swindle would be apparent, because there would be no matching record in the proof house. I just mentioned it as more of a theoretical possibility.

Like I said, it sounds like a Berlin-proofed rifle with replacement bolt from 1945-1990 and it should have some indication of the date. I take back the use of the word mixmaster, which is inappropriate in such a case.

Patrick


P.S: If you are looking for a shooter, then at least you can reckon that, as it has passed a civil proof, the rifle was (at the time of proofing) safe to shoot, and chambering will have been checked. That would make it a better choice than most of the typical ex-Jugo mixmasters or Russian capture relics.