Erfeurt 1901 Showed Up Today
A friend of mine showed up today with a Gew 1898 Mauser for me, it was manufactured by ERFURT in 1901. The serial number is four digits over a small " c ".
Most parts of the gun are matching with the exception of the bolt, and the butt plate. The toe portion of the stock has been repaired at some point with a large piece of dark walnut. The piece is added similar to the way the Japanese reinforced the stocks of the Arisaka rifles. The triangular piece is 60mm across the bottom and 165mm long on the 90-degree side.
There is a smooth brass butt plate attached with two small brass screws.
In the “Mauser Military Rifles of the World” by Robert W. D. Ball Page 164, he states, “In 1901 the first troop issues of the Model 98 rifles were made to the East Asian Expeditionary Force, the navy, the three premier Prussian army corps”.
Could this Gew 98 have been one of the Gew 98's sent to the East Asian Expediitionary Force?
I am looking for a bayonet lug for it, I thought all of the lugs were the same but the later ones from a K98 will not fit. If you compare this Gew 98 to a K98 bayonet lug the wood extends up a bit higher on each side of the barrel on the Gew 98, whereas the K98 has the wood cut down probably to simplify production.
If some of you Gentlemen could help me out, I don’t have a source for the unit markings on the disk on the right side of the stock.
The info on the disk is 131. R. E. 188 with a small proof mark on the end.
I will try to get pictures up tomorrow
