K98K request for information Possible Russian capture.

Attachment 93381Attachment 93382Attachment 93383Attachment 93384Attachment 93385Attachment 93386Attachment 93387Attachment 93388Hi all,

I was hoping some of the more knowledgeable users on this forum could possibly provide some insight on this K98K that I recently picked up. It was so cheap that even if it turned out to be doctored or altered etc, it was worth the plunge. I look at quite a few articles about Russian captures and this one almost seems to have a matt finish applied to the receiver and barrel. Is that normal?

Many thanks.

Right, it doesn't have lots of RC attributes, but I'm no expert on 98s. I'm sure someone will post a 100% answer, but in the meantime, have you investigated Yugo and Romanian captures?

Swastikas seem to be intact as near as I can see,I thought the Russians punched over them perhaps the finish has just dulled over time with poor storage, nice catch

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Originally Posted by cbiscuit

this one almost seems to have a matt finish applied to the receiver and barrel.

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That's definitely a parkerize. Who says it has to have been Russian done? There's been lots of time since and guys do what they want. We parkerized lots of stuff that I since found out should have been blued. Everyone assumes it was done decades ago...could have been just ten or fifteen years...

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Originally Posted by jonnyc

Right, it doesn't have lots of RC attributes, but I'm no expert on 98s. I'm sure someone will post a 100% answer, but in the meantime, have you investigated Yugo and Romanian captures?

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I did indeed but could find no evidence of parkerised k98's in the literature I read and in addition they seem to have usually removed the eagles which in this case are all intact.

Other than it looks to have been parkarised post war, it doesn't look like a Russian Capture, well is doesn't display the most obvious sign of a RC of the 'x' mark on the receiver, and the very crisp Waffenamt markings doesn't shout RC either.
Nice early date Mauser Werke Oberndorf rifle with crisp markings means it might not have seen a lot of use. Doesn't look like it been marked by anyone else either, so, I'm inclined to think it may be a GI bring-back... maybe from North Africa or Italy, hence the early date.....which would be a nice find.
Parkerising could easily have been done many year later to replace worn out blueing.

Not a swastika, German eagle. Huge difference.

Not all Russian Captures have the "x" on the receiver and not all of them have removed, pinged or otherwise defaced Swastikas. The black paint on the metal, mismatched numbers, shellac on the stock and serial number on the left side of the stock in a horizontal position (Yugoslavian captures have vertical stock numbers) say this is, in fact, a Russian capture.

Parkerized finish was not a Russian capture trade mark. But it is a standard American cheap refinish. The bolt doesn't match the rifle but the rest of the visible numbers do match including the stock. Look on the bottom of the barrel area for an import stamp. If a Russian capture or other it will be import marked.

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Originally Posted by Bruce McAskill

Parkerized finish was not a Russianicon capture trade mark. But it is a standard American cheap refinish. The bolt doesn't match the rifle but the rest of the visible numbers do match including the stock. Look on the bottom of the barrel area for an import stamp. If a Russian capture or other it will be import marked.

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There are no import stamps anywhere along the barrel that I can see.

Teagles are indeed sitting on a swastika look a little closer

If there are no import markings then it may be a bring back if it's in the US. Not unusual for bring backs to have miss numbered bolts in them.
Parkerizing would be the cheap way to do it as an owner or dealer had it refinished to make it look better maybe.

The serial number stamped on the buttstock is definitely RC.

I finally took a close look at the stock finish. It is the type of junk shellac finish the Russians are known for. I still don't think the Parkerizing was done by the Russians but by a previous owner.

I believe it could be just parked metal from another 98 that was then transferred into an RC stock.

EDIT: I just went and viewed the photos again the stock is matching to the metal. So discount my theory.

I saw many Kar98's in Viet Nam. They came in all flavors, blued, parked and black. Russian capture, French capture, even Chinese rifles. Could be out of RVN.

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Originally Posted by Calif-Steve

Could be out of RVN.

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Still a vet bring back, just not what we expected.

The Russian capture rifles that I have seen have virtually no matching numbers and usually have the S/N electro-pencilled on the bolt.

its a good very good rifle for the price I call the shooter grade.

Hello Everyone,

My name is Raul, from Miami and have been into firearms for nearly 8 years now, I hope to get to make friends and have a great time over here.

I am interested in a k98, nazi marked astra 300 or a walther pp

Most of the replies here are near correct. In my experience with Mausers, Russian captures have for the most part some distinct I.D. traits. That is with very few exceptions, RC will have painted or blue black bolt take-down discs, the rear sight upper surface will not be bright or unfinished as originals were, the butt plate will be blue-black and the large serial number stamped on left butt stock will match the barrel/receiver #. Many RC appear to have new bolts some with electro pencil #s. I do think some of what are thought to be parkerized were just sandblasted and given the oxpho blue-black finish that most had, I have also read some were parkerized, but that might be debatable since it would be difficult to tell the difference between what is described above. A dead giveaway for RC is the crappy red varnished stocks.
Few RC have a bright bore and sharp rifling but most still are great shooters. Don't believe the gurus who say RC are not collectable. Now days if a K98k is desired for a collection a RC may be the only choice. I see some RC 98k selling for close to $1000. Of course those who downplay the worth of a RC got their collectables way back when. I owned a small gunshop in Millington, TN beginning in 1960. Then near unissued Mausers were around 20 bucks. The first mass importation of them came from South America, Peru, Argentina, Chile. I bought mint 1909 Peruvians and Argentine carbines for around 15.00 wholesale 1n 1959 or 60. Shudder!!! I customized dozens of them to .243 and .308 and sold them for 120.00 or so.
ancient rifle smith-gunsmith since 1959.