Just what the title says. Is it more common or acceptable for a Gew 98 to have a non matching bolt than say a K98k? I'm starting to get into the Gew 98's but need some education. Thanks folks!!
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Just what the title says. Is it more common or acceptable for a Gew 98 to have a non matching bolt than say a K98k? I'm starting to get into the Gew 98's but need some education. Thanks folks!!
not the norm but its popping up that way for some reason I am seeing at the gun shows
I think it comes close to the norm for “normal” rifles.
Matching ones, at least here in Italy, are really expensive.
They can be found, but not easily and at prices not comparable to the others.
These rifles have also been through a lot of history: WWI, the German “civil war” thereafter, the Weimarer Republik, the 3rd Reich, modifications and WWII for some of them.
Field armorers patched them up as they could, mixing up parts, so I think a matching one is quite rare.
A few weeks ago here there was an offer for a small lot found somewehere in Germany in pristine conditions.
I don’t remember the price because it was so high I didn’t bother to take note of.
But things, also good ones, happen, so you can always hope.
There must be plenty of bring backs in the US, certainly even a lot of matching ones.
With the GEW98's I've personally seen, about half or a bit better than half were matching. These rifles don't tend to get the astronomical prices K98's do either so matching rifles are still affordable and not an excessive premium over non-matching.
All 'Turked' Gew's I see here (Georgia) have been total mixmasters. If I am lucky to run into one, say a Great War bring back, they are usually matching.
I am trying to relieve a friend of mine of a Gew 98 that was brought back by a doughboy..original sling, all matching numbers except for the bolt..it is from a kar98.
Thanks for the input gents.
A recall a small lot of Gew98's out of Turkey were from some German units stationed in Turkey during WWI. Mostly all matching, very interesting. But almost all of the other Turk Gew98's were total mixmasters. Some with bad bores, as well. If you see a matching numbers gun suspect a WWI vet bringback. They are uncommon.
I don't see many GEW 98's period. Took me several years to find one to purchase that I could afford and haven't seen many since then. Most I have seen have been vet bring backs which is why most were matching. Only recall seeing one Turk in person and that was mismatched.
There were very few German ground troops in Turkey , mostly navel or officers as advisers . The German sent a lot of Gew-98 rifles to Turkey as war aid , almost all of Mauser' 1918 production went there . And there were also many delivered from Germany through Switzerland for a few years right after the war .
When rifles were surrendered in both world wars, bolts were taken out and thrown in a separate pile. Obviously no one took the time to sort out the matching bolts and install them back in the rifles so a good percentage of rifles will have mismatch bolts at the very least. Most matching rifles were brought back as trophies by soldiers who picked them up on the battlefields or traded into them with other soldiers or Marines who did. The same holds true for Japanese rifles with the "Mums" still intact and not ground. Those were usually picked up by individual soldiers, not plucked out of a huge pile of surrendered weapons.
---------- Post added at 01:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:33 PM ----------
I imported a load of Turkish issued Ross and GEW98 rifles back in the early 2000's. They were mismatched but sound and not very pretty. I took a load to the AGCA show in Alabama and much to my surprise, didn't carry one of them home. Folks were hungry for them regardless because they are just plain hard to find in this part of the world.
Hey Brian. I'd be keen to learn more about the Ross rifles brought in from Turkey. To avoid taking this thread off-topic, if you have more info you can share, maybe start a new thread. As for the OP's question...my experience with Gew 98s is significantly smaller than many who have replied, but of the few I have had the opportunity to look at or buy, all were bolt m/m examples, though the bolt components all matched each other - supporting Brian's rifles in one pile, bolts in another - put one of each together scenario.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Dick
That was near 20 years ago if memory serves. All I can really tell you about the Ross rifles is that they were all British pattern Mk.III. I was told they were given to the Turks post WW1 as aid along with many other current and obsolete weapons.
Thanks for all the input folks.