Yugo refurbished K98s

[Flying10uk]

Can anyone tell me when the Yugoslavs refurbished WW2 manufactured K98s did they generally keep the original barrels matched to the original receivers unless either needed replacement? To put it another way is a Yugo K98 with what appears to be WW2 manufactured receiver and barrel likely to have both parts from the same weapon as produced by the Germans or did the 2 items tend to get mixed up in the refurbishment process? Assuming that the 2 parts are from the same gun, is there anywhere where the original serial number may be found apart from the normal obvious place on the receiver which has had the serial number removed and the Yugo crest applied to the top of the receiver? Was the serial number marked in any place which is not normally seen ie under the woodwork? Is the bolt serial number likely to be the original serial number to the receiver and barrel or were the bolts mixed up in refurbishment? Any help with info is much appreciated. Thank-you.

Information

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[Aragorn243]

Figured someone with a lot more expertise than me would have responded by now.

K98's have serial numbers on almost everything with the exception of late war models for which the process stopped probably as a time saving action. Any refurbed rifle is likely to have mixed parts including the bolt. Yugoslavia typically replaced the barrels on their refurbs but not always and if the barrel was in good shape, it may be original to the receiver. If the bolt's serial does not match the receiver, it is not original. Anything electro penciled is not original.

It is unlikely that a replacement barrel would be from another K98, it would be new manufacture Yugo. I would assume, and this is where those with more expertise would be helpful, that if your barrel does not have a visible serial that matches the receiver, it is a Yugo replacement.

[Flying10uk]

Thank-you Aragorn243 for the info. Since writing the above I have removed the wood from my rifle to give it a very thorough inspection. I have owned it for about 15 years and it is a UK deactivated weapon. None of the numbers seem to match on anything. Starting with the stock in addition to a serial number there is also a 6 and a S in the barrel channel and on the pistol grip there is a M above a triangle. Interestingly there is aso a very faint X on the pistol grip but there is no other X on any other part. The upper woodwork has 8525 and a W in the barrel channel. Perhaps Russia supplied Yugoslavia with captured K98s or parts, post war? I thought that the rear sight was mounted directly to the barrel but it appears to be mounted on a sleeve which is Waffen ampt marked 77. The only marks directly on the barrel are: 73, 4, BK in a circle, a M or W in a sloping sided box and a 2. The receiver has a S98, Mod.98, 71, Preduzec44 and the Yugo crest. The bolt release is Waffen ampt marked 55 and 77 marked and also a number 8. I'm sorry that I am not able to post any pictures of it on-line as I don't have the facilities. Thanks again

[villiers]

I´m supervising for a friend who is having to shoot for twelve months before being able to purchase his own rifle. He asked me to purchase a Mauser that he´d then own himself. We took a look at several K89ks and he eventually chose an otiose looking Yugo with wood that practically shed splinters but that shot like a dream. I offered to change the wood for him but he quite rightly refused, as re-bedding might well impair accuracy. Apart from rectifying feeding problems it´s been a great success. He doesn´t mind how the rifle looks and I´m certain that he´ll be a good competition marksman with his Yugo K89. For some reason, the Yugo Mausers seem to be well respected my shooters over here but sniffed at by collectors.

[Flying10uk]

I was wondering , Villiers, if you would have time to closely examine the pistol grip part of the stock of your Yugo K98 around the area facing the trigger guard, please. I would be very interested to hear if there is any sign of a letter X marking in this area, as there is on my example, or any where else on the weapon, please. It may be only a very feint mark as on my K98. Perhaps the stock was sanded down in the refurb process? I have owned my example for 15 years before noticing the X marking. I thank-you for your help.

[Flying10uk]

Yes the Yugoslavs made a nice job of the refurb, although it's lost it's originality, it's still an interesting collectors item. I rather think that my K98 has had a new barrel fitted by the Yugoslavs as part of the refurb and , perhaps, this was a common practice by them in their refurb programme of the K98. The post war history and use of the K98 rifle is a most interesting subject in it's own right.