"Snub nosed" 98K ?

[rum_runner]

One of my gun shop Pals showed me this today. It's a dot 1944 with everything looking as it should...except the barrel. As you can see, it is shorter than any I have ever seen. The fit, finish and crown do not exhibit any "Bubba" traits and are identical to other Mausers I have. Same factory look. There is no bayonet lug, nor provision for a cleaning rod.

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[browningautorifle]

I'm betting it's been shortened. It's not hard to drop the finished piece into a blue tank and cover that. The rest remains the same.

[rum_runner]

I'm betting it's been shortened. It's not hard to drop the finished piece into a blue tank and cover that. The rest remains the same.

Thanks Jim. I had thought the same. Maybe an arsenal job with a problem on the crown, that was not worth counter boring or re-barreling. Going back tomorrow and see if there are any re-build marks on it.

[browningautorifle]

Maybe an arsenal job with a problem on the crown

No, I mean done by John Q Public. The arsenal or military will rebarrel. The rifles need to remain standard. They don't just buck'er off.

[Aragorn243]

It's not a Mitchel's "tanker" rifle is it?

[CINDERS]

I seem to recall written or mentioned somewhere that late war production of the 98's they deleted the bayonet lug also not sure if the barrel was shortened as well to expedite production as the war was not going so good for the 3rd Reich if I am incorrect I stand to be corrected.

[browningautorifle]

late war production of the 98's they deleted the bayonet lug

In the struggling last era of WW2, the rifles were being produced that looked almost like a sporting rifle, a birch stock that was unfinished and unsanded...single shot and about as crude and could be done. There have been examples noted on this forum. Even those had a full length barrel though. Here's a site showing more on those... Late War . com

[Sarge]

To the best of my knowledge No factory K98k rifles were issued with a shortened bbl. They screwed up making a bbl they just scrapped it.
Sarge