98 KAR questions

[Calif-Steve]

Not too many Kar98a's where shipped off to Turkey. Tough one to figure out.

[Ruffasacob]

7.65 x 53 is very close.

[henry r]

just putting the thought out there, could it be a variant made on the same premise as 7.7 by 54r? aka turn an illegal military calibre into a legal non military one by shortening the barrel at the breach end, rethreading barrel then shortening the cases to match?

a little on 7.7 by 54r: https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=25320

[DocAV]

Firstly, if it was a "Proper" 8,15x46R Wehrmanns Gewehr Conversion, it would have ( German)Civilian Proof Marks on the Barrel/Receiver. (Also to protect the Owner from Criminal prosecution).

Has the chamber been checked for a "stuck case"? or fragment there-of? The 8,15 x 46R is a case shorter than a 30/30WCF ( and this can be used to make 8,15 cases, by trimming and fireforming)

Also, WMGs built on both Gew98s and Gew88s have the bolt face modified to take the Larger rim...they are Singler shots, anyway, and the extractor is changed for a Rimmed -Large claw type.

"Bore"...There is no such thing as a .318 Bore; There are .318 BULLETS, ( patrone 88) and there are .318 Grooves, as there are .321 and .323 GROOVES.

The "Bore" of the German service rifle has always been "7,9mm" ( .311-312") but some Civilian BORES go down to 7,7mm (.303) especially the 8,15x46R...BY the way, "8,15" is the Civilian designation, and Indicates the Groove diameter/Bullet diameter, NOT the "BORE" which is reserved to Military Firearms. ( Universally).

The Barrel has been replaced, from the Non-matching Font Number stamps, absence of the Prussian Beschuss (Firing Proof) Eagle, and also absence of other Proofing Marks.

A Bodged up Job...
Now the "slugging: unless one is very careful, in both doing the slugging, and then measuring it, Mistakes will occur...a couple of thous of an inch are easily " mislaid".
Especially if the barrel is heavily Metal fouled.

Are there any other markings on the Rifle (Crescent Moons, stars, etc) which may denote a Turkish side of this conundrum? maybe even in 7,65x53 Turk Mauser (M1890) Cartridge.

Proper Chamber cast ( allowing for the part of the cartridge head which protrudes from the Chamber ( extractor groove and rim).

This will determine the Chambering.

Otherwise, a conundrum. Lack of Proper Proofing indicates NOT an Official Conversion or rebarrel.

Doc AV