whats your opinion

[rich v]

ok fellas whats your take on a K98 'BCD 43' ? i haven't shot it yet but the bore and crown are good, locks up like a vault door and the wood and hardware is all good. from this site i have learned that they were made under supervision of the SS at Buchenwald labor camp am i correct in that reading? thanks!

Information

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[Calif-Steve]

Does the rifle have a single SS Rune? I thought the SS rifles have 1943 or 1944 bnz stamps. Anyone else care to jump in?

[rich v]

calif-steve, my info is that the 'bcd' K98's > Buchenwald labor camp located in Weimer Germany-were made for regular german troops but their manufacturing was under strict supervision and inspection by the SS before distribution to troops....please anybody feel free to jump in as i may need to stand corrected!

[Aragorn243]

Not sure what you're asking here. Are you looking for confirmation the rifle was built by concentration camp victims, whether the rifle is safe to shoot, whether the rifle should ethically be shot due to its manner of construction or something else?

I can't answer if it was built under the supervision of the SS but that answer would be more fact than opinion, either it was or it wasn't. Unless you are seeing some defect that you aren't reporting the rifle should be safe to shoot if you've inspected it well, 43 is not considered a "late" war rifle. On the ethics, my opinion on the matter if it were built by concentration camp victims would have little impact on whether I would shoot it or not. It may be an unfortunate part of it's history but it shouldn't allow for some positive use to come out of a negative beginning. Selling it purposely to profit off this history might be a little different in my opinion, but that is only an opinion.

[rich v]

Aragorn, thanks for your info,i fired it this morning and it shoots great with WOLF 8X57mm ammo, i was just wondering what the meaning of 'bcd' was. Further research is telling me that the stamp codings were changed every so often so the allies would not be able to zone in on various arms works thruout the axis; great piece of history which will be passed down after i'm gone.

[mike webb]

bcd is code for Gustloff Werke which had several factories, the main one at Weimar but also at Suhl. They started a factory at Buchenwald in 1943 and employed political prisoners there as well as at Weimar( employed does not mean paid). The Buchenwald factory was destroyed by Allied bombers in 44 with the deaths of many prisoners. I don't think the prisoners worked directly under the SS, that is just a story to encourage buyers like the many fake SS mausers out there. It is a more scarce code compared to Oberndorf manufactured rifles. Should be a good shooter.

[cam98k]

bcd Rifles made at Gustloff Werke Weimar not anything to do with SS, BNZ single Rune Rifles were SS Camp Assembly.

[rich v]

thanks fellas, always a wealth of knowledge on this informative site.

[mike webb]

bcd Rifles made at Gustloff Werke Weimar not anything to do with SS, BNZ single Rune Rifles were SS Camp Assembly.

The info I found stated political prisoners worked at both Weimar and Buchenwald. Anybody else have info about this? Were the single rune mausers issued to SS units? I have read that SS units had supply difficulties due to friction with the Wehrmacht.