98K ID via Serial Number

[Cajun J]

I have a Model 98 I acquired in about 2000. It is a capture rifle as all German Markings have been removed including manufacturer code and year of Manuf. It has a crest on the top of the receiver and the name of the arsenal that refabed it on the left side. The Mod 98 is still present on the side. It is not dipped at all. Has original finish with wear as expected.

My question is, Can I ID the Manufacturer and year manf by the original serial number??

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[kar98k]

Sadly, no. All manufacturers used the same serial number system. Starting out with no letter suffix until they reset the serial number counting. For instance, you will find rifle 1500a from Steyr, Oberndorf, Sauer, etc. And to make things worse they repeated the serial numbers the next year. So there is a 1500a from Steyr, Oberndorf, Sauer, etc from 1940, 1941, 1942 and so on until factories ceased production, were captured or otherwise had to stop.

[Bruce McAskill]

With the information on the left side does it have 44 on it too?

[Cajun J]

Sadly, no. All manufacturers used the same serial number system. Starting out with no letter suffix until they reset the serial number counting. For instance, you will find rifle 1500a from Steyr, Oberndorf, Sauer, etc. And to make things worse they repeated the serial numbers the next year. So there is a 1500a from Steyr, Oberndorf, Sauer, etc from 1940, 1941, 1942 and so on until factories ceased production, were captured or otherwise had to stop.

Thanks for the info

---------- Post added at 09:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:04 PM ----------

With the information on the left side does it have 44 on it too?

Yes it does. I have the same markings on another East Bloc Mauser I have.

[mtoms]

It sounds like a Yugoslav refurb of a German k98k. Collectors sometimes refer to it as a 98/48. If there are some waffenants still visible on the right receiver ring, an ID of the manufacturer of the action might be possible but it would be iffy since the inspectors moved around and you would need the date of manufacture in the case of some waffenants to nail it down.

Regards
Marty