K98 Identification Help Needed

[dgrecon]

Gents,

I have recently discovered through a friend a very interesting piece of history. The story goes...A veteran of WWII, including Normandy, came into possession of an armory stored K98 Mauser somewhere in Germany before the end of the fighting. The rifle along with several others were removed from said armory and somehow sent home or brought home with them. I am not clear on that part of the story because it is a hand me down story from the deceased veteran and his family.

Anyway, I took a very close look at the weapon. It was loaded down pretty good with cosmoline, but here is what I found. I didn't have a camera so I could not take pictures so I will describe by location. The rifle was in very good shape. No pitting on any of the external part except for the butt plate. The stock was in good shape with no major dents or dings.

The left side of the receiver has the small eagle over the circle (Wermacht?) and the serial number 6328 a small letter "d" and the MOD.98 id.

The top of the receiver has a small eagle over the number 35. Closer to the chamber there is the large number 44 and in the center of the chamber "byf" which I take to mean "Mauser AG Oberndorf" 1944?

All remaining parts on the exterior of the rifle all are serial numbered 6328, including the bolt handle, the bolt, front barrel band, second barrel band, forward sling swivel, trigger group, magazine floor plate etc. The stock has the remaining impression of the eagle over the circle cartouche but no other marks that I could immediately make out. The rear sight had no markings to speak of.

The mark that I have an issue with is stamped into the barrel just in front of the receiver before the rear sight assembly; it is punched with the number 303.

My research came up with various rechambering/rebarreling options for different calibers (6.5x55, .270 win, .308 win and even .30-06) from different countries but I could not find any reference to .303. I cannot find any numeric factory code referring to 303 and if the story holds true about its whereabouts when found, the Germans would never have rechambered it, right?

I will be posting this query on some other websites that some of you visit so don't be surprised to see this mutliple times. Anyway, can anyone out there help me clear this up? Thank you. Please feel free to send me an e-mail at david_graham@special-lite.com

Information

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[Maple_Leaf_Eh]

There are five (or more) distinct elements to definitely identify a Mauser 98K. The serial number (4 or rarely 5 digits), the year, the factory code, the left sidewall markings and the letter with the serial number. Yours at a glance seems/sounds original and unissued. If the rifle has stood on its butt plate since 1944, it is going to show some friction wear where the coating has rubbed off and the steel has been exposed to the air.

Be very careful when buying guns. Buy the gun not the story. If the rifle is as untouched as you suggest, I would not worry about the presence of the 303. The 303 is not going to mean anything about the cartridge or chambering. I strongly suspect it is a maker's mark, a factory subcontractor or an inspector's stamp. However, you must test if it has been rechambered before firing. (Why? .303BR is actually .311", and 8mm-06 would be a far more predictable rechambering than a big rimmed cartridge especially in the US ... )

[Patrick Chadwick]

Just ask yourself this question: how likely is it that in a war-wrecked country that had called out adolescents and grandfathers, and given them last-ditch rifles that have to be seen to be believed, that someone was keeping mint rifles in cosmoline for the benefit of invading troops?

Are you feeling lucky? Then maybe it's true. Not impossible. Just very, very unlikely. I have seen enough Mausers to rate an unissued wartime-made 98k in the same category as hen's teeth. I just wonder how there seem to be quite a few mint 98ks in the US, but none here where they were made and used by the million? Strange statistics, wouldn't you say?

The previous contributor said it all: buy the gun and not the story.

As to possible caliber: 303 bullets are FAR too small for an 8mm bore (0.3106 lands, 0.3228 grooves). It would be a good idea to check out the chambering very carefully and not be fooled by any coincidental numbering!

Patrick

[dgrecon]

Maybe I should have left the story part out, huh? Then I would not perceive the responses to indicate that I am some kind of dumb a**.

I am not buying this rifle. A very good friend of mine was offered this rifle and I took the time, and limited knowledge I have of Mausers, to view it.

The story is just that to me, a story. The fact that it came (was handed down) from a WWII veteran is the only fact that I have. The gun speaks for itself. The serial numbers all match; the rifle (stock, barrel, parts, etc.) is in good to very good shape. The only question I was trying to ascertain information on is what does the 303 stamp indicate? My research shows no 303 code number in any of the factory or Waffenamt's numerical, alphabetical or technical codes.

Perhaps it is what it is, just a 303 stamped into the barrel indicating some kind of code, (inspection, inspector, location) that is long lost or unimportant.

Thank you,

[Patrick Chadwick]

Dear dgrecon, there is no need to get huffy. Your perception of the responses is unnecessarily subjective. You described a rifle, and said you were not clear on the story. Quite correctly cautious. And two people said, in effect, one must treat such stories very cautiously indeed. Nothing personal about that.

But what you described sounded like a genuine enough rifle. And it is not a personal criticism, just a mechanical fact, to note that an 8mm barrel is already too large in the bore to be rechambered to 303 British.

Having once been at the next firing point to someone who fired off 308 rounds in a 30-06, I can state from personal experience that it is always a good idea to check the chambering of any old rifle before you shoot it. In that case, I realized what was happening when the shooter complained loudly that the rifle was ruining the cartidge necks, and advised him to stop and check the rifle. That was not a personal criticism, but good safety advice.

Patrick