K98K request for information Possible Russian capture.

[cbiscuit]

Hi all,



I was hoping some of the more knowledgeable users on this forum could possibly provide some insight on this K98K that I recently picked up. It was so cheap that even if it turned out to be doctored or altered etc, it was worth the plunge. I look at quite a few articles about Russian captures and this one almost seems to have a matt finish applied to the receiver and barrel. Is that normal?

Many thanks.

[jonnyc]

Right, it doesn't have lots of RC attributes, but I'm no expert on 98s. I'm sure someone will post a 100% answer, but in the meantime, have you investigated Yugo and Romanian captures?

[#1oilman]

Swastikas seem to be intact as near as I can see,I thought the Russians punched over them perhaps the finish has just dulled over time with poor storage, nice catch

[browningautorifle]

this one almost seems to have a matt finish applied to the receiver and barrel.

That's definitely a parkerize. Who says it has to have been Russian done? There's been lots of time since and guys do what they want. We parkerized lots of stuff that I since found out should have been blued. Everyone assumes it was done decades ago...could have been just ten or fifteen years...

[cbiscuit]

Right, it doesn't have lots of RC attributes, but I'm no expert on 98s. I'm sure someone will post a 100% answer, but in the meantime, have you investigated Yugo and Romanian captures?

I did indeed but could find no evidence of parkerised k98's in the literature I read and in addition they seem to have usually removed the eagles which in this case are all intact.

[GeeRam]

Other than it looks to have been parkarised post war, it doesn't look like a Russian Capture, well is doesn't display the most obvious sign of a RC of the 'x' mark on the receiver, and the very crisp Waffenamt markings doesn't shout RC either.
Nice early date Mauser Werke Oberndorf rifle with crisp markings means it might not have seen a lot of use. Doesn't look like it been marked by anyone else either, so, I'm inclined to think it may be a GI bring-back... maybe from North Africa or Italy, hence the early date.....which would be a nice find.
Parkerising could easily have been done many year later to replace worn out blueing.

[Daan Kemp]

Not a swastika, German eagle. Huge difference.

[kar98k]

Not all Russian Captures have the "x" on the receiver and not all of them have removed, pinged or otherwise defaced Swastikas. The black paint on the metal, mismatched numbers, shellac on the stock and serial number on the left side of the stock in a horizontal position (Yugoslavian captures have vertical stock numbers) say this is, in fact, a Russian capture.

[Bruce McAskill]

Parkerized finish was not a Russian capture trade mark. But it is a standard American cheap refinish. The bolt doesn't match the rifle but the rest of the visible numbers do match including the stock. Look on the bottom of the barrel area for an import stamp. If a Russian capture or other it will be import marked.

[cbiscuit]

Parkerized finish was not a Russianicon capture trade mark. But it is a standard American cheap refinish. The bolt doesn't match the rifle but the rest of the visible numbers do match including the stock. Look on the bottom of the barrel area for an import stamp. If a Russian capture or other it will be import marked.

There are no import stamps anywhere along the barrel that I can see.