Maybe a K98k Optic

[GeeRam]

Thanks, it is more from an interest point of view; I bid thinking the description was wrong/ambitious. It has cost me £80. I intend to own a ZF39 scoped K98 at some point. I currently service my British optics, so even if it is a sunk cost to learn some new internals, that is fine with me. If the service is successful and has no place on a k98, I will see it; if I can't recover it spares are always useful.

Civilian scope almost certainly.

Does the elevation adjustment ring have markings on it or is it unmarked? Military scope were marked with BDC grads, civie hunter scopes were unmarked. A photo of the adjustment ring would be useful. There is a chap in France making replacement rings with correct markings, for the ZF39 and scope end caps so if you can get the mounts off the tube OK, and the reticule is the correct type, it's going to be close enough for a repro setup if refurbished.

However, there was a shortage of scopes in 41/42 and the military asked for hunters to give up there scopes for mil use under the Jaegerspende scheme.

Getting hold of a good shooting K98k however is going to be almost harder than finding a suitable scope now these days

[Micheal Doyne]

Civilian scope almost certainly.

Does the elevation adjustment ring have markings on it or is it unmarked? Military scope were marked with BDC grads, civie hunter scopes were unmarked. A photo of the adjustment ring would be useful. There is a chap in France making replacement rings with correct markings, for the ZF39 and scope end caps so if you can get the mounts off the tube OK, and the reticule is the correct type, it's going to be close enough for a repro setup if refurbished.

However, there was a shortage of scopes in 41/42 and the military asked for hunters to give up there scopes for mil use under the Jaegerspende scheme.

Getting hold of a good shooting K98k however is going to be almost harder than finding a suitable scope now these days

Thanks, you mentioned they are pretty rare. There are a few listed on eBay in the £500-1200 region, are these also post war versions?

[GeeRam]

Thanks, you mentioned they are pretty rare. There are a few listed on eBay in the £500-1200 region, are these also post war versions?

Some could be post war, some with low numbers could likely be pre-war commercial scopes, having a quick look on ebay. The dodgy guy in Frankfurt has quite a few for sale as per normal. Anything in that price range is a commercial scope. Pre-war commercial scopes are easy to spot as that don't have bloomed optics. If its got the right reticule type, you can get the repro elevation knob and then its pretty much a mil version anyway.
There's real WW2 mil spec Ajack scope on high turrets on ebay in Belgium......at a suitable price of over $3k..........which shows where pukka scope prices are sitting in comparison to commercial versions.

As I said, I'd be looking for the K98k first rather than the scope..........the rifle is going to be harder to find, and potentially more expensive as well......the days of nice K98k's for £500-600 or less are long gone, and even RC's with miss matched parts, scrubbed and peened waffss etc but with a decent bore are over £1k now, on the rare occasions even they turn up.

But it all depends on how accurate a copy, or 'fake' you want it to be. If you want a real accurate copy, then you are even further limited to looking not just for a nice shootable rifle, but one with the right factory codes for what type of sniper you want to build, be it SSR, LT, HT or LSR?

[Micheal Doyne]

Some could be post war, some with low numbers could likely be pre-war commercial scopes, having a quick look on ebay. The dodgy guy in Frankfurt has quite a few for sale as per normal. Anything in that price range is a commercial scope. Pre-war commercial scopes are easy to spot as that don't have bloomed optics. If its got the right reticule type, you can get the repro elevation knob and then its pretty much a mil version anyway.
There's real WW2 mil spec Ajack scope on high turrets on ebay in Belgium......at a suitable price of over $3k..........which shows where pukka scope prices are sitting in comparison to commercial versions.

As I said, I'd be looking for the K98k first rather than the scope..........the rifle is going to be harder to find, and potentially more expensive as well......the days of nice K98k's for £500-600 or less are long gone, and even RC's with miss matched parts, scrubbed and peened waffss etc but with a decent bore are over £1k now, on the rare occasions even they turn up.

But it all depends on how accurate a copy, or 'fake' you want it to be. If you want a real accurate copy, then you are even further limited to looking not just for a nice shootable rifle, but one with the right factory codes for what type of sniper you want to build, be it SSR, LT, HT or LSR?

I am aiming for as closer functional faxicimaly as I can manage. If there was no material impact to function I would take a post war rifle. If it shoots I'm fine with an RC or any other miss match.

There is a “real” sniper on at Highwood classic arms, but I know too little about these rifles to contemplate dropping 14k on it.

[GeeRam]

I am aiming for as closer functional faxicimaly as I can manage. If there was no material impact to function I would take a post war rifle. If it shoots I'm fine with an RC or any other miss match.

I would avoid a post war one. RC's are you best bet (especially if you find one that hasn't had the waff's peened, as not all of the Soviet factories did it) but even they are getting hard to find and have increased in price by 50% in this past 12 months.

There is a “real” sniper on at Highwood classic arms, but I know too little about these rifles to contemplate dropping 14k on it.

The well known K98k experts that have viewed the advert photos say it's not a real one. Its a very good fake, and not therefore a £14k rifle.

[browningautorifle]

Its a very good fake, and not therefore a £14k rifle.

14 thousand pound Sterling...so much to pay for a lesson. Link to see and a couple pics for posterity. Mauser K98Single Claw Sniper Rifle