Mauser Guns Collectors Forum

Rifles => KAR 98K Rifle => Topic started by: 64billy on April 19, 2017, 01:28:38 PM

Title: Kar. 98 1913
Post by: 64billy on April 19, 2017, 01:28:38 PM
Picked up a mislabeled Kar. 98 at a local gun shop.  They had it labeled as Belgian(Danzig in Belgium?).  Anyway, I foolishly sold most of my WWI collection when Clinton was elected and have since moved on.  So, I thought I could make a few bucks and plan to sell it.  Any body around who knows what it is worth?  Condition:  little blue left, lots off dents and nicks, perfect bore, mismatched bolt and front band.  Cool stuff:  five tally notches on the comb of the stock, the stock also has a scraped out area where the stahlhelm(sic?) rubbed it, ( My 1914 Enfield has the same scrape). and infantry swivels screwed on.  I bet it looks exactly as it did when it left the trenches.  The thing makes one's hair stand on end when handling it.   The owners widow sold a large collection to the gun store, and I suspect got royally S*******d.  I wish I knew it's story.  I'm a retired historian by trade, and wish people would leave the story under the butt plate like some Swiss do with their rifles.  any way, any help would be appreciated.  Thanks
Title: Re: Kar. 98 1913
Post by: 64billy on April 26, 2017, 02:35:49 PM
Pictures continued...
Title: Re: Kar. 98 1913
Post by: DAK on April 27, 2017, 09:47:32 PM
Your rifle is worth between $300 and $450.  The bluing does not look worn off--it looks like it has been chemically stripped.  Even on heavily-worn rifles, there is some bluing left in low areas.  The kill notches are not likely wartime original--they were likely added at a later time to try and sell a story.  I have never seen kill marks on a weapon that is in original condition: somehow they are always on firearms with major condition issues.