1944 BYF KAR 98

[SF VET]

I began to acquire vintage military firearms when I was in the 7th grade, in '60. Would pedal my bike to a 5&10 store where they had barrels of surplus WWII rifles, for ten bucks each with my lawn mower money. I brought home a selection of Enfields and Mausers. I was able to shoot them with cheap ammo with my dad's support. Bought a few other firearms in later years.

About 20 years ago, I "got back into" shooting, first with my IDPA club. I began to peruse LGS's and such when I would travel, and bought quite a large selection of "spur of the moment" firearms. I think the very best "luck" I ever had was about 7 years ago, when I had an after-shoot lunch with friends at a big gun and sporting store near where I live. I had been looking for a K98, but all I could find were beat-up and incomplete Russian Capture rifles, which were a bit costly. But that day, all alone on the end of the used gun rack, was this KAR with a bayonet. Brought it home for $300.

It was a "duffle-cut" vet bring back, with an original sling, and a bayonet serial numbered matching its sheath, and leather frog. All matching serial number, other than the bolt. 1944 BYF build with laminated stock, complete with cleaning rod and front sight cap. I don't know why it was necessary to stamp serial #'s on all the piddly parts, because the rifles were made to be assembled with parts from other rifles. But they did. I shoot it with my loads of my Hornady 195 gr. BTHP over 43 gr of IMR 48905. It shoots a bit high, which I understand was common for them, and indeed, it does kick! Interesting that the cleaning rod is only about 8 inches long, and it was the intent that three soldiers would put three together for their cleaning.

I will post other pics and discussion in following posts.

If you keep your eyes open, you just never know what finds are out there.

All the best... SF VET

 

[SF VET]

Bolt and Receiver

Here, a close-up of the bolt and receiver. Smooth..... function of the bolts. Bore is pristine, so I doubt this rifle was shot much, probably just lugged around in the back of trucks and such. One always wonders what stories old military firearms could tell....

SF VET

 

[SF VET]

Bayonet

the scabbard and bayonet have matching serial #'s, and the leather frog is fragile. I looked up the manufacturer of this particular blade, and while Germany had any number of companies making them, this particular company didn't make many, and from what I read, it has a value more than I paid for the K98. Obviously, the bayonet has had a lot of use.

SF VET

 

[SF VET]

Duffle Cut

There are various accounts of what and why so many of these "bring back" rifles have what is commonly called a 'duffle cut" forend. One reasonable story is that returning troops could pick out a rifle and then a bolt from another pile, and the long box (or duffle bag?) the military provided for them to bring it home was too short for the stock to fit. So the forehand would be sawn off under the front band. My rifle had such a cut, done carefully with a thin blade, like a hacksaw under the front band. I inserted two small brass rods into both pieces and then epoxied the parts to make it sturdy, and then had to take a few mm off the retainer clip, as now the forend is a tiny bit shorter.

But it is a nice addition to my collection, and when I get home from a trip, I will discuss my 1946 MK5 303 Jungle Carbine. Now that British rifle has a kick!!

SF VET

 

[mauser9]

Great story from the past. Recall old milsurps at my LGS back in the early 70s. Stashed in an old wooden or cardboard box along with guns that had seen better days. Friend grabbed an Type 99 in 7.7 for $25. 98Ks could still be had for cheap bucks. Man how times have changed!! Wish I had a $5 bill in my pocket for every time I walked past that stuff and sneered as I checked out the glossy blued and walnut stocked guns!

 

[LVSteve]

It was a "duffle-cut" vet bring back, with an original sling, and a bayonet serial numbered matching its sheath, and leather frog. All matching serial number, other than the bolt. 1944 BYF build with laminated stock, complete with cleaning rod and front sight cap. I don't know why it was necessary to stamp serial #'s on all the piddly parts, because the rifles were made to be assembled with parts from other rifles. But they did.

If you are going to say that to somebody from Germany, or somebody here that collects Mausers, let me know. I'll watch the event through binoculars from a distant hill.

I have a number of 98 action based Mausers, but even the smoothest of them does not get closed to the slick action of a well set up SMLE, No4, or a broke in 1903. If yours is that smooth, you scored.

 

[Rudi]

That is a nice looking rifle. The duffle cut was so that it could be hidden on the way home. There are many with this. BYF 44 is one of the most common examples. You got a great deal on it.

 

[peterdeb]

Heck of a deal.

 

[moosedog]

Good deal on that rifle. You got a free rifle with the cost of a matching bayonet.
The duffle cut was called that because you can take the action out of the stock and ship the gun home in a "duffle bag" if you cut the stock tip back a few inches, hence the name "duffle cut".

 

[GypsmJim]

What you have is a WWII vintage Karabiner 98, called the 98K. The original "Kar 98", developed in about 1902, is called the Kar98A.

I have the original, and it is a duffle cut as well. The serial numers are interesting in that the bolt, trigger, floor plate are all the same, while the receiver, stock, screws and stock parts are a different number but matching as well.

Mine is a 1918 / 1920 double date Danzig, so after WWI it was obviously transferred to the German police.

It came back with my high school buddy's uncle and neither wanted it.
I bought it in the senior year for 20 bucks. Of course that was 1967, so the price reflects the era.

It digested tons of cheap surplus 8mm, and then in 1971 I started reloading and it has been shooting home made lead boolits ever since.

Probably the last rifle I'll ever sell.

...

Just to add to the post, after WWII Yugoslavia obtained a quantity of K98Ks as spoils of war. In 1948 they refurbished them to put into service. The Nazi proofs were scrubbed and Yugo proofs were put on. Their designation was "98/48". I have one of those Yugos.

Since the barrel in mine is pristine, I can only assume they were re-barreled. The stock is also pristine. All numbers match. That was a $70 purchase in 1999. Gotta love an 03 FFL.

 

[Greyman50]

Nice rifle with a great history, if it could only talk( English) lol.

 

[GypsmJim]

Nice rifle with a great history, if it could only talk( English) lol.

Mine does. It says: "choot em".

 

[Welder1]

SFVet. Awesome rifle. I've been bit hard by the K98 bug.

 

[2152hq]

I have a 1910 Mannlicher Schoenauer Rifle,,not the carbine, that originally had a full length stock on it from the factory.
It too was a WW2 bring back,,and a duffle bag cut victim to get it home. That long full length stock just wouldn't fit. So the GI cut it.
Unfor, the cut off piece was missing when I bought the rifle from the family of the GI.
Nice rifle even as a 1/2 stock!

I've fixed quite a few duffle bag cut military rifles. Good to see themput back to Military spec.
There are plenty of cut up, drilled, modified and otherwise waygone Military sporterized pieces out there to play with. No need to chop up any more original ones.

I did a Deutsches Reichspost Mauser (?correct name) for a friend not too awful long ago. Duffle bag cut. Not real clean job was orig done in cutting it. But the pieces were all there and the rest of the rifle is in absolutely beautiful condition.
Repair done and the cut can't be seen at all now.

 

[jpage]

SF Vet;

Sir, did you encounter any 98s in RVN ?

 

[SF VET]

there are many pictures and accounts of VC using every sort of odd or old military weapons, but by the time I was there's, late '71 to late '72, they had AK's, and the odd SKS. When I was about to DROS at the end of my tour, my counterpart and his staff had a little dinner for me, and presented me with a 1953 Chicom Type 53 carbine, with the folding bayonet. Who knows where that firearm had been. I still have the "capture" papers for it when the MP's at Tan San Nhut airport in Saigon signed off on it for me to bring back. I have since given it to my son, and never tried to shoot it, maybe not safe, and the kick from the big cartridge in that light gun would be more than substantial.

SF VET

 

[sheepdawg]

I've been a Mauser collector for years though my specialty seemed to be Swedish Mausers. At one time I had 16 but since the prices have gone through the roof and I love profit I'm now down to 9. I had 4 98ks at one time but I have kept the two pre-war 1937 Sauers. One, my shooter, is a mutt the other a duffle cut bringback. their serial numbers are within 10,000 of each other. I had the shooter at the range this Tuesday along with a few boxes of 1952 196 gr. Yugo surplus. Them iron sights are getting tough on 67 year old eyes, nevertheless 2" groups @ 100 yards is still possible.

 

[SF VET]

I can't shoot 2 inch groups with any iron sighted rifle. Never gonna happen. Good shooting with a beautiful K rifle. SF VET

 

[GypsmJim]

I've been a Mauser collector for years though my specialty seemed to be Swedish Mausers. At one time I had 16 but since the prices have gone through the roof and I love profit I'm now down to 9. I had 4 98ks at one time but I have kept the two pre-war 1937 Sauers. One, my shooter, is a mutt the other a duffle cut bringback. their serial numbers are within 10,000 of each other. I had the shooter at the range this Tuesday along with a few boxes of 1952 196 gr. Yugo surplus. Them iron sights are getting tough on 67 year old eyes, nevertheless 2" groups @ 100 yards is still possible.

The Swedes are simply the best. Most have near pristine barrels, plus most (many) are matched numbers.

I stopped shooting milsurp ammo years ago. My gas checked homemade lead boolits are just the ticket. M

My eyes aint what they used to be either, but I don't do too bad with a peep sighted USA rifle.

 

[Scharfschuetzer]

You have a fine example of the Mauser stable.

I also have a BYF 44 Kar 98. It's an easy rifle to reload for and I enjoy 1 1/2 MOA accuracy with mine when I shoot it from sandbags. I've found the Sierra 175 grain spitzer bullet over 4895 to be an exceptionally accurate combination and it tracks with the sight graduations when shooting the load at long range. To be honest though, as the barrel is in near unissued condition, I don't shoot it a lot as I leave that duty to Mausers with less collectability.

De Oppresso Liber SF Vet.