Waffenfabrik Mauser A-G Oberndorf A/N 1907
Gewehr 98
Weight4.09 kg (9.0 lb) with empty magazine Gewehr 98
Length1,250 mm (49.2 in) Gewehr 98
Barrel length740 mm (29.1 in) Gewehr 98
Serial Number: 4593 and 1809 which has been crossed out and renumbered to match the rifle. the barrel/Receiver are 4593 and the bolt has been forced matched along with the rest of the hardware on the rifle being 09 to match the lined out bolt - which it looks done by the factory.
It has a "Roller Coaster" rear sight which the battle sight is set at 400 Meters (440 yards) and can be set to 2000 Meters (2200 yards)
S marked barrel which is for the new spitzer pointed bullet (ie: 8mm mauser)
7.92 (8MM Mauser)
The Story:
I am trying to collect the "Word War Main Battle Rifles" ie: Mosin Nagant, Springfield 1903, German Mauser, and Lee Enfield just to start my collection
I recently purchased this rifle on a good lead (The local Michigan Armslist) and a good deal only knowing that it was a German Made Mauser..... I got it for 350 USD and he had it up for 500 USD. I decided that with a deal like this I can't pass because it will never happen again. after no success recruiting my friends to come with to drive for an hour and 15 minutes to meet a total stranger (whom I know as Andy (( a very nice gentleman as I found out))) to buy a gun at a printing company in Galesburg Michigan. We met and less than 15 minutes later I was on my way back home with a Mauser rifle.
Upon returning home and looking up the more specific details I was elated with the super rare find I just got! although it needs some tlc its action is super smooth and the rifling is spotless and the weirdest part was there was no import marks ( who knows how it got here).
tlc equals --- (a new cleaning rod, replacement body bolt (already fixed but waiting for a actual german made one) some good cleaning due to probably sitting for the last 20 or so years)
Come to find out that this rifle is a pre-WWI Mauser made at the original Oberndorf A/N factory! According to the internet have become very, very rare due to the post WWI climate and the destruction of almost all of these rifles and the modification of the rest (to the Kar98) so Gewehr 98's are rare and pre-war Gewehr 98's are even more so!
The rifle was fixed by the factory which is why it has two serial numbers one (the barrel/reciever) and the rest of the hardware is from another Gewehr 98 which was lined out on the bolt and the original serial number being re-struck onto the bolt handle. the numbers don't matter to me but its interesting on how they were forced matched at the factory
If only this rifle could tell the stories of what it has seen and done!