I have a very early commercial Oberndorf Mauser model 98 receiver with B U proofs (pre 1913) It has Waffenfabrik Mauser-Oberndorf A/N on the left rail and no other markings besides the 3 digit serial number with no letters. This is an 1899 at the latest. Does anyone know the last serial used in 1898? That would be so cool to have a 98 made in 1898!

ag; 1 to 900 - 1898, 900 to 1500 - 1899. Is the serial # on the underside flat of the receiver and back of the bottom metal? I'd like to see the can can you post a pic? --- John

quote:

Originally posted by John303
I'd like to see the can can you post a pic? --- John

+1

Hello folks, Thanks. I will take it out of the stock and check for sure, but the serial number is well below 900 and is in the common location on the left rec ring after the proofs. There were markings in the locations you mention, but I didn't pay too much attention to them, various characters and numbers. BU Proofs 740 serial plus the little import stamp.

OK, the big disclaimer, my camera is not the best, and I am not the best photgrapher or artist. The markings on the bottom are clear and crisp; a few are offset strikes, the D and the wierd symbol or letter above the pair of proofs. The receiver has no evidence of any markings buffed off. I have examined this very closely in strong light witha strong magnifying glass. The synthetic was a temp home; you can see it has a good home now.

I am not an expert but I believe this is not an original commercial Oberndorf but military Oberndorf action made into a sporter propbably post WW! and maybe even WW2. One other give away is (other than the placement of the Oberndorf serial numbers underneath) the action has the name on the side which is quite visible.

It may have a low serial number but the time periods of manufacture would differ greatly as far a military #s I have no references

Perhaps someone more knowledgeable will chime in.

--- John

I believe B U proofs are not military. BU are pre 1913 commercial. B U G proofs are post 1914 commercial.

Also the adress is clearly Waffenfabrik Mauser- Oberndorf A/N, which is commercial.

The military would be Waffenfabrik Mauser A.G. Oberndorf A/N

airgun, nice wood stock, who made it ??

I have a 1934 Mauser Banner Modell that was military and have the commercial BUGN proof marks

I think we need the Mauser expert Kuduae to come along

I believe that Standard modells were conscripted into military service. I know Hitler started making military arms against the Treaty of Verailles, but not sure when that started. That N is Nitro. Various laws changed the proof and caliber markings through the years. The Standard Modell is pretty much identical to the Kar98k of WWII fame.

You are right some of the commercial Oberndorf sporters (scope equipped) did see military service as sniper rifles from 1914 - 16.

I am fortunate to have one of three of these special Mausers so far "discovered". The action on mine is 1912 mfg. date.

Have some pics (by Email) for anyone interested. --- John

I don't know who made that stock. It is some kind of pretty though. The grain swirl/marbling under the cheekpiece is spectacular. I bought a gun to get that stock for this special to me mauser.

It is funny, the gun was nice. It was just a put together, but it was done right with great parts. That stock, a very clean AR 42 receiver, old commercial bottom metal, complete matching and unaltered Kar 98a bolt, un modified follower, and turned 8mm 98k barrel that was done superbly with nice higher end iron sights and tiny Oberndorf sporter style swivel soldered to the barrel.The guy I bought it off said it was just to nice to take apart and make a modern sporter out of it. I also could not tear the barreled action apart, even though I had plans calling for a nice clean action and there were valuable parts that someone restoring a gun could definitely use.

My one friend told me to sell the barreled action just as it was in that synthetic. I was trying to trade the barreled action to him for a different barreled action.

I traded the barreled action in that synthetic to a different gunsmith friend for a VZ-24 action; he said it was so neat that he was going to throw in a brand new hinged floorplate for nothing. He also immediately removed it from his books to his personal collection.

The whole issue was the craftsmanship and the barrel being timed to the receiver that prevented all of us from stripping it down for parts.

I was going to start a new post but will just add to this one. I have been messing with guns for a week or so. I have been to the big importers, suppliers, etc from years ago. Springfield Sporters in PA, used to be a booming place. Mr. Roggers would let you see what he was working on as far as pallets. I think he bought the pallets of arms by the pound. You never knew what was in them. There would be prototypes, one of a kinds, repatriated US arms of both sporting and military varieties mixed in with the mausers, etc. The same was true of the place in Campbell, NY, Sonja Ellison's. I am not sure if either or both are even open today. I know the son's of both were running the places, but not with near the zeal of their parents. I know that Mr. Roggers, always put half of his shipments into storage, one pallet opened and put on the display floor and the other to long term storage. There is still possibly some great stuff to be had. The recent incursion of arms from the eastern bloc was a bonanza for sure.

I am fairly sure that commercial and military 98 mausers were made in the same plant and even on the same lines to a point. The biggest difference in the early receivers was the markings. Some commercial were marked on the side rail, some the receiver ring, some both, and some dated. All of the military were marked on the receiver ring and dated. I think they were all marked Gew 98 on the left rail, but do not know positively on the very early 98's.

airgun1,

You brought back old memories. My best friend and I use to frequent Springfield Sporters. What a cool place!

My dad's best friend liberated a German Mauser sporing rifle from Europe during WWII. It was a 98 Mauser that had a tapered octagon with a raised rib. The action was set up for the "claw' type scope bases. Other they a sporter stock that was all that was special about it. I know one year he lost the magazine floor plate, follower, and spring deer hunting. He put it up for a while until I got him a new assembly. It was just a standard 98 assembly. That's all I can remember about the rifle as I as pretty young then. He also liberated a Steyr Mannlicher carbine in 8x56 with claw mounts. That one I got to work on, basically cleaning it up and making reloads for it. I got to shoot it too. Later I moved out of state and he passed on and the rifle are now gone. I would have loved to own them.

There is some info. on Oberndorf you might find interesting. Don't know how to get you there directly so here goes > Nitroexpress > Mauser Discussion > first page near the bottom > "Original Oberndorf Mauser 98 Sporter variations" Jon Speed.

--- John

Thankyou John303!!!! Now there is a neat forum! I used to be more active in the mauser collecting community. I had a nice assortment of various Gew 98, Kar 98a , and one Kar 98k rifle. That was 25 years ago. I avoided 98k's as there were so many fakes. Then I started with Springfields, always had pre 64 Win 70's in the mix. Thanks again for the link to that site!

seems to have some pitting ,,show a pic of the bolt handle if you could , sorry to say but between being rebarrelled ,reblued, restocked drilled and tapped ,it used up a lot of its collector value this is a typical tybe B mauser 8x60 with standard lenght action,and yes we hang out at nitro express ! ..paul

Oh, she is pitted, and a put together, hence the "special to me" moniker. The bolt that was in it was not the original and it was damaged. This was an old bolt, probably a Gew 98 or VZ-24 that I had lying around. I am going to hunt with this. It shoots good and is the smoothest feeding rifle that I own. You can not tell if you picked up a cartridge whether the first one or the last one!

I tried registering at nitro express but never received an email or an answer to my inquiry about not receiving the email.

Nitroexpress has been rather slow of late, they must have changed servers / something? Keep trying, I had to re-register when it all happened.

My main "hobby" is Mausers, always on the look out for some unusual aspect, although I have other actioned rifles.

The other "collection" is SxS shotguns - main criteria, damascus barrels of various types and different type of actions.

--- John