All,

Was in the local shooting shop and I found this Mauser. Looks like a war trophy someone put into a cheap birch stock. Still an 8mm. Completly unmolested - nothing has been done to it otherwise.

Curious about the markings tho - its a K98, and has DMU (I think don't remember exactly but that close) stamped on the top of the reciever near the barrel. Other than that I didn't see any marks other than the German mark on the left side of the action. You know the eagle sitting on the swastika in a circle. Nothing else really marked on it. No big crests or anything. OBTW she cycles butter smooth.

The price was 199.00

I know I could prob scrounge an action for less but this one is in great shape - much of the original finish is still there and NO RUST anywhere. The finish is rubbed off the sharp edges is all.

So my questions are as follows: DMU (or similar) - whats that?

Worth the 200?

Should I buy it?

I would prob hide it away till I could do a proper rifle along the lines of Roger Biesen's work. I was thinking of a 35 Whelen or classy 270.

Any good smith names that can tackle the work I should file away? - thinking 3 pos safety, bottom metal, new bolt handle, trigger, Krieger barrel (maybe an Obermeyer considering the wait between when I could have the rifle built and how long it takes Boots to get to me.) and a nice chunk of walnut with ebony tip and fleur-de-lis checkering with a rust blue finish. Scope wise (assuming a guy can get it done) QD type with an older weaver 4x if it is to be a 270 and another scope - modern zeiss or something.

Expensive I know but if I take the time and get a little here and there done - should be a quality piece I can hand down to my son.

PM sent

Back at you!!

BTW that eagle and swastika mark is real small.

I was also thinking caliber wise 7x57. Keep some of that teutonic heritage.

There are many names that could tackle that project for you and do you proud. Many of them post on this site. Its just a matter of finding photos of their work to determine which one you want to go with.

This is only one suggestion, and I make it only because I have seen his work. I would send the action to Tom Burgess. I would specifiy a Dakota safety (or whatever safety he prefers to use nowdays), Blackburn Trigger, Blackburn Bottom Metal (or his own bottom metal if you can talk him into making it for you), Half Moon or Burgess Bolt handle, Half Moon Cut Rifle Barrel, and if you can talk him into it Burgess Scope Mounts and custom Bases. You would have one extremely nice piece of custom metalwork that you could be very proud to pass on to your child or children.

Thanks for the info. I had beenleaning towards Mark Stratton - I have is book and seen his web site - NICE.

TO be honest the lack of big ugly roll marks or stamping on this rifle has me puzzled - I am not a Mauser expert but most I have held have had a ton of markings on them.

DMU or DMC (whatever it is) prob stands for Deutche XX but danged if I know and its the only marks I could see.

It must be military owning to the eagle on the side and it has the stripper clip slot.

Just wondering if I found a darling. No rust anywhere or pits.

quote:

Originally posted by Loonie:
Thanks for the info. I had beenleaning towards Mark Stratton - I have is book and seen his web site - NICE.

TO be honest the lack of big ugly roll marks or stamping on this rifle has me puzzled - I am not a Mauser expert but most I have held have had a ton of markings on them.

DMU or DMC (whatever it is) prob stands for Deutche XX but danged if I know and its the only marks I could see.

It must be military owning to the eagle on the side and it has the stripper clip slot.

Just wondering if I found a darling. No rust anywhere or pits.

The marks are probably DOU wich was the factory code for Waffenwerke Bruenn, Bystrica, Czechoslovakia , if its dated 43 or earlier it should be pretty good, quality went out the window in 44 as the war went down hill for the Germans.

Thanks - thats what I was looking for.

quote:

Originally posted by Loonie:
Thanks for the info. I had been leaning towards Mark Stratton - I have is book and seen his web site - NICE.

I will second the nomination of Mark Stratton, though I certainly mean no slight to Mr. Burgess. It's just that Mark just finished a 98 Mauser barreled action for me, and it's a real beauty. You could not go wrong with either man.

Were I inclined to spend the $$$ that these gents command, I'd pick Tom Burgess hands down.

No slight meant toard Mr. Stratton. It's just that Burgess' rifles seem proportioned better. They are only as big as they need be, balance is unbelievable, and everything is just right.

quote:

So my questions are as follows: DMU (or similar) - whats that?

Worth the 200?

Should I buy it?

I think you can do better.

quote:

Originally posted by Loonie:
All,

Was in the local shooting shop and I found this Mauser. Looks like a war trophy someone put into a cheap birch stock. Still an 8mm. Completly unmolested - nothing has been done to it otherwise.

Curious about the markings tho - its a K98, and has DMU (I think don't remember exactly but that close) stamped on the top of the reciever near the barrel. Other than that I didn't see any marks other than the German mark on the left side of the action. You know the eagle sitting on the swastika in a circle. Nothing else really marked on it. No big crests or anything. OBTW she cycles butter smooth.

The price was 199.00

I know I could prob scrounge an action for less but this one is in great shape - much of the original finish is still there and NO RUST anywhere. The finish is rubbed off the sharp edges is all.

So my questions are as follows: DMU (or similar) - whats that?

Worth the 200?

Should I buy it?

I would prob hide it away till I could do a proper rifle along the lines of Roger Biesen's work. I was thinking of a 35 Whelen or classy 270.

Any good smith names that can tackle the work I should file away? - thinking 3 pos safety, bottom metal, new bolt handle, trigger, Krieger barrel (maybe an Obermeyer considering the wait between when I could have the rifle built and how long it takes Boots to get to me.) and a nice chunk of walnut with ebony tip and fleur-de-lis checkering with a rust blue finish. Scope wise (assuming a guy can get it done) QD type with an older weaver 4x if it is to be a 270 and another scope - modern zeiss or something.

Expensive I know but if I take the time and get a little here and there done - should be a quality piece I can hand down to my son.

DMU???????????? Could it be DWM??

I'd guess DWM as well. There should be a number underneath the letters, something like 42,43 44. That's the year of manufacture. I'd also venture to guess that the stock is just a reworked military. You can, with a little care make a fairly neat little rifle out of the military stock. you might ant to look a little closer at that stock. It acutally might be a laminated stock. Germany used them when walnut got scarce.
I once had one that was a DWM 44 with a very nicely done stock made from a laminated military stock. Someone has fit a 1903A3 Springfield barrel on it and polished and blued the whole works. Sadly, I no longer have that rifle. it was a 30-06 and went on many a hunting trip with me. It's been over 40 years now and I still miss that rifle.
Paul B.

WOW!

22 - Who did the stock work? I am VERY impressed by the stylish lines on the grip/buttstock. Kinda looks like a real pro art deco job. Never seen anything like it - and I love it!

Personally woulda done something a little different with the forend to match, though... JMO!!!

Just imagine if that artisan spent the time on a $1000 blank!!!!!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by jens poulsen:

quote:

Originally posted by Loonie:
All,

Was in the local shooting shop and I found this Mauser. Looks like a war trophy someone put into a cheap birch stock. Still an 8mm. Completly unmolested - nothing has been done to it otherwise.

Curious about the markings tho - its a K98, and has DMU (I think don't remember exactly but that close) stamped on the top of the reciever near the barrel. Other than that I didn't see any marks other than the German mark on the left side of the action. You know the eagle sitting on the swastika in a circle. Nothing else really marked on it. No big crests or anything. OBTW she cycles butter smooth.

The price was 199.00

I know I could prob scrounge an action for less but this one is in great shape - much of the original finish is still there and NO RUST anywhere. The finish is rubbed off the sharp edges is all.

So my questions are as follows: DMU (or similar) - whats that?

Worth the 200?

Should I buy it?

I would prob hide it away till I could do a proper rifle along the lines of Roger Biesen's work. I was thinking of a 35 Whelen or classy 270.

Any good smith names that can tackle the work I should file away? - thinking 3 pos safety, bottom metal, new bolt handle, trigger, Krieger barrel (maybe an Obermeyer considering the wait between when I could have the rifle built and how long it takes Boots to get to me.) and a nice chunk of walnut with ebony tip and fleur-de-lis checkering with a rust blue finish. Scope wise (assuming a guy can get it done) QD type with an older weaver 4x if it is to be a 270 and another scope - modern zeiss or something.

Expensive I know but if I take the time and get a little here and there done - should be a quality piece I can hand down to my son.

DMU???????????? Could it be DWM??

Dwm would have been assigned an ordnance code so DWM rifles would not be marked with the factory name, the cut and paste explains it far better than I can.

http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/codes_full.html

GERMAN ORDNANCE CODES

After World War I, Germany was totally disarmed. When Hitler became Reich's [sic] Chancellor in 1933, he began an era of re-armament. This had to be done in secrecy, and to conceal what was going on in the German arms and allied industries, manufacturers were assigned code letters or numbers. This ordnance coding began in 1938, continued [sic] to the last days of the Third Reich.

Early during WWII, Allied intelligence sources discovered the code, and despite concerted efforts, were unable to break the code. Even after the war when tons of documents were unearthed, the entire list of codes was not found, and thus some of the codes are still unknown.

Manufacturers and sub-contractors were assigned codes, and this coding included not only arms, ammunition, but also binoculars and even saddlebags. In short, anything that the quartermaster of any of the military services required, was coded. There were a few exceptions, but arms collectors are not concerned too much with those exceptions since most of them were marked with the name of the maker.

The system of assigning codes was begun in an orderly fashion, but because of the huge demand for military goods and the constantly increasing number of suppliers and sub-contractors, the orderly system of assigning codes was abandoned and henceforth codes were assigned in a haphazard manner. Some of the codes are well-known to collectors - the Mauser byf, the ac assigned to Walther, the RWS code dnf are readily recognized.

Despite efforts both in Germany and in the United States, by researchers and collectors, the list has never been completed. Some of the manufacturers with unidentified codes were originally producing non-military items, and later produced parts, or did some sub-assembly work, or perhaps branched out into making items needed for the growing military might of Germany. Many of these companies were demolished during the war, others ceased to function, still others are in Communist-occupied areas. It seems reasonable to assume also that some of these concerns would just as soon forget their participation - voluntary or involuntary - in this German debacle.

The beginning collector should not be surprised when he discovers two or even more codes on a gun. Sub-contractors marked the part or parts they made, and each part had to be marked with the maker's code. At first these ordnance codes were numbers but in 1941, the number code was changed to a letter code.

End citation