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German Mauser Model K98 with Dr Walter Gerard Scope…(F 1151)

Created on November 17th 2012

Interesting Mauser Model 98′ Karbine

A K98 with early barrel and action dating from 1938, with later laminated stock and Dr W.Gerard Telescopic sight.

Markings & serials

  • Primary serial: 1655 — stamped on the left side of the breech, magazine floor plate, bolt release catch, and all components of the rear sight assembly.

  • Other parts: several components (including the bolt body) carry different numbers (non-matching), consistent with wartime part interchange.

  • Breech left side inscription: engraved “Eagle over Swastika — XI — 1655.”

  • Action side wall: marked “Mod.98” in the Mauser / Oberndorf typeface.

  • Opposite side of the breech: marked “359 waffenamt.”

Furniture & fittings

  • Stock: late-war laminated type; faint markings below the bolt stripping disk that resemble Kriegsmarine inspection stamps but are indistinct.

  • Buttplate: early non-cupped flat steel buttplate.

  • Barrel band: early “H”-type front barrel band.

  • Accessories: sight hood and cleaning rod present.

  • Bolt: handle has been bent to clear the fitted scope; safety flag reduced in height and positioned to the rear to clear the optical mounting.

Optic & mounting

  • Double-claw dovetail mount: front half-ring on objective seating into a breech dovetail; rear claw with windage adjustment and spring ears for release.

  • Scope: tube ≈ 26 mm, ocular flared ≈ 40 mm, objective ≈ 40 mm. Top turret for elevation; internal post-and-rail reticle. Marked (engraved, italicized):
    C / DR. W. GERARD / OPTISCHE ANSTALT / CHARLOTTENBURG

  • Optics said to be good; external bluing on scope retains better finish than the host rifle.

Condition notes

  • Metalwork: significant, even bluing loss on barrel and receiver; markings remain legible where described.

  • Woodwork: laminated stock with even service wear; faint inspector stamps below bolt stripping disk.

  • Mechanics: bolt present but modified (bent handle); safety reduced; rear-sight components numbered 1655 and functional.

  • Mounts/optic: period-type dovetail double-claw mounts present and functioning; scope optics serviceable.

Authenticity & interpretation

  • The presence of a Waffenamt inspection stamp (“359 waffenamt”), the Eagle/Swastika acceptance stamp, the Mod.98 typeface on the action, and multiple period-correct fittings (H-type band, laminated late-war stock, double-claw dovetail mount) are consistent with a WWII-era German service rifle that has seen field modification and part interchange.

  • Non-matching part numbers (notably the bolt) and the bent bolt handle indicate wartime repairs/modifications and later functional adaptation to accept an optic — a common occurrence for rifles pressed into precision roles.

Key markings & manufacture evidence

  • Barrel stamps (just forward of breech): 70 38 BO — indicating Bohler steel BO and a 1938 date (the “38” figure).

  • Factory inspection stamps on barrel: three clear Waffenamt marks, all stamped WaA623 (German factory inspection/acceptance marks for separate inspections during manufacture).

  • Breech / action markings: left side engraved Eagle over Swastika — XI — 1655; action side wall stamped Mod.98 (Mauser/Oberndorf typeface).

  • Waffenamt on opposite breech side: 359 waffenamt (additional acceptance/inspection mark recorded earlier).

  • Serials: primary serial 1655 on left side of breech, magazine floor plate, bolt release catch and all components of the rear sight assembly.

  • Bolt & adjacent stamps: the same 623 inspector marks appear underneath the bolt handle — indicating the barrel, bolt and action were produced/inspected at the same facility (matching factory marks), even though some components elsewhere carry different numbers (typical wartime part interchange).

Interpretation: The Bohler steel mark, the explicit 38 date, and multiple consistent WaA623 stamps strongly support a pre-war/early-war 1938 manufacture at a facility subject to WaA623 inspection. The presence of additional Waffenamt marks (e.g., 359) and the Eagle/Swastika acceptance stamp are consistent with period German military acceptance marking practice.

WWII-Era Service Carbine with Period Scope

This bolt-action carbine measures 43 3/4″ overall with a 24″ round barrel. The barrel’s original bluing is attenuated and showing loss consistent with long service; much of the metal and wood finish has worn away through natural use, but the wear is uniform across the rifle, suggesting a single period of use rather than later refinishing.

The rifle is fitted with a period optical sight mounted on a double-claw system. The front mount is a half-ring clamping the objective, which engages a dovetailed block at the breech; the rear mount features windage adjustment and spring ears designed to pull back and release the claw bases. The scope tube measures approximately 26 mm in diameter; the ocular (flared) end and the objective lens measure roughly 40 mm. Elevation is adjusted via a turret on the scope’s top, and the internal reticle is the classic post-and-rail type. Optically the scope is reported to be in good condition, and its external bluing is noticeably better preserved than that of the host rifle.

The scope bears an engraved, italicized maker’s mark around the eyepiece reading:
C / DR. W. GERARD / OPTISCHE ANSTALT / CHARLOTTENBURG — identifying the optical house and location.

This configuration — a service rifle adapted with a dovetailed scope and double-claw mounts — is characteristic of wartime expedients in which standard rifles were pressed into precision roles. The combination of period-correct mount geometry, maker’s marking, and consistent wear patterns supports a service-era origin for the set.

Condition summary: optics good and functioning; metal finish on the rifle with significant, even bluing loss; wood finish largely worn but consistent with service use; mounts present with functional adjustment features.

 WWII-era bolt-action carbine (43 3/4″) with Dr. W. Gerard Optische Anstalt scope and double-claw dovetail mount.

  

Authenticity assessment

  • The combination of a Bohler steel barrel dated 1938, repeated WaA623 acceptance stamps on barrel and bolt area, the Eagle/Swastika acceptance mark with serial 1655, and the Mauser Mod.98 typeface strongly support a genuine German-manufacture Mod.98 action/assembly from the late 1930s with wartime service and subsequent field modifications. Non-matching part numbers on some components are consistent with wartime repairs and part interchange rather than evidence of forgery.

The action is mechanically fine and cycles well.  The bore is good but not spectacular but as is usual with these battered relics, this rifle is extremely accurate even without the scope.

Stock code  F 1151

Now     £ 2375.

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