[BARQS19]

Inherited this from my grandmother about a year ago. Her father brought it back from France in 1918. I finally got around to cleaning it up because she never took care of it. It's a Mauser Oberndorf made Gew 98 mauser dated 1915. Anyway what is this odd attachment that you see here in the picture? It snaps onto the bottom of the stock and fits perfectly over the barrel. I wouldn't think this was some sort of stacking mechanism but maybe part of a grenade launcher sight?? Just a guess, does anyone here know?
Thanks,
BARQS19

 

[BARQS19]

Another picture of odd part

Here's another view of it.

 

[Carcano]

Please - before endeavouring to "clean it up" and possibly greatly reducing the value of weapon of the weapon thereby, talk to the experts. Thanks !

Alexander

 

[madboy357]

Its the front half of a reciprocating action cover.

I concur with Carcano, tread carefully should you decide to clean this rifle.

 

[mag]

To answer your question, It is part of the sliding action cover. mag

 

[BARQS19]

Oh I already know all what not to do, I've been messing with mausers for years so no amateur here. I've seen what people can do to guns that should never have been messed with. I got as much of the rust off as I could and cleaned up the stock. The firing pin had to be replaced because it was broken. What is a "reciprocating action cover"? Do you have a picture of the entire cover? Are they rare and can I get the other half from somewhere?
thanks,
BARQS19

 

[madboy357]

Reciprocating as in moves with the bolt (the rear half); as opposed to a fixed action cover (cloth or stamped metal) that must be removed before the action can be cycled.

Rarity? There are a number of them around, though pricey. Scarce is a more apt term IMO. Reproduction exist, and might be the best bet to aquire a back half---I have a front half as well, and have been looking for an original back half for several years to no avail.

Mine is marked on the bottom W/Co. DRP with a small fractur on the top.

 

[BARQS19]

Mine is marked W Co as well on the bottom. On the top is some sort of small imperial symbol, crown over something.
BARQS19

 

[Greg Myers]

W Co is the most prolific maker of these. The two originals I have are both W Co but have slightly different makers marks, W over Co over DRP and W over CO in a stylized box. I've seen more than a few with the front half only, the bolt is not as easy to manipulate with the cover so many were tossed by the vets that brought them home. I have at least 8 or 10 G98's that show the dark stains in the stock from the front half. (now missing)
Good luck in finding a rear half only, complete ones are tough enough.

 

[ofd291]

Lets not forget about the cool rifle, How's the bore? Are the numbers matching? What unit was your Great Grandfather in? Throw us a bone here.

 

[BARQS19]

I thought it was all matching until I cleaned it. The bolt is matching to itself but the serial number is crossed out and the serial number of my rifle has been stamped into the bolt knob. The follower and one trigger housing screw doesn't match. As for what unit he was in she didn't know. My other grandmother's father was in the navy and I was lucky enough to find pictures of him and his ship. As for the bore it was terrible, her house is old and she kept it in a room that leaks all the time It looks better now that I've shot it out. I'll ask my uncle if he knew what unit he was in, he may know. I don't know if my great grandfather brought back this rifle or not ( no pictures unfortunately ) but either him or my grandfather made a lamp out of a WWI Italian Carcano. Looks pretty neat!
BARQS19

 

[BARQS19]

By the way....

Oh yeah by the way. I have seem something similiar to this on Siamese Mausers. Would that particular action cover fit on a GEW 98?
BARQS19

 

[Wapruf2]

Siamese breech cover will not fit Gew 98 breech cover.

 

[The Great Billdildoe]

The trench covers for the gew98 are somewhat common - the germans made tens of thousands of them before the war ended.
I have a spare original top half - gave the 'sprung' bottom half to madboy awhile ago. Been looking for a not sprung bottom clamp , but once you let it known you have the top half you get held over the barrel for the bottom half. I'm patient.

http://www.gk43forum.com/forum/vbpicgallery.php?do=view&g=107

 

[dwmmg08]

I am in awe...

Of the great billdildoe's collection. That's awesome, if that's your collection in the pictures? I'm very impressed, you have _two_ sets of the night sights!!!! Do they work? How are they???

I'm floored. Really really floored. I had no idea they actually issued the brass and steel muzzle covers, I thought that was an Argentine contract thing. Wow! Are those on 88's?

Waay cooler than 98ks, or G43's. Wow!

Wow!

Wow!

 

[dwmmg08]

What is that on the Kar 98a?

In the pictures of the collection on the G43 board??? Long and thin, attached to the muzzle, a flare launcher??? Adaptor for Grenade launching with the rod grenades??? Flash hider??

WOW!

 

[dwmmg08]

Sounds like a neat find! Post some more pics!

I don't know if my great grandfather brought back this rifle or not ( no pictures unfortunately ) but either him or my grandfather made a lamp out of a WWI Italian Carcano. Looks pretty neat!
BARQS19

Aargh! I remember when Fed Ord was bringing in the Austro-Hungarian M95's a few years ago, they had as an option that they could make some of them into lamps, I think (hope) they were the already screwed up / destroyed drill rifles that had part of the chamber milled out.

Some of those lamp guns are _not_ destroyed for all time. Check it out, there's a chance it's functional, depending on how they did it.

Sounds like you have a neat Gew!! I remember finding a 1916 dated Gew at the Wanamacher gun show in tulsa a few years ago, an exhibitor had it under his table. I asked him about it, and got to look at it. It was really nice example, in good shape. I offered to buy it, but he wouldn't sell it _AS HE SAID HE'D BEEN LOOKING FOR ONE TO FIT HIS SCOPE MOUNT TO FOR A WHILE!!!!!_ I was struck dumb. I asked if he was seriously thinking of sporterizing this beautiful gun. He looked at me like I wasn't making sense, and said it was the whole reason he bought it, he did good work with them, made good deer rifles. I begged him to sell it to me, I even offered double his money. He wouldn't sell it. I came back 3 times. He still wouldn't sell it. I hope he never did it... but I tried hard to save it! Mutter, mutter, mutter.

 

[madboy357]

Hey Bill, you can hold me over the barrel for your loose top half any day! Excellent show at the G/K forum----do a posting on your Gew91, please! Too bad I don't keep your regimental list handy---I saw a decent quillback today at OGCA marked to the 120th infantry regiment, 2nd co. IIRC.

I have several Gew 98's with rust staining from the action cover, but alas, far too few action covers to go around....seem pretty rare in that regard, ie, number of gewehrs in collections that used them versus how many action covers in collectors hands. And come to think of it, I have never laid eyes on a single 98a action cover, nor a 98a with obvious rust staining from an action cover. Does anyone have one of these? Storz has a couple images, but nothing beyond cursory.

I would guess the W/Co. to be Weissenburger of Bad Cannstadt? Other makers in 1918 are mentioned by Storz, but were likely destroyed at wars end?

Mg08, that is a flash hider for the Kar98....I bet Bill has intel on it (and more pics?). The Gew. Granate M17 is imaged as well (with granate).

 

[dwmmg08]

The OGCA show must have good this time...

Lot's of posts about stuff there, is Robert Landies really dead??? I saw one post mentioning an estate sale????? I didn't hear anything about that, I'm kind of shocked to see that?

Ok, I knew it wasn't for the Gew. Grenate 17 (The VB type, the launcher's in the pics, he's got that TOO! Aaagh! :-D ) but the rod grenades are very different, but I've never heard of an adaptor to shoot those- but hey, anything's possible- they damaged guns shooting them, as I understand it, bore erosion, dings, etc. A flash hider? I await the comments! Great!

Great collection, again! Any 23rd Regiment marked stuff?

 

[The Great Billdildoe]

Ken ; You killed me !!.... a 120th marked poker...would mate with the 1900 danzig so well - oh bugger !.
Their are a handfull of pics of the 98a trench covers. The germans made wads of them as well but they seem to have had far less survive time. I only have the bottom end to one. C.minx and Mark W. both have complete 98 covers...wish I did too.
The kar98a flash hider was according to storz a fairly common item of issue later in the war , but not very popular and as often discarded , hence it's rarity today. Same thing with the trench magazines - the germans mass produced them but troops mass ditched them. They were stoutly built and reliable , but with a 'long' ten pound rifle not what most grunts of the day wanted to carry weighted down yet more.
Use of rod grenades caused erosion of the bore at muzzle , damage and bulging of the bore at the throat , cracked stocks and recoil lug setback. That is why the germans designed a spring loaded launch stand for typical rifle grenade use to help minimize damage to the rifles. The germans copied and improved the VB cup discharger design - it's a monstrously heavy duty made thing.
The gew88's had a brass muzz cover . The hard 88 muzz covers to find are the all steel wartime made examples , I've only come across one and snagged it.
The anti aircraft sights will fit both the gew88 and gew98. The nachtvisier sights were reported to be very effective , only after near a century the radium no longer glows though a buddy told me years ago a couple passes with an Xray machine could potentially reinvigorate the glow.