[epidoc]

This is a stock I picked up some years ago. I'm quite sure it is a fake of some kind because it has two finger grooves. The stock is very good condition, and made of European walnut with linseed oil stain. It has all of the standard Kar 98k features including metal fore end with bayonet lug. No serial number in the barrel channel. The butt plate is the late variant with the take down hole in the butt plate. It has the two finger grooves as mentioned. The only marking on the stock is an eagle over a swastika over an M on the right side just above the butt plate.

Does anyone know who might have been making such stocks and for what purpose?

 

[Spaxspore]

pictures are worth a thousand words.

 

[Milsurp2.0]

Sounds like one of the Israeli stocks that got faked into "Germanness". Look closely at the bandspring cutout and see if it looks added.

 

[epidoc]

I just noticed a carefully disguised hole for a band spring, and an extension of the slot back to accommodate the German band spring, so the mystery is solved. Thanks for the quick response.

 

[Milsurp2.0]

I just noticed a carefully disguised hole for a band spring, and an extension of the slot back to accommodate the German band spring, so the mystery is solved. Thanks for the quick response.

Glad to be of help.

 

[woodsrunner 38 InMemoriam]

Just a passing comment about "European Walnut" stocks on German firearms:

Logic probably says that European manufactured firearms with Walnut stocks would have the European species, but that's not always the case especially with very early 98k's (pre-lamination) and the arms that proceeded the 98. The Germans highly favored American Black Walnut for both commercial and military arms, and imported it heavily up until the Nazi Era. I'm not sure if the wood quality of the American species is better than the European, but I suspect that's the case given the German characteristic of being perfect in every respect of arms manufacture. Our old growth Black Walnut is probably more stable than that of the European variety which grows from England across northern Europe to central Russia then south through Turkey and the Mediterranean Sea area. Kinda funny in a way, but probably the biggest importer of our Walnut now is Japan. I've seen individual American Black Walnut trees sell at auction to Japanese buyers for up to $120,000. per tree!