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This is a K Date (1934) K98k. This was the first year that the K98k rifle was produced for the Wehrmacht.
The "K" was the secret code for 1934 to conceal the fact that Germany was rearming which was in direct
violation for the Treaty of Versailles. There were only two manufacturers of K98ks in 1934, Mauser and
Sauer. Mauser's secret maker code was S/42. This example if a Sauer with a maker code of S/147. Sauer
made many fewer rifles that year than Mauser. This rifle was issued to the Reichs Finanz Verwaltung (R.F.V) or Reich Finance Administration. That stamp can be seen on the picture of the butt plate. Below the R.F.V. is a number (982) which is a property number. The serial number of the rifle can be seen in a close up of that area of the butt plate which is below the lower butt plate screw. The trigger guard group has been replaced with an arsenal replacement group. That area of the rifles was often damaged. This trigger guard group is interesting in that the trigger guard style is that of the earlier Gew98s and the Standard Modell, Deutches Reichespost and Deutsches Reichesbahn. The earlier style group was apparently in the armorer's repair kit that was used to repair this rifle. Notice the 3 digit serial number of 971, very early. |