www.MG42.us

I just picked this up. It is CIA import marked. I need help with the top receiver markings. Who and Where was it made?

I would also like to refinish the stock. What is the best way? Thanks

I am no expert, but it kind of looks like a Lithuanian post-war marking.

In Robert Ball's "Mauser's of the World," fourth edition on page 167 there is a GEW98 with two cursive-looking L's down by the imperial eagle on the left of the receiver with a new serial number, these were marked by the Lithuanian government after ww1, of course swallowed up by the USSR after ww2, they may have used 98ks left there.

When all else fails, I would e-mail Russ at Sprinfield Sporters, he is quite good. www.SSporters.com

No, not Lithuanian. Definitely German. The CE is the manufacturer code for J.P. Sauer & Sohn Gewehr Fabrik, in Suhl. The rifle is made in 1941, and here is a website where you can find the bare bone basics in restoring Russian captured k98's and make them look great: http://www.mausershooters.org/k98k/SC_t ... #operation

Here is their main page. http://www.mausershooters.org/k98k/K98_k98k.html

As for refinishing, I've done a few dozen k98s and restored them to their original look. I have one all matching, like-new untouched k98 to compare the wood finish to to get it just right. The Germans covered the outside visible surfaces of the stock with a thin, red brown stain that appears as a very thin shellac finish. To prepare for this job, read all you can on rifle refinishing on forums on the web FIRST.

Here are the basics: Take the rifle apart and remove all metal parts from the stock. Don't damage the wood or the holes of the crosslug nut getting it ouy. Use care. If you don't know how, 'ask one of us or search the web on k98 Mauser refinishing. If you take the bolt apart wrong, you could break the firing pin. That disk in the butt of the stcok is a tool used to take the bolt aparts PROPERLY.

You can get an approximately similar restored finish by first stripping off that crappy brushed on Russian shellac using a can of paint stripper. I use the orange-peel derived stuff from Home Depot. DO NOT use oven cleaner like the amateurs do, because it COULD harm the wood fibers and leave green stains! After stripping, the wood will appear aircraft grey. this is normal. DO NOT panic. You will soon restore the colour with oil. You also do NOT want to sand the stock too much after stripping it, and fining out that the fibers on the surface are lifted, making the stock feel rough. Apply 80-grit sand paper as little as possible, staying clear of the stamped eagle eaffenamt marks on the right side of the stock, and only enough to remove the crude, cross grain scratches that the Russians made by sanding the stock during processing for storage. You want to use 0000 size steel wool to tamp down those loose fibers that remain standing out, rubbing in the same direction as the grain. This will put a shiny sheen on the surface, polishing the wood. The priginal finish was not glass smooth, but rather lumpy but smooth to the touch. The Russians wiped out the original surface characteristic, so you can't get the texture back for the most part, but you can get the colour back. To finish, apply boiled linseed oil to the outside, visible surfaces only. I know that on late war rifles, the Germans only stained the outside surfaces, and left the ones on the inside and under the metal as raw wood. Apply a 2nd thin coat of linseed the following day, then a third coat the following week. Do not over oil, use enough to get the wood wet and not too much. Apply more in areas that soak up oil quickly at the end grain, like the wrist. Do not oil under the butt, but just put it back over the raw wood. As for metal, use a VERY FINE mill file to take the high spots off the crappy Russian electropencil numbers, and then hide them as best as you can by cold bluing them with cold blue acid (buy at sporting goods/gun store). The rear sight leaf is not supposed to be black, so after removing it and taking off the sliding crossbar, polish the top surface (with the numbers) and the bottom surface (it if HAS numbers) to a satin shiney metal surface with a deburring wheel or the finest of emery cloth. The numbers are supposed to be black against silver.

Thank you, you have been a great help. I know the people on this board were smarter then I look.

Just for the record I did not mean that it was made by Lithuania, surely it is a German made 98K, third reich era, I was just focusing on the big cursive-looking "L L" on the receiver ring as a possible post-war marking. My handle, www.Prussia.us, is a non-proprietary basic website (in need of updating) that is dedicated to the Mauser rifle.

Nonetheless, I defer to a brighter star, you also gave some great advice about restoration.

Tung oil works to.. I stripped my stocks down with acetone, then a bit of sanding (except for a water damaged one, required allot of sanding) then applied several coats of Tung oil, turned out like this
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/187/ ... 002ex0.jpg
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/3533 ... 004xt6.jpg

Nice work Fritz, she looks fit and ready for issue!

The script "L" under the serial number on the left side of the reciever ring stands for the 12th batch of 10,000 rifles made past the first 10,000 that have no letters. So, serial numbers start from 1 to 9,999. Then 1a thru 9,999a. Then 1b thru 9,999b and so on. Yours is the 8,813rd rifle in the "l" block or "l" series of 10,000 guns. After you get to 9,999z, you proceed to double letter blocks, then next gun being 1aa and so forth. That's how the Germans number rifles.

Thanks, boys, for the restoration info.

Here's a couple receiver shots of my Russian Capture '98. The barreled receiver was built by "Berlin-Lubecker" in 1940. It's serial #2470, in whichever series the cursive letter below it is (it looks like a "c" to me, but I'm not up on my cursive German ) I don't see any waffenamt's on the stock, though it has a nicely done "toe" repair, with a flat butt plate.

MikeD

Should I keep the Russian blue or strip it off?

If you strip off the Russian blue, you'll have to have it hot blued professionally to restore the finish. Usually it's best to leave it alone. The cost of totally redoing the entire rifle gets close to the rifle cost itself. Do what you can at home on the wood, and leave the metal be. Some RC k98's actually have a nice smooth grayish finish that looks the same as the original German bluing job, but those are hard to find. Most are dull and dark, and kind of icky to look at. The original bluing is rather thing and wears easily. Remember this IS a mass produced military rifle and some features are not as nice as that deer hunting Mauser your Uncle might have.

Well here is what I had.

This is what it looks like now. How did I do?

J.bal,

That is nice work, another German 98K de-Russified.

I just regret I do not have any more nazi-marked recoil lugs to give you to replace the one you have, though it does not detract from the beauty of the rifle and the work you did on the stock, you may want to eventually change it out. They are easy enough to remove as long as the nut is not terribly rusted on the other side and you have access to a tool that can remove said nut.

i see everyone uses paint to fill in there markings...... i noticed how messy it gets and leave white splotches. i use car wax from the can. works great and isnt perminate. just a tip i thought id through in

It can get messy if you don't apply it with a #0 brush and apply too much, and it you don't know how to wipe off the excess properly using a paper napkin (not a rag) moistened with mineral spirits. There is a technique. I just use white model paint and get great results that don't fall off or dissolve with gun oil.

Just bring up some nice Mauser again. If you have any pics to restore let Bil know or repost them at the end of the link.

Later 42rocker