A Mutt of an Israeli K98, but it called to me...

[majspud]

Fills a slot in my Mauser variants to go with my Norge bcd41.

1935 S/42G Mauser K98k, Israeli use and conversion to 7.62x61mm (.308 Nato). Not the nicest example, but a lot of history. The first production model of the K98k put into service by Germany in 1935, survived WWII, and reused by the nascent State of Israel in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. I think the stock is from an even earlier Standard Modell Mauser (1933-1934) retrofitted with a mid-war butt plate. Wood has a slight hairline crack at the wrist, and the hand guard is missing a piece of wood. “7.62” stamped on receiver and burned into the keel of the stock by the butt plate. Receiver has a couple of dents with an importer’s serial number on the right side of the receiver and the importer on the top of the barrel by the muzzle. Bore is decent bright with a little frosting, worn, but no pitting and not counter-bored. Mismatched numbers with some of the Waffenampts defaced. I've an Israeli sling coming from LTC, and have an Israeli sight hood in my parts box. Price was less than a RC as it is somewhat of a mutt and a little bit beat up, but I took a chance on it. If the crack is worse than it seems, and depending on what it looks like under the wood line, I can return it.

Some of the auction pics. You don't see many G dates; I've never seen a G date Israeli.

T

 

[JuergenG]

Nice! You're right, the early ones are rare birds in the Israeli configuration, the majority are late ware dot/dou's.
The 'first production model put into service' would be K-dated 1934's. S/42K serial 7462 w/o suffix resides downstairs

 

[majspud]

I know the K-date was the first, but I thought it was produced in relatively limited numbers. I've only seen 2 K-dates for sale, ever.

T

 

[Len-2A Training]

Don't all the Israeli ones have the Star of David on them? Didn't see that in the pictures.

 

[JuergenG]

IIRC least of the WWII vintage K98k's do. All of the FN M1950's do, whereas not all of them have been converted to 7.62.

 

[cj556]

I've always thought it was interesting that when Israel was starting out that they had a lot of ex-Nazi equipment like K98's and BF-109s. That said these K98s are neat and the OP's is a pretty clean example and looks like has had a good history.

 

[majspud]

Couple more pics:

T

 

[JuergenG]

I've always thought it was interesting that when Israel was starting out that they had a lot of ex-Nazi equipment like K98's and BF-109s.

That's what was on the market in vast quantities and the young State of Israel took everything they could get their hands on. Pretty much like the Finns who bought everything capable to shoot in the late 30's/early 40's or coverted guns captured from Ivan.

 

[majspud]

Is any commercial .308 good in this? I passed on a box of Winchester .308 150gr, JHP I think, as the box said '.308win' and not just .308.

T

 

[JuergenG]

Commercial .308 is just fine to shoot with it.