-
If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over.
Hannover Depot XI (Magdeburg) build K98k
- Thread starter majspud
- Start date
I picked up my Depot XI at the UPS last night. It was not as bad as I thought, and has a few very interesting characteristics as well. Bore is pristine.
The history of the Depot rifle, simplified. Germany thought that they had won the war in 1941 as Russia was about to fall. Therefore they had started to scale back K98 production, and after Moscow, the Germans were short of rifles. To get rifles made as quickly as possible, they had the part manufacturer's send parts to the repair depots to assemble them into rifles. So depot rifles are legitimate 'parts' rifles; matching SNs with most parts by different manufacturer's. Not many were built; the most prolific was Posen (XXI), which made about 15,000. Historians generally see this attempt as a waste of resources.
This one was built most likely in 1942 off an undated e/359 (Walther) receiver, and is a stock mismatch, but the handguard matches. The stock is duffel cut, but has been repaired by inserting a dowel, probably, glue, and held in place with two brass screws with the ends cut off. As I couldn't use a cleaning rod, I took a bent, foreign 9-3/4 inch rod, cut off 4cm, and tapped it in place. Seems to stay OK. The stock totally matches itself; 4727c, e/655 (1940 Mauser), 40 Ha. Stock has been sanded and the handguard has a thick shellac on it, with the stock a lighter coat. What makes me think this is a Depot repair (stock replacement) of a Depot XI rifle, is that all the screws are armorer e/655, the stock matches itself, it still has the original handguard, and the bolt seems to be an e/1 armorer's. There are two serial numbers on the keel (may be the old and new), and some proof marks on the comb I am trying to figure out which may be Posen Depot for the repair.
SN# 1241, no suffix
Parts List (if no SN, then part has no SN):
follower: e/1 (Gustloffwerke)
trigger guard e/26 (Berlin-Lubecker) 1241
front screw e/655 (Mauser 1940-41)
rear screw e/655
front capture screw e/655
rear capture screw e/655
front band e/1 1241
rear band e/1 1241
bolt body 1, firing proof
firing pin Imperial 20
extractor e/63 (Mauser <1940)
shroud unmarked
cocking piece e/280 (Erma)
safety circle Z (Czech)
ejector box e/623 41
sear e/18 (sub contractor for Gustloffwerke)
trigger e/18 41 ax (ax is Erma)
ejector box spring j
receiver e/359 (Walther)
barrel S39D111 3x e/37 (Sauer)
rear sight base 3x e/26
rear sight spring i
rear sight leaf e/26 1241
rear sight slide e/26
rear sight slide release e/26
butt plate e/655 4727c
stock e/655, 40 Ha, 4727
bayonet lug e/655 27
cross bolt e/655
band spring e/655
handguard 1241
front sight e/214
Kind of like a box of chocolates.
t
The history of the Depot rifle, simplified. Germany thought that they had won the war in 1941 as Russia was about to fall. Therefore they had started to scale back K98 production, and after Moscow, the Germans were short of rifles. To get rifles made as quickly as possible, they had the part manufacturer's send parts to the repair depots to assemble them into rifles. So depot rifles are legitimate 'parts' rifles; matching SNs with most parts by different manufacturer's. Not many were built; the most prolific was Posen (XXI), which made about 15,000. Historians generally see this attempt as a waste of resources.
This one was built most likely in 1942 off an undated e/359 (Walther) receiver, and is a stock mismatch, but the handguard matches. The stock is duffel cut, but has been repaired by inserting a dowel, probably, glue, and held in place with two brass screws with the ends cut off. As I couldn't use a cleaning rod, I took a bent, foreign 9-3/4 inch rod, cut off 4cm, and tapped it in place. Seems to stay OK. The stock totally matches itself; 4727c, e/655 (1940 Mauser), 40 Ha. Stock has been sanded and the handguard has a thick shellac on it, with the stock a lighter coat. What makes me think this is a Depot repair (stock replacement) of a Depot XI rifle, is that all the screws are armorer e/655, the stock matches itself, it still has the original handguard, and the bolt seems to be an e/1 armorer's. There are two serial numbers on the keel (may be the old and new), and some proof marks on the comb I am trying to figure out which may be Posen Depot for the repair.
SN# 1241, no suffix
Parts List (if no SN, then part has no SN):
follower: e/1 (Gustloffwerke)
trigger guard e/26 (Berlin-Lubecker) 1241
front screw e/655 (Mauser 1940-41)
rear screw e/655
front capture screw e/655
rear capture screw e/655
front band e/1 1241
rear band e/1 1241
bolt body 1, firing proof
firing pin Imperial 20
extractor e/63 (Mauser <1940)
shroud unmarked
cocking piece e/280 (Erma)
safety circle Z (Czech)
ejector box e/623 41
sear e/18 (sub contractor for Gustloffwerke)
trigger e/18 41 ax (ax is Erma)
ejector box spring j
receiver e/359 (Walther)
barrel S39D111 3x e/37 (Sauer)
rear sight base 3x e/26
rear sight spring i
rear sight leaf e/26 1241
rear sight slide e/26
rear sight slide release e/26
butt plate e/655 4727c
stock e/655, 40 Ha, 4727
bayonet lug e/655 27
cross bolt e/655
band spring e/655
handguard 1241
front sight e/214
Kind of like a box of chocolates.
t
Attachments
Last edited:
