Experience with Clone Period Correct K98 Sniper Optics?

[21Bravo]

I have a nice K98 sitting around that I'd love to set up as a period correct sniper clone. Accumounts has mounts and optics. Looking for input from folks with experience with clone K98 setups, especially the Z39 version.

Thanks!

 

[sandwarrior]

Far better than what we had in the day. Except obviously trying to shoot at distance with no windage adjustment. However, if I'm thinking of the right reticle (the german #1), you can hold for windage using the point vs. wide ends of the horizontal cross-hair. In a big wind, you may have to use both sides to measure a point upwind to hold on.

 

[Flint62a1]

I have the accumounts long side rail mount on my k98. I have had two repro zf39 scopes the first one the reticle almost completely filled the eyepiece. I think it was mounted on the wrong lense or some dam thing. the second one had decent glass but if you made an elevation adjustment you could actually watch the reticle wander around in the eyepiece. I bagged them both and put a weaver k4 on it.

 

[Ledzep]

Moral of the story with most any reproduction WWII era optic available (especially if you can afford it) is that they're good for looks and that's about it.

I have toyed with the idea of doing a 'swept back' zf4 with my Yugo capture (dot 1944 with kriegsmodell stock & bolt) but the expensive or useless optics have always been the deterrent.

The other thing that is still a mystery to me is how a lot of the scopes are silver soldered to the rings/mounts, or the mounts to the receivers... Never understood how that works. The only things I've ever silver soldered I got way hotter than an optic would survive.

 

[21Bravo]

Moral of the story with most any reproduction WWII era optic available (especially if you can afford it) is that they're good for looks and that's about it.

I have toyed with the idea of doing a 'swept back' zf4 with my Yugo capture (dot 1944 with kriegsmodell stock & bolt) but the expensive or useless optics have always been the deterrent.

The other thing that is still a mystery to me is how a lot of the scopes are silver soldered to the rings/mounts, or the mounts to the receivers... Never understood how that works. The only things I've ever silver soldered I got way hotter than an optic would survive.

I don’t want a wall hanger, that’s for certain. It seems folks are having good luck with the 03A4 clone optics. Too bad there’s not a quality clone of a period German optic.

 

[Ledzep]

The 2.5x weaver clone I handled had a crosshair that was like 4-5x thicker than an original. The Malcom 8x Unertl clones I hear are good, but the mounts need to be replaced with original Unertls. All of the No.32's, ZF39's, and ZF4's I've heard nothing but trouble.

Maybe there was a Meopta ZF4 a while back but it was roughly the same price as an original if memory serves. They were said to be good, but for the money.. almost better to buy original.

 

[ScharfshutzeK98]

Hey,

A few years ago I set out to have an example of each German K-98k sniper variant built. It has been a process but I am down to the last few. So you may want to start by picking which variant you would like to build. The Turret Mounts are the most iconic in my opinion, however finding people that do them correctly can be a challenge sometimes. The different variants are Short Side Rail Type 2, Short Side Rail Type 3, Low Turret, High Turret, Single Claw, Double Claw, Objective Mount, Sweptback, zf-41, Long Side Rail (band or split ring). Then there are the field armorer builds that were built with captured Soviet Scopes.

Also what do you plan on doing with the rifle? Vintage sniper matches, conversation piece, hunting rifle, or occasional range gun? How accurate of a clone do you want it to be?

And for the glass........the reproduction glass is junk. Your best bet is to find a period or pre war commercial optic. They are built much better, are repairable, and usually fit the condition of the rifle used in the build.

If you have any questions at all please let me know and I will help as much as I can.

-Brian

 

[ScharfshutzeK98]

Here are the builds so far....

 

[Random Guy]

That is an impressive line-up! Thanks for sharing that pic.

 

[HenrikOlsen]

@ScharfshutzeK98: What mounts do you like the best? I'm thinking about doing a build on based on a K98 from 1938 I inherited from my grandfather. So far I like the side rail versions the most.

Are there any combinations of scope/mounts that are not historically correct and thus should be avoided?

 

[ScharfshutzeK98]

@ScharfshutzeK98: What mounts do you like the best? I'm thinking about doing a build on based on a K98 from 1938 I inherited from my grandfather. So far I like the side rail versions the most.

Are there any combinations of scope/mounts that are not historically correct and thus should be avoided?

Are you sure you want to drill and tap a family heirloom? I wouldn't.............. I bought RC K-98k's to use for my builds.

 

[Ledzep]

Yeah especially if it's #'s matching, a bring-back. I wouldn't touch it.

 

[Richard Walter]

Are you sure you want to drill and tap a family heirloom? I wouldn't.............. I bought RC K-98k's to use for my builds.

If I were doing a build I would recommend the LSR set up. You can get genuine scopes and mounts, reproduction scopes and mounts, reproduction bases. Plenty of bolt mis matched k98s out there or even Russian captures. Something for every budget

 

[HenrikOlsen]

@ScharfshutzeK98: Yes and no, I guess. It's not really a family heirloom, my grandfather bought it quite cheap when he worked as an engineer at the factory where they rechambered them to .30-06 after the war so there is no heroic tale attached to it in that sense. As far as part serial numbers they all match as the factory that rechambered it was required to deliver "matching sets" to our armed forces who used them up to the early 90's. Right now I'm just looking into it what options there are, mostly due to the 6 (soon 8) long gun limit here in Norway, for using it for something else than collecting dust in my locker.

For what I've read the repro scopes are not very high quality, are there some that are worth looking into?

 

[ScharfshutzeK98]

Yeah, steer clear of the reproduction scopes. They are garbage, you are better off getting a pre war, wartime, or commercial period Zeiss or Hensoldt.