So I bought my boy a K98....

[PinesAndProjectiles]

Bought it off of Armslist. It has been rebarrled to 243 Win and has a Mannlicher Stock on and it has been bedded. Owner thought it was a 1:12 twist, but the manufacturer and smith are unknown. It isn’t in the best of shape, but I think it will be fine for a first deer rifle. It has an old Weaver TV style scope on it.

I’ll put some pictures up in a bit.

I’m trying to determine when it was made and everything I’ve come across shows the serial number having a lettered prefix, however this one does not. The serial number is four digits followed by an X.

Can anyone’s point me in the direction to learn more about the serial number or maybe K98s in general?

Thanks.

 

[Random Guy]

The "X" suffix is often what collector's call a 'Russian capture' rifle. They hand-stamped an "X" on the hundreds of thousands of K98s that they captured from the Germans in the 1940s. I am not an expert, but here's what google found re your question: http://mauser98k.internetdsl.pl/kodyen.html

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

Thanks Random Guy.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

This mark was under the front scope rail. I’m guessing it was made in 1928? I’m going to do some google searches and see what I can find.

 

[itwillis]

It’s a Kar98a pattern rifle produced at the Polish state factory in Warsaw. Complete shame it was sporterized as most were sent to Spain during the Spanish civil war and unmolested examples are very rare and certainly expensive.

 

[itwillis]

Repro what? It’s a sporterized small ring Mauser, gunsmith special. They made excellent hunting rifles back in the day. Unfortunately a lot of valuable and scarce rifles like this one were stripped off almost all value in the process.

This gun if in original configuration and matching numbers would easily sell between 1500-2000 dollars.

 

[ShooterwithNoName]

Agreed that it's a shame it was sporterized. I bought an 03A3 that was similarly sporterized, barrel swapped for a heavy 30-06 barrel, heavy target stock and chrome plated receiver hardware, trigger, extractor, bolt release, etc. Over the years I've been collecting everything to put it back to original. Yours would make a good candidate to put back to original if you can source the parts. The scope mount holes can be filled, blended and re-blued if you can find some similar steel to use as plugs. Even as it is it will make a nice rifle to hunt with. Nice find, it will make a good first deer gun. Can't beat the good ol' 243 anyway.

 

[sandwarrior]

When there were tons of these around, and not many spent the time and research to know which ones were rare and which ones weren't. They got chopped by the dozen. Sadly, before I realized what it meant, I had chopped three. Obviously, all were historical, but two were kind of on the rarer side. A 1909 Argentino and a Yugo Bez Oznek (in original M48 configuration).

I won't ever chop another one for a sporter. It's not so much about the money they could be worth, but the fact they are in original historical configuration. To see and hold them that way, let alone getting to shoot them that way, is a much more intrinsic value to me than what they bring on resale.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

How much did you grab this ? Are you should it’s not a repro?

I picked it up for $500. I've always admired the Mauser actions.

It does have a 1:12 twist barrel, which I'm not a huge fan of, but I'm going to teach my boy to reload so it will be a great tool for him to pick up the hobby. I'm hoping we can get some 80 or 90 grain bullets to stablize.

We will just have to keep the charge weights (pressures) down being it's an old rifle. The action seems to be in pretty decent shape, other than some bluing is wore off.

 

[ZG47A]

I guy I know, called John Bissell, who hunted for work (as a Ranger) and recreation, wrote an article for a club newsletter about twenty years back, latterly getting paid by magazine publishers. He found that standard Hornady .243 87gr spritzer flatbase projectiles were equivalent in hardness to standard Remington 100gr spitzer flatbase projectiles. He found the same relationship between the equivalent Hornady .308 130gr projectiles and Sierra 150gr projectiles. Based on the above information, I suspect that a Sierra Pro Hunter 87gr spitzer flatbase projectile would be a good starting point for handloading development.

Pressure should not be an issue, given that:
firstly, factory pressures for the .243 Winchester were lowered to sensible levels back in the mid 1960s; and
secondly, although the .243 Winchester chambering is the rifle chambering most commonly associated with rifle blow-ups, the common factors are typically held to be a roughened leade and 100gr projectiles combined with heavy propellant charges.

 

[sandwarrior]

I would highly suggest the Hornady 87gr. V-max. They stabilize well out of a 1-12" twist. I used those in my .243 (1-10" twist) out to 1k on steel. Use a slow powder like 4831 and you can get a ton of velocity. This bullet isn't competitive at long ranges, but it is predictably accurate.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

Thanks for the info, ZG47A. I’ve been looking, but having a hard time finding the 80 soft points, but I’ll keep at it.

Sandwarrior, have you used the VMAX on deer?

 

[sandwarrior]

Thanks for the info, ZG47A. I’ve been looking, but having a hard time finding the 80 soft points, but I’ll keep at it.

Sandwarrior, have you used the VMAX on deer?

No,

I used Sierra lightnings, and the older Hornady soft point flat bases. I killed 18 deer with 85 and 87 gr. lightweight "varmint" bullets. My dad killed a 34.5" muley with an 87 gr. Sierra with his .257 Roberts. I alternated killing deer with a .257 and .243. But, for all intents and purposes, the same construction in the bullets.

That V-max is constructed better than those bullets. It's all about bullet placement. Add copious quantities of velocity and you have a killer.

I'd be interested to see if @coldboremiracle has. He's got a thread in the hunting section showing how many critters he's killed with lightweight "underconstructed" Sierra bullets. He, like me, is all about bullet placement.

 

[coldboremiracle]

No,

I used Sierra lightnings, and the older Hornady soft point flat bases. I killed 18 deer with 85 and 87 gr. lightweight "varmint" bullets. My dad killed a 34.5" muley with an 87 gr. Sierra with his .257 Roberts. I alternated killing deer with a .257 and .243. But, for all intents and purposes, the same construction in the bullets.

That V-max is constructed better than those bullets. It's all about bullet placement. Add copious quantities of velocity and you have a killer.

I'd be interested to see if @coldboremiracle has. He's got a thread in the hunting section showing how many critters he's killed with lightweight "underconstructed" Sierra bullets. He, like me, is all about bullet placement.

I actually did shoot a deer with a 75Vmax once, it worked great. Actually busted both shoulders, .257 75 grain vmax @3300fps.

If you’re curious for more info I discussed it in detail here.

 

[ZG47A]

Thanks for the info, ZG47A. I’ve been looking, but having a hard time finding the 80 soft points, but I’ll keep at it.

Sandwarrior, have you used the VMAX on deer?

@MinnesotaMulisha
Just edited my earlier post, as I meant to type Sierra Pro Hunter instead of Remington Core Lokt. Sorry about the typo. We are in Autumn down here and I am recovering from a random bug/virus (which does not combine well with on-site carpentry, but such is life).

 

[sandwarrior]

I actually did shoot a deer with a 75Vmax once, it worked great. Actually busted both shoulders, .257 75 grain vmax @3300fps.

If you’re curious for more info I discussed it in detail here.

That was a great article!

 

[coldboremiracle]

That was a great article!

Thanks, Im glad you enjoyed it.

 

[RPN]

Thanks for the info, ZG47A. I’ve been looking, but having a hard time finding the 80 soft points, but I’ll keep at it.

Sandwarrior, have you used the VMAX on deer?

Hi Folks

First post, but at long last something I can reply to with some knowledge.

I built a 6XC on a Tikka for combined deer/varmints, and shot several dozen Red and Sika deer with 87 grain V Max projectiles. Closest was 15 yards, furthest 460 yards. All died. Other than close in neck shots I usually shot behind the shoulder for the lungs, and the damage was awesome. I did shoot a large red hind at 350ish through the shoulder, and the bullet went through bone, through a rib and destroyed the contents of the chest.

If I go back to a 6mm I'll be loading these again.

 

[sandwarrior]

Hi Folks

First post, but at long last something I can reply to with some knowledge.

I built a 6XC on a Tikka for combined deer/varmints, and shot several dozen Red and Sika deer with 87 grain V Max projectiles. Closest was 15 yards, furthest 460 yards. All died. Other than close in neck shots I usually shot behind the shoulder for the lungs, and the damage was awesome. I did shoot a large red hind at 350ish through the shoulder, and the bullet went through bone, through a rib and destroyed the contents of the chest.

If I go back to a 6mm I'll be loading these again.

It's funny with these bullets. I was using them at Raton and hitting the Buffalo with them out of my 6.-284. Good altitude there, but still a great ballistic bullet, too.