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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Kar98 az


Hanniballector

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No regimental marks on either the scabbard or hilt. I know in England this is sometimes due too it being volunteer issued gear but what was the reson/s with Prussian/ German stuff ?

Respectfully

Nick

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My first post. :thumbsup: You have a very nice rifle, congratulations. The bayonet is also a good one. Not an ersatz bayonet, it is an Sg84/98, Type II and made by a scarce manufacturer. The scabbard, however, is incorrect, probably a post WW1 scabbard - possibly Czech or Yugoslavian - for a bayonet with a similar sized blade placed with this bayonet by a modern day collector. It is doubtful that the bayonet and Kar98a were issued together, but the Sg84/98 bayonets were a popular bayonet for issue with the shorter rifle, they made a good combination in the confines of the trench.

In wartime German service, weapons were rarely unit marked so it is quite normal for your bayonet not to be marked to a unit of issue. Reason? Primarily time and "security" may have been an issue as well. Modern thought says, with some justification, that unit location on a front was to be kept quiet so that opposition forces would not be aware of the troops they were up against. But then, German uniforms usually had epaulettes with the unit designation on them and the soldier was required to carry his soldbuch with his identification and unit assigned to at all times, even his dog tags had his assigned unit stamped on it, so I like to think that it was a time consideration, the unit armorer had more important things to take care of like maintaining weapons in safe working condition.

Hope the above was useful information, others will have their thoughts as well.

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Thank you Gew88/05

very insightful and interesting. I was kind of aware a bit about the identification thing as sometime ago I posted a regimentaly marked 1906 gew 98 and learned that both sides fazed it out due to it giving away enemy whereabouts and units ect.It doesn't suprise me what you've told me about the scabbard it being sold by a supplyer that you have to watch out for from time to time lol ! Yes it's done quite well for a hundred and two years old carbine only one part not matched sadly, even the screws have matching numbers but still as you've said a great and historic looking rifle !

Thank you

Nick

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In 'Sniping in France', Hesketh Prichard stated that, later in the war when everyone had become very sniper aware and universally used periscopes, they resulted to psychological warfare effectively blinding the enemy by smashing the upper mirrors - the reason for the proliferation of prismatic stick periscopes in the later years. They made an exception to one particularly large German type because, looking into the upper mirror with a telescope, you could discern the unit markings on the shoulder boards of your opponent thus avoiding the alternative nocturnal trench raid! RC

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Having trouble with the maker of the bayonet is it RICH.A.HERDER, SOLINGEN and Eisengiesserei und Schlossfabrik AG, Velbert

YEAR OF PRODUCTION 1916 ?

Look forward to your thoughts

Nick

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Here is a pic of my K98a Erfurt 1916 plus some photos of the K98a in the field.

post-71339-0-57397100-1417289870_thumb.j

post-71339-0-76431900-1417289881_thumb.j

post-71339-0-18459300-1417289919_thumb.j

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Very nice ! is it a matching number example ? It doesn't have the grasping grooves or hole for bolt disassembly, thought after 1915 these features where added to all manafactured Model 98AZ carbines ?

Is the wood work matched to the rest of the gun ?

Regards

Nick

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Can I play?

post-14525-0-37537600-1417297997_thumb.j

1910

post-14525-0-71982400-1417297997_thumb.j

1917 Erfurt (with double date Weimar 1920) stamp

Edited by 4thGordons
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Very impressive !

I seem to remember you being a lee Enfield collector / expert, nice to see you have a taste for the opposition as well !

More pics and detail if you would . They both look to be in very good condition as well, please tell me more !

Edited by Hanniballector
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Very nice ! is it a matching number example ? It doesn't have the grasping grooves or hole for bolt disassembly, thought after 1915 these features where added to all manafactured Model 98AZ carbines ?

Is the wood work matched to the rest of the gun ?

Regards

Nick

It has all matching serial numbers including the stock. The bore is excellent - I have shot it on occasion. Here is a discussion on the nomenclature of Kar98a vs Kar98az on one of the top collector web sites. http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=595048. One theory is that it was originally the "az" then later changed to "a" as subsequent models were produced and to distinguish it from the Polish K98az. I'm still trying to figure out was it should be called.

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Ok cool cheers, have you read Robert w.d Ball, Mauser military rifles of the world fith edition ? It's quite a extensive source And well worth a look if you already haven't !

Regards

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Here are some pics of the details:

post-71339-0-89758600-1417301101_thumb.j

post-71339-0-32505000-1417301147_thumb.j

post-71339-0-73078100-1417301167_thumb.j

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[PDF]The Kar. 98a Carbine

www.ycgg.org/pdfpages/ww1/kar98a.pdf

The Kar. 98a Carbine. History. The original Kar.98 was adopted in June of 1902 and was produced starting in 1903. With the adoption of the new 8mm.

If you already haven't looked at this site then there's some good info on it

Edited by Hanniballector
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More pics:

post-71339-0-35609500-1417301367_thumb.j

post-71339-0-82220300-1417301395_thumb.j


Last of them:

post-71339-0-13551400-1417301498_thumb.j

post-71339-0-35119400-1417301530_thumb.j

post-71339-0-99196200-1417301551_thumb.j


I downloaded the pdf file - thanks!

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It's a dam shame mine ain't got them all ( matching numbers ) that last pic showing the lug and band is saddly where mine is different, stamped 55 the rest is 75 , oh well lol.

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Ok cool cheers, have you read Robert w.d Ball, Mauser military rifles of the world fith edition ? It's quite a extensive source And well worth a look if you already haven't !

Regards

Next time I'm at a gun show I will look at this book. Do you know if it has any information on the G29o ?

It's a dam shame mine ain't got them all ( matching numbers ) that last pic showing the lug and band is saddly where mine is different, stamped 55 the rest is 75 , oh well lol.

I find it incredible that they numbered almost every thing, sometimes even the tiny set screws.

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Steyr G29/40 short rifle ? If so page 225/ 226 you can get the book off amazon.Its got every model from 1871-1945 from every country !

Yeah that kar98 az I've bought has the screws numbered same as yours , incredible really !CB98EBE6-550D-4EAE-88AC-F4917E1C286E_zps

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Having trouble with the maker of the bayonet is it RICH.A.HERDER, SOLINGEN and Eisengiesserei und Schlossfabrik AG, Velbert

YEAR OF PRODUCTION 1916 ?

Look forward to your thoughts

Nick

Very nice bayonet and indeed unusual maker-marks. :w00t: I have one with the same maker-marks, but mine is W/1918! Don't have any books to hand but IIRC, the earliest example Carter recorded of this combined mark was 1917. If you can get hold of Carter German Bayonets vol II then check in there.

The scabbard might be German, but the frog stud is certainly not, and no, :( I can't remember who used that type of marking...

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