This German Karabiner 98k is chambered in 8mm Mauser and carries serial 276xxa. The receiver is marked byf over 43, the wartime code and date of Mauser-Werke at Oberndorf am Neckar. The rifle is matching throughout apart from the bolt assembly and the second barrel band, and the bolt is matching to itself. The Waffenamt inspection stamps and the other German acceptance markings are intact throughout the rifle and have not been ground or defaced, and the rifle carries no import marks. It retains the majority of its original bluing. The stock is solid with no cracks and only minimal dings and gouges, no small parts are missing, and both the cleaning rod and the front sight hood are present. The bore is mirror bright with sharp rifling. The consignor states that the rifle was brought back from the war by their grandfather.
The Karabiner 98k was adopted on 21 June 1935 as the standard service rifle of the German Wehrmacht, derived from the Mauser Standardmodell of 1924 and the Karabiner 98b. It is a controlled feed bolt action built on the Mauser M98 system, chambered for the 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge, with an internal magazine that takes five rounds from a stripper clip or singly, the empty clip being thrown clear as the bolt closes. The sights are a barleycorn front post and a tangent leaf rear graduated from 100 to 2,000 metres, and from 1939 the front post was hooded to cut glare and protect the post. Each rifle was issued with a short section of cleaning rod carried through the bayonet stud, three of which joined together to make one full length rod. Production ran from 1934 to 1945 and totalled more than 14.6 million rifles. From 1937 German makers stamped a letter code on their work in place of the company name, and byf belonged to Mauser-Werke at Oberndorf am Neckar, the original Mauser factory.
Specifications
Manufacturer: Mauser-Werke, Oberndorf am Neckar (code byf)
Country of origin: Germany
Model: Karabiner 98k
Action: Bolt action, Mauser M98 system
Caliber: 8mm Mauser (7.92×57)
Year: 1943
Serial: 276xxa
Receiver marking: byf over 43
Matching: Matching throughout except the bolt assembly and the second barrel band; bolt matching to itself
Markings: Waffenamt inspection stamps and German acceptance markings intact, not ground or defaced
Import marks: None
Finish: Retains the majority of its original bluing
Stock: Solid, no cracks, minimal dings and gouges
Bore: Mirror bright with sharp rifling
Sights: Hooded front post, tangent leaf rear; sight hood present
Magazine: Internal five round, stripper clip fed
Completeness: No small parts missing
Included: Cleaning rod
Provenance: The consignor states the rifle was brought back from the war by their grandfather, not independently documented
