About 30 years ago a friend of mine (ran a bookstore) called and said there was a German sailor in his shop who wanted to sell a rifle he had brought into the country. My friend didn't want it so I rode down there to check it out. It turned out to be a sporterized Mauser (probably a 98K). The weapon was in excellent condition with the exception of the stock which had a 9 inch crack right down the center bottom. The rifle was scoped with an old well worn scope but the scope was exceptionally clear. I gave the guy $100 on the spot and believe me, a $100 to me at that time was a lot of money. In any case, I took the rifle to a local gunsmith. I didn't really want to alter the rifle but the stock was useless as it was so I asked him to repair it and glass bed it. About three weeks went by and not hearing about the rifle, I called the shop and was told gunsmith had drowned the week before. I picked up the rifle and he had done a good job but there were several screws for the stock we couldn't locate. I took it home, put it in my safe and forgot about it. About two months ago, my youngest Grandson found it and asked about it. I sent it to another gunshop, had the chamber cast and the barrel cleaned up. It is a standard 8mm and the only marks on it are the serial# 37528 and the words waffen-honold-ulm. Any way to find the age with just that. The scope is Dr. Walter Gerard,Charlottenburg and has the Letter K with D R G M under it. Any ideas about this rifle? Age, worth or origin. Going to try to post a couple of pictures. Oh, the military safety is disconnected and a push lever safety has been installed.
Unknown Mauser Sporter
- Thread starter Doucme2
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Couple of more pictures.......One other thing, the scope rear feet were bubba'ed (probably by the German) so that it would sit straight on the rifle. I assume he didn't know the horizontal adjustment is in the scope mount. Anyone know where this can be repaired. Right now, a sharp rap on the stock and the rear of the scope disengages.
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A nice looking sporting rifle . Quality of the work appears very good, and the features such as the set triggers and the butt stock cartridge storage speak to attention given to this rifle when built.
Claw mounts
rings are found from time to time on auctions such as Ebay and Gunbroker. A good smith should also be able to tig weld the old mounting system and re-cut/fit it to make it solid again.
The gun has character - I like it !
Claw mounts
rings are found from time to time on auctions such as Ebay and Gunbroker. A good smith should also be able to tig weld the old mounting system and re-cut/fit it to make it solid again.
The gun has character - I like it !
Float Pilot
Member
Your rifle (or weapon "Waffen") was built by Georg Honold in Ulm, Germany. I have seen a few others made by him using M98 actions. All had double set triggers. I think they are down-right sexy.
I have also seen a couple drilling style rifles with his name on them. They also have that particular type of ammo storage in the butt.
I have also seen a couple drilling style rifles with his name on them. They also have that particular type of ammo storage in the butt.
A lot of German and Austrian gunsmiths kept busy between the wars building sporting rifles from military 98s. Some are unmarked as to who built them while others are named (like yours). This looks like a very high quality rifle built in a fairly standard pattern (set triggers and spoon bolt handle). The claw scope mounts suck.
I have one I bagged about 2 years ago at a show for $400. Not as nice as yours, I still like it.
I have one I bagged about 2 years ago at a show for $400. Not as nice as yours, I still like it.
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- Jan 28, 2003
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Your rifle is a true master piece of fine German gun Smithing. Let me just tell you this it isn't going to put your kids through college or anything like that but it's a rare and well done piece.
The Safety on the side is called a Greener style. Your scope mounts are claw mounts DO NOT ever lose those rings. They are custom fit to your bases and having just tried to have set custom built for an old 7x57 I picked up I can tell you that few smiths can do it and those who can want upwards of a $1,000 bucks to do so.
The full length rib that runs down the barrel is a very well executed and the cartridge trap in the stock is world class.
Just taking a SWAG your rifle is probably worth somewhere north of $1,000. As a side note to replicate that rifle today would cost you in the neighborhood of $5,000. That was a seriously full tilt custom in it's day.
The Safety on the side is called a Greener style. Your scope mounts are claw mounts DO NOT ever lose those rings. They are custom fit to your bases and having just tried to have set custom built for an old 7x57 I picked up I can tell you that few smiths can do it and those who can want upwards of a $1,000 bucks to do so.
The full length rib that runs down the barrel is a very well executed and the cartridge trap in the stock is world class.
Just taking a SWAG your rifle is probably worth somewhere north of $1,000. As a side note to replicate that rifle today would cost you in the neighborhood of $5,000. That was a seriously full tilt custom in it's day.
paintballdude902
Member
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- Jun 30, 2007
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- 2,872
ill give u 200 for it...
looks great
looks great
Thanks a lot for the information. I knew it was a very nice piece but I never figured it was very valuable and if it is worth a grand, I'm perfectly satisfied. I'm going to have a jewler replace the brass piece which surrounds the safety, that is one of the parts which was lost. The piece which is in it now is a piece I made for the jewler to copy. Think I'll take the rifle out and put a few rounds through it. As for having the claw mounts repaired, it would be nice but the rings are actually mounted to the scope and I don't see anyway to remove them. Guess it going to remain scopeless. It's going back to the rear of the safe again and in a few years it'll be my son's problem. Thanks again.
vaupet
Member
@ teirst
that is a typical german trigger setup, from an era where heavy triggers where the norm.
Its comparable to double/single action: with game in your sight, you pull the second trigger thus setting the first, merely touching the first will release the shot. in German it is called 'Deutche Stecher'
Most CZ firearms have a similar feature in wich you push the trigger forward in otrder to set it. trigger release would be something between 250 and 500 grams.
that is a typical german trigger setup, from an era where heavy triggers where the norm.
Its comparable to double/single action: with game in your sight, you pull the second trigger thus setting the first, merely touching the first will release the shot. in German it is called 'Deutche Stecher'
Most CZ firearms have a similar feature in wich you push the trigger forward in otrder to set it. trigger release would be something between 250 and 500 grams.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
New England Custom Gun sells claw mounts and rings, and can probably fit them to your rifle.
http://www.newenglandcustomgun.com/
rc
http://www.newenglandcustomgun.com/
rc
That is a beautiful rifle. I picked up a similar rifle in a similar manner last year. Tracking down the history is a lot of fun. One if the gentlemen in this forum led me to the German Firearms association which proved very informative. Good luck with it.
Float Pilot
Member
Wow another old thread back from the grave...
dirtyjim
Member
i know four or five smiths who can refit the feet to the rear mount & only one of those doesn't have a 2+ year waiting list right now.
if its only the feet on the scope ring that were damaged i'd estimate around $400 for them to tig the feet then refit them to the base. if the base was also modifed you'll be looking at fitting a new rear base as well.
i'd unscrew the rear base just to make sure the the latch was not messed with if your planning on having the rear ring refitted.
necg uses recknagel bases and rings and usually doesn't have them in stock.
you can't just buy a used ring from ebay or gunbroker and expect it to work.
the front ring, front base and rear base are pretty much standard, its the rear ring that is cut to hight and fitted to that specific rifle when the claw mounts were installed and thats why they do not interchange.
your best option and slightly cheaper would be to use a eaw claw to pivot conversion.
the way it works is your front dovetail base is swapped for a eaw pivot dovetail base base. a eaw rear mount #3114/6040 is soldered or epoxied to the rear claw mount then a set of eaw lever release pivot rings are installed on the rifle.
a couple hours worth of work and a couple hundred in parts
if its only the feet on the scope ring that were damaged i'd estimate around $400 for them to tig the feet then refit them to the base. if the base was also modifed you'll be looking at fitting a new rear base as well.
i'd unscrew the rear base just to make sure the the latch was not messed with if your planning on having the rear ring refitted.
necg uses recknagel bases and rings and usually doesn't have them in stock.
you can't just buy a used ring from ebay or gunbroker and expect it to work.
the front ring, front base and rear base are pretty much standard, its the rear ring that is cut to hight and fitted to that specific rifle when the claw mounts were installed and thats why they do not interchange.
your best option and slightly cheaper would be to use a eaw claw to pivot conversion.
the way it works is your front dovetail base is swapped for a eaw pivot dovetail base base. a eaw rear mount #3114/6040 is soldered or epoxied to the rear claw mount then a set of eaw lever release pivot rings are installed on the rifle.
a couple hours worth of work and a couple hundred in parts
jimmyraythomason
Member
Here is a typical Waffen-Honold at auction, http://store.samsguns.com/WAFFEN-HONOLD-ULM-MAUSER-98-SPORTER-8X57MM-USED-A7007-10.htm
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