Slow day today so I thought I'd pull one of my more interesting milsurps out of the safe and post it up. This was Mauser's export version of the M98. It is a bit lighter than the issue GEW98, lacks the Lange Vizier coaster sights and uses a different bayonet. Modest numbers were sold to various Asian and South American countries. Examples are occasionally seen in the surplus market...usually in very poor condition. What makes this one unusual is that it was actually issued to German army troops in WW1 (see proof/ acceptance marks) and almost certainly saw combat. It was one of 12,000 rifles made in a 6.8mm caliber for a Chinese contract that were ready to ship but were embargoed by the German government soon as war broke out in 1914. The Germans rebored them for their standard 8mm round and issued them to reserve troops in 1915. Compared to the millions of GEW98 rifles made during the course of the war they are extremely scarce. The rifle is all matching except for the cleaning rod and the magazine follower and floorplate which apparently came from GEW98 rifles to match the dimensions of the German cartridge. Another interesting modification is a pin installed to limit the slider on the sight to 400 meters (not 200) to match the GEW98 sights. The rifle has been counterbored at the muzzle but no depot repair marks show on the buttplate. Some dummy put an inventory plate right over the stock serial number years ago but the numbers showing match the receiver. If anybody has a proper bayonet for one of these and is willing to sell please let me know! Enjoy.
