Where its been

[blue3golf]

For our anniversary my wife surprised me with a Mauser Gewehr 98 that was produced in 1918. Is there any way to track the history of this particular rifle by serial number or any other means?

[kiwi_2005]

What a kool wife! :rock:

[Yahoshua]

I used to have the address of a database that could trace the manufacturing of German Mausers to where the steel action/barrel was forged (or hammered, this part of the process was mostly based in Austria) to where it was fully assembled (mine was completed in Lubeck, Germany where a wood fashioning company was based. Btw, mine is a 1939 K-98 code 237 made by Mauserwerke). But I lost it.

So go to the website lionk I provided below (be sure to introduce yourself in the newbie section).

And PLEASE remember: PHOTOS!!! We need to see PHOTOS. Make sure the lighting is good, get the serial number, Manufacturer markings, date the steel was laid, and the firearm as a whole (use masuring tape to give us an idea of the dimensions, be sure to photograph both sides). Either Admin or Marswolf or somebody there will be able to pull up the Mauserwerke engine.

http://www.hk94.com/hk/index.php?&

Congrats on your anniversary, your rifle, and I'll turn your face into a crater if I even suspect that you're being a jackass by doing something unsafe (like forgetting to unload a bolt action before trying to clean it).

Other than that, be safe, and have fun.

[blue3golf]

Thanks for the info Yahoshua, I'll be posting something there shortly.

[August]

Thanks for the info Yahoshua, I'll be posting something there shortly.

You might consider bench testing the rifle before you put it to your shoulder and fire it. After all it's nearly 100 years old and could very easily blow up in your face.

A Gunsmith should be able to do this for you as well as check it over for servicability.

[blue3golf]

My buddy used to be a gunsmith and he's got his own rest along with anything else you could ever want for firearms. I'm gonna take it to his place and we're gonna shoot it there and give it the old once over.

[Yahoshua]

Just be ABSOLUTELY sure what type of ammunition you purchase. (This is your first Mauser right?).

There are multiple variations in the names for the G-98 Ammunition: 7.92x57mm, 8x57, 8mm.

The rounds listed above are all the same and are safe for use in the G-98/K-98 centerfire rifles, but there are training rounds that have a J, JS, or an R on the end of the designation, these rounds are for training purposes and rimfire only. I don't wanna read about you on the Darwin Awards page.