German Mauser K98 Rifle (Kar98k)

Ladies and gents, it's time to sell one of my rifles to fund another purchase for my firearms addiction. This one just so happens to be the very first firearm that I every purchased. It's the first one I've ever owned for that matter. This is the gun that started it all for me, the truly awesome German Mauser K98 rifle (Kar98k).

I've loved the Mauser K98 rifle ever since I was a kid. My grandfather was a captain in the U.S. Army, in Europe during WWII. Among other actions, he was served as the lookout for an m18 Hellcat tank destroyer. The Hellcat took a direct hit from a German panzer, which sent him flying out of the open turret and over a wall. He ended up with a broken leg, but that was about it. He stayed in Europe until 1946 and then came back home with a bag full of goodies.



As a kid, my family would go to Ohio to visit my grandparents. At some point in our visit we'd ask my dad if we could go up to the attic and see our grandpa's war souvenirs. Some of the items were there because my dad got them by trading some of the stuff his dad brought back from WWII for the stuff that the neighborhood kid's fathers brought back. So, he ended up with the following items: a Japanese fighter pilot's cap and goggles. A Japanese officer's steel helmet, a Luger pistol, a fallschirmjager helmet, a NSDAP part flag, and a J.G. Anschutz 4mm training rifle that was built to instruct the German youth in the art of war. I loved that rifle. It was a faithful, smaller facsimile of the Mauser K98 rifle. It had the look and feel of the K98. I loved the bolt action. There was something so cool about it, with all the history behind it. I'd always look forward to our time in the attic with that rifle.

Well, about 15-20 years later, still enamored with the K98 (and pretty much all German weapons from WWII) I purchased my first firearm, the Mauser K98. I looked for a good quality Mauser K98 for quite some time before I decided to purchase this one. The rifle is in very good condition and has been well taken care of over the years. The laminate wood stock is also in very good condition, with some scratches and wear (this rifle did see combat). The gun bluing is very good. The top of the receiver is marked with a maker's code, date, and proof marking. However, I unfortunately forgot to make note of this information before I had the scope mounted and it now covers these markings. I was told that this particular rifle came from one of the factories known for its excellent workmanship and was favored for use as a sniper's rifle. That being the reason I bought it.




I wanted more than a conversation piece though. I wanted a rifle that could actually be fired, and one that was accurate. It turned out to be a great shooter, with a very good bore and I sighted in at 100 yards with a BSA scope. Before the scope was added I just shot it using the iron sights, which I actually prefer. It has a good bit of recoil, but that just took some getting used to. The rifle is just so much fun, and one of my all time favorites. But alas, as I don't have the chance to do much distance shooting, which the rifle was designed for, I've decided to sell it to purchase another firearm. Maybe I'll get another one in the future, and I'll stick with the iron sights. I've really enjoyed owning and firing this weapon over the years and I recommend it to anyone looking to own a piece of history that's also lots of fun to use.