Having bought some time ago a k98 stock to copy for airsoft rifles, I picked up another "short" one quite cheap, thinking it was just chopped down, maybe, since the war. But on closer inspection it might be original!
Having been told it was a fallschirm carbine, which I didn't really believe, but since found out that there was a gerbrigs version carbine made. This being of Czech origin from their version of the k98.
I think I need a bit more research yet, but it does look original, definitely no "amateur " cuts and alterations. Found a pic of original rifles.
Whats the total length? One of the variants of the pre-war Polish Radom mausers was a slightly shorter version
"We are too weak to defend, therefore we must attack" Marshal Pilsudski
Pic - middle one, wz 29
"We are too weak to defend, therefore we must attack" Marshal Pilsudski
Total length of stock is 82.5cm, or 32 and a half inch in real money, the Czech version was born from the vz33 when the Germans moved in the short version was redesignated g33/40 it was apparently for gerbirgstruppen and might have had an extra steel plate on the stock, but they were also issued to the falschirmjager as well. My stock has no screw holes for extra plate .....so who knows? Could be Czech, could be Polish or even from somewhere else, I think it will end up as an airsoft " mountain carbine" though.
Just read, it's 100mm (4 inch) shorter rifle than the standard k98.
Interesting stock sort of (the history of it) - looked "duffle cut" to me on the front end at first glance as there doesn't look a small enough step to put the bayonet lug on. Either that or someone has altered it years gone to make it into a hunting rifle as there's no front band retaining spring recess either. Strange as it looks somewhere between a VZ variant and a Portuguese contract rifle. The stamps inside should give a region/locale best guess as they look to be cryllics? Also 2 sling mounts on the butt stock - one vertical (like the VZ / contracts tended to use) and normal K98 keeper style, in addition under the cut end at the front of the stock without looking closely that looks to have been added post war (fits a variety of slings as opposed to just the K98). Also the recess for the bolt handle and receiver area has been made larger (thinned side walls) which would indicate it's had a different receiver inside it at some point along it's life.
My take from whats there: Russian capture K98 thats been cut down and altered post war for use as a hunting rifle.
Definitely not an FJ model rifle - there were several folding stock prototypes with the G33 as a base but none that looked like that.
I had read about the " breakdown model" for the falschirm before, that's why I didn't take any notice when mentioned to me about it being a Luftwaffe k98, I didn't know about the mountain model, there's some good pic's on zib militaria, if you look under WH mountain hunters k98. That what I'll copy I think.
I know it's had some post war work done on it, but it's been done professionally, no bodge job anywhere. So for sling mounts and charge handle relief work is no real surprise, but the barrel lay section looks untouched from the code numbers all along, it is wider than the other stock I have, so its possible it has been reworked and re-numbered, it just don't look like it! I'll try and get the code numbers clearer, if it had been done privately, after the war, why re- number? Who would care? Only document crazy government organisations!
A few more pic's, one showing the number a bit clearer, this stock takes k98 breach for sure....have tried one in it. Another pic of the front shows an indentation, so I don't think that's been cut off, as that's where the stock duplicator clamps on the block when being shaped from a blank.
Andy
I don't reckon the rear end has been cut down either, just too neat and finished off can't see anybody taking that sort of care, when it's going to be covered by a stock plate after chop down, I've seen some Russian alterations on wartime objects, especially motorcycles and their re- finishing skills are very basic, " proper job" is not in their vocabulary.
