Yugoslavian Post WWII Refurb G98M 8mm Mauser Bolt Action Rifle C&R
SOLD FOR: $870.93
WOA#: WY240122TK003
Make: Originally German made, refurbished post-war by Yugoslavia at Factory 44 (Current day Zastava)
Model: Gewehr 98M
Serial Number: S03621
Year of Manufacture: Immediately post-WWII
Caliber: 8mm Mauser (7.92x57mm)
Action Type: Bolt action, internal 5 round magazine
Markings: The left side of the receiver is marked ‘Factory 44’ in Cyrillic, and “M 98”. The top of the receiver is marked with the post-war Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia crest. The right side of the receiver is marked “S03621”. The top of the barrel shank is marked with small proof marks. The top of the bolt stop is marked “02”. The top of the bolt handle is marked “S”, “03261”. The underside of the bolt handle is marked “879”. The right side of the rear sight base is marked “S/42G” and with three proof marks. The bottom of the magazine floor plate is marked “03621”. The left side of the nose cap is marked with a crossed out “5184”. The right side is marked with a small “280” waffenamt. The right side of the barrel is marked with a PW Arms import mark. The top of the wrist is marked “2”. The left side of the buttstock is marked “03621”. The right side is marked with a faint German eagle stamp over “H”. There are small Yugoslavian proof and acceptance marks throughout the wood and metal surfaces.
Barrel Length: 29”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade dovetailed into a ramped base. The rear sight is a v-notch blade attached to a sliding escalator assembly.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The wood stock has a semi-pistol grip, scallop for a turned down bolt handle, nose cap with bayonet lug, hole for the included cleaning rod, barrel band with sling loop, through bolt, sling loop, sling well, sling pass through, bolt disassembly disk, and a metal buttplate. The buttplate has large areas of oxidation throughout. There are compression marks, scuffs, and scratches throughout the wood. There is a small chip missing out of the bottom of the forend. There is discoloration in the bolt handle scallop and sling well. The LOP measures 13” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Good overall condition as arsenal refurbished.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original to factory refurbishment
Bore Condition: The bore is dark and the rifling is shallow. There is heavy erosion in the bore.
In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates 3 out of 10.
Many military and C&R eligible weapons have bores that will show erosion. This is not only due to age but to the fact that corrosive primers were commonly used in ammunition worldwide. For example, the U.S. used corrosive ammunition throughout WWII. The U.S. military did not begin to phase out corrosive-primed ammunition until the 1950s.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 75% of its metal finish as refurbished. There are scratches and scuffs throughout the metal surfaces. The finish is thinning on the receiver. There is a drag line on top of the receiver bridge. The finish is worn on the bottom of the trigger guard and there are small spots of surface rust present. There is wear to the finish on the edges of the nose cap. The screw heads show moderate use. The markings are mostly crisp, though some of the small German marks are worn from the refinish. Overall, this rifle rates in about Good condition as arsenal refurbished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None
Our Assessment: Following the end of the Second World War, Yugoslavia was desperate to arm its military. As a stop-gap before they could begin full-scale production on domestic rifles, it was decided to take the large number of rifles left behind by the Germans and refurbish them. The rifles were (mostly) scrubbed of any signs of their previous service and the new Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia crest was added to the top of the receiver. These rifles did not see much use and were quickly supplanted by domestically built Mauser rifles.
This rifle is a Yugoslavian refurbishment of an originally German Gewehr 98M. The rifle was updated in the late 1930s, hence the “S/42G mark on the side of the newer rear sight. This is rather uncommon as most of the German rifles that went through the Yugoslavian refurbishment process were K98ks. There are a mix of Weimar marks and waffenamts throughout, which adds to the intrigue of the rifle. The bore is in poor shape with a lot of erosion. The action has a lot of cosmoline which should be cleaned out before any sort of use. The multitude of markings from different eras of German history make it an interesting piece of history that would fit into any Mauser, Yugoslavian, or even German collection. Please see our photos.
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