German World War II sniper rifles: interest in Nazi small arms and accessories continues to grow unabated, but Kokalis says buyer beware when selecting a German sniper rifle.
Interest in the small arms and militaria of the World War II era,
especially those of Germany, has somewhat surprisingly never peaked and
subsequently waned. It continues to increase at a steady, ever
increasing upward pace.
In several specific areas this has proven to be both good and bad.
There are more Waffen SS helmets in the United States than there were
ever heads to put them during the war. And it has often been said by
advanced collectors that there are more German sniper rifles in this
country than were ever fielded by the Wehrmacht.
When it comes to detecting fake Waffen SS helmets and decals, a
portable x-ray-based technology for archaeometry and authentication has
recently been developed. And, although its primary use has been in
antique and art authentication--essentially in identifying synthetic and
artificial materials from the genuine old ones, it appears to hold great
promise for helmet authentication. No comparable process is yet
available for detecting counterfeit German sniper rigs. So, at present,
we must rely on subtler, less positive detection methods, some of which
we shall touch upon.
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Any discussion of World War H German sniper rifles is essentially,
but certainly not completely, an analysis of the truly confusing array
of mounts used to attach telescopic sights to the ubiquitous K98k
bolt-action rifle. For background, we must very briefly go back to World
War I and the Mauser-designed Gewehr 98 rifle.
At the beginning of World War I, Germany didn't have a
military sniper rifle with an optical sight. After the last months of
1914, the Western Front stabilized and for the next four years the war
was fought by two more or less static lines of men hidden in trenches,
by means of artillery, machine guns, rifles, gas flamethrowers and
finally, primitive tanks.
It was only a matter of time before someone, probably an officer of
the Imperial German army, came up with the idea of using his personal
scoped hunting rifle more accurately to target the enemy in an opposing
trench. This proved to be so successful that soon afterwards, the German
military authorities ordered the development of a true military sniper
rifle based upon the Gewehr 98 fitted with a scope and mount.
The first German dedicated sniper rifle was made by the state-owned
Gewehrfabrik Danzig. It was a selected Karabiner 98AZ with a civilian
scope made by Goerz; these reached the front in the spring of 1915. The
German military attempted to obtain civilian scoped hunting rifles, but
that effort was not successful and they instead substituted Gew98 rifles
and a large variety of scopes as quickly as possible.
Although the exact number of Gew98 scoped rifles issued during
World War I is not known, it's estimated that each infantry company
had about 12 scoped rifles by the end of the war.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
During the Reichswehr era, from 1919 to 1933, the German military,
the limits of which were closely defined by the Versailles Treaty, had
little interest in scoped rifles, as they were considered to be strictly
artifacts of trench warfare. It was thought any future war would be
highly mobile and dominated by armor units and tank battles.
The K98b sniper rifle developed during this period, and equipped
with a 4X Zeiss-Zielvier scope, was manufactured in very limited numbers
and never actually issued to troops. This lack of interest culminated on
17 November 1934 when the chief of the army instructed that "...
all scoped rifles which are still in the inventory of the infantry must
be returned to the arsenals before 15 December 1934."
In July of 1935, it was ordered that all GewW98 scoped rifles
"will be sold, because there is no future use for this
material." The German army's experience in World War II was to
change all of that, but not before it was almost too late.
German Sniper Rifles of World War II
Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, introducing a new
concept of war: Blitzkrieg. The highly mobile nature of the armored
units comprising the successful and quite short (only six weeks)
Blitzkrieg campaign in Western Europe reinforced the view that the
sniper rifle was obsolete.
Thus, when Hitler initiated Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941
and invaded the Soviet Union with more than 3.9 million Axis troops, the
sniper rifle held no significance to the German military. However, the
Red Army had previously fought a long and horrendous civil war with the
White Army in which sniping had a high priority on both sides. As a
consequence, while the Red Army was not ready for the Axis invasion, its
snipers were.
Soviet snipers, both men and women, fought as two-member teams--a
sniper and an observer--under the control of the company commander. The
standard Soviet sniper rifle throughout the Great Patriotic War was the
Mosin-Nagant M1891/30 bolt-action rifle (the semiautomatic Tokarev SVT40
proved to be a dismal failure as an sniper weapon) with either the 4X PE
or 3.5X PU scopes.
During the first phase of the war, Soviet snipers played an
important role, often operating behind German lines and targeting NCOs,
officers, wireless operators, motorcycle drivers, forward observers and
both machine gun and artillery crews. The German army learned a bitter
lesson, as at least three German generals, a Waffen SS
Obersturmbannfuhrer and Waffen SS Standartenfuhrer e were killed in
action by Soviet snipers.
From late 1941 to early 1942, the Wehrmacht's spotlight
finally turned on countersnipers and their rifles, and as special
sniping equipment was not yet available, German snipers appeared on the
battlefield once again armed with a hodgepodge of weapons ranging from a
very few World-War-I-era scoped Gew98s to a substantial number of
captured scoped Mosin-Nagant M1891/30 rifles.
The latter, and its incendiary ammunition, proved to be 7 quite
popular with German snipers (or "sharpshooters"
[scharfschiitzen] as they were called). After the catastrophic defeat at
Stalingrad in early 1943, the German army set 5 up a sniper-training
program at a substantial number of locations, both in Germany and
occupied territory.
The standard course lasted from six to eight weeks. However, not
all German snipers were trained at these schools. By the end of the war
approximately 125,000 German sniper rifles with 4X scopes had been
manufactured; about 70,000 K98k systems and circa 55,000 G/ K43
semiautomatic rifles with the Zf4 scope.
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K98k Sniper Rifles: K98k-Zf41
The original intention of what was to become the disappointing
K98k-Zf41 combination was to have a telescopic sight rifle in each
infantry squad during close combat, so that those riflemen could engage
small targets such as firing ports in pillboxes or armored fighting
vehicles, individual machine gunners and other short-range targets that
did not require the deployment of a trained sniper. It was universally
ridiculed and actually despised by troops in the field.
The Zf41 was, and remains, unique among military telescopic sights.
The Zielfernrohr 1941 was the first optical sight adopted by the
Wehrmacht during World War II. It was developed by Optische Industrie
Emil Busch in Rathe-now upon request of the army, which wanted an
inexpensive, easy-to-manufacture and easy-to-mount telescopic sight.
It met all those requirements, but unfortunately at the expense of
far more important parameters. It consists of a small tube of sheet
metal with a length of only 13 centimeters and a magnification of only
1.5X. Its other salient characteristic is its extremely long eye relief
It was attached to the left side of the K98k rear sight and is
positioned over the bore's axis. It's easy to remove and does
not interfere with loading the rifle. With the Zf41, the K98k is simply
not a proper sniper rifle. In addition to completely inadequate
magnification, its field of view of only 7 meters and its twilight
performance are totally unacceptable for the sniping role.
Furthermore, only a trained armorer with special tools and
knowledge can adjust it. Despite this, it remained in both production
and service until the end of the war. It has been estimated that between
1940 and 1945 more than a dozen optical firms in Germany, Austria,
France and Czechoslovakia made about 100,000. The scope and mount were
carried on the soldier's belt in a metal container (Behalter).
My personal specimen is attached to a K98k with all matching serial
numbers and with the receiver marked "byf 44", indicating
manufacture by Mauser Werke Oberndorf in 1944. Its Zf41 scope is marked
with the manufacturer's code "dow", indicating
manufacture by Opticoteshna GmbH, Prerau/Prt, Czechoslovakia, and
"ZF 40" (with the "40" lined through) and
"41/1" with "+" to indicate cold weather use.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
An important note is that the mount is marked "29033 k"
(matching the serial number of the rifle) and "duv",
indicating manufacture by Berlin-LiThecker Maschinenfab-riken, Bernard
Berghaus, Werk Lubeck, Helmstr. 29-35 and Waffenamt stempel
eagle-over-'214'. This is an authentic K98k-Zf41 combination
and will bring up to $5,500.
The K98k-Zf41 is commonly faked. Numrich Gun Parts Corporation
sells both reproduction Zf41 scopes and mounts. Only three manufacturers
actually produced the K98k-Zf41 system: Mauser Werke Oberndorf (code
"byf"), Mauser Werke Borsigwalde (code "ar") and
Berlin-Lubecker Maschinenfabriken (code "duv"). Replica Zf41
mounts made in France can be identified by the locking groove being a
straight milling cut rather than the half-moon notch found on an
authentic base.
Some fake K98k-Zf41 sniper rifles exhibit welding-torch burns on
the barrel and rear sight sleeve. Furthermore, a very careful
examination of the stock, where it was relieved for the Zf41 mount will
frequently reveal a counterfeit assembly, as these are most often very
crudely notched and/or will exhibit much cleaner wood than the stock
surrounding it. Also, many crude conversions have numerous cuts and
scratches.
High and Low ZF-K98k Turret Mounts (Turm-Montage)
The term "Turret Mount" or Turm-Montage (Tower Mount) on
a IC98k rifle refers to the turret-shaped front mounting base, which was
soldered and screwed to the front end of the receiver. Attachment of the
scope and its rings to a so-called turret mount is as follows. The scope
assembly's front foot must be inserted into the front base at a 90
[degrees] angle and then the scope assembly is rotated toward the rear
base and locked in place. It should be noted that the term "Turret
Mount" is a postwar collectors' designation and was never used
in contemporary German documents.
This type of mount was a Mauser development of the early 1920s for
a contract with Argentina. It was originally called the
Argentinien-Montage (Argentinean Mount) and was for an order of Model
98/1909 rifles equipped with a Zeiss Zielvier scope. The K98k was
adopted in 1935, and since Mauser in Oberndorf developed it, the company
also received an order to design a scoped version.
Quite logically, they selected the Zeiss Zielvier scope and
Argentinien-Montage. It was designated as the K98k with Zf39
(Zielfernrohr 1939--telescopic sight, model 1939). Not much came of
this, but when in 1943 rifle manufacturers were permitted to produce
their own sniper rifles, Mauser once again returned to the K98k-Zf39, as
it was an exceptionally strong mount that retained zero with repeated
removal and reinstallation.
During World War II, Mauser produced several different types of
this turret mount. The most distinctive differences were between the
so-called "Low" and "High" Turret Mounts, which
refer to the height of the front base, which are 10 and 15 mm,
respectively.
This dimensional difference was a consequence of the need for the
bolt handle to clear the different sizes of oculars of the substantial
number of commercial scopes that were utilized. The first type was a low
turret mount, of which all the components feature a finely polished
surface. Two screwed plates and the locking lever's locking pin
screw attached the spring under the front top mount and its stop pin on
the rear ring was also screwed. This mount has a ring diameter of 25.5
mm and can be used only with Zeiss Zielvier scopes.
The second type was also a low turret-type with inferior polishing
and visible tool marks. This mount was available with two ring
diameters: 25.5 mm for Zeiss Zielvier scopes and 26.5 mm for Dialvtan
scopes.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The third type was a high turret mount, again with two ring sizes
to accommodate a substantial variety of scopes. Scopes such as the
Ajack, will usually be found on high turret mount K98k sniper rifles
after 1943, when the need for more sniper rifles increased dramatically.
The largest numbers of turret mount K98k rifles in collectors'
hands today are High Turret Mounts dated 1944. Low Turret Mount K98k
sniper rifles are far fewer and are mostly dated 1943. Although others
produced them, the principal manufacturers assembling Turret Mount
ZF-108k sniper rifles were Mauser Oberndorf (code "byf" and
Waffenamt stempel eagle-over '135') and JP Sauer & Sohn
(code "ce" and Waffenamt stempel eagle-over '37').
You are safest to obtain a high turret mount ZF-K98k sniper rifle
manufactured by either Mauser or JP Sauer & Sohn. Also, the front
turret ring should carry the serial number of the rifle and with those
manufactured from 1944 to the end of the war, many of the rifle's
components will have a phosphate finish.
An example of a ZF-K98k High Turret Mount sniper rifle that was
carefully researched prior to its acquisition is the one in my personal
collection, serial number "10284". All serial numbers on this
rifle are matching (receiver, front barrel band, bolt and magazine
floorplate).
While the manufacturer's mark and date are covered by the rear
scope base, the Waffenamt stempel eagle-over '135' indicates
manufacture by Mauser Werke AG, Oberndorf am Necker, Wurttenburg. The
scope is an Ajack 4X90 and most importantly, the front turret ring
carries the serial number of the rifle, "10284".
The bolt sleeve, sheet metal front barrel band and sheet metal
magazine floorplate are phosphate-finished, which indicates manufacture
late in 1944 or early 1945. An authentic ZF-K98k high turret mount
sniper rifle in this condition is worth from $7,500 to $9,000.
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Short and Long Side Rail K98k Mounts (Kurze & Lange
Seiten-Montage)
Another early scope mounting system used on the K98k was the
Schweden-Montage (Swedish Mount), subsequently called "Short Side
Rail Mount." It was developed in the early 1930s by the Weihrauch
Company in Suhl and the scope manufacturer Jackenroll in Berlin for a
Swedish contract to equip Swedish M96 Mauser sniper rifles with this
mount and Jackenroll's Ajack scopes.
From 1935 to 1937, the Waffen SS was issued a small quantity of
Erma-converted World War I-era G98 rifles fitted with the Short Side
Rail Mount and the 4X Ajack scope. In 1941, the German police, now under
the control of Reichsfiihrer-SS Himmler, were equipped with K98k rifles
with the Short Side Rail Mount and a variety of commercial scopes.
In 1943 these rifles were taken by the Wehrmacht and issued to army
troops. Assembled at army arsenals before issue, the Short Side Rail
Mount will usually be found on K98k rifles manufactured by Mauser, Erma,
J.P. Sauer & Sohn and Gustloff. Four versions of this mount are
known. The first type was attached to the left side of the receiver
(with a small part of the stock removed) with three screws and fitted
with a horizontal rail on top.
It soon became apparent that the three screws loosened as a result
of the recoil impulse, and an improved version was introduced using
three small locking screws to secure the larger screws. A third model
had the three locking screws with additional strengthening pins. The
fourth version had three screws, three locking screws and two tapered
pins and some later models also had a central locking lever, instead of
the front one.
From this evolution it can be seen that the short side rail mount
was a failure and its production ceased completely in 1944 with
development of the "Long Side Rail Mount." Although few Short
Side Rail Mount K98k sniper rifles survived the Eastern Front, it has
been reported that these mounts have been made in postwar Germany and
counterfeit specimens have been assembled, as the mounts can be attached
to a K98k rifle receiver by an experienced machinist.
Unless you can document the provenance, it would be wise to steer
clear of an undocumented Short Side Rail Mount K98k sniper rifle.
Legitimate versions were assembled in German army arsenals during the
war using rifles made by at least three different manufacturers with a
substantial variety of commercial scopes.
The final solution was to modify the K98k receiver during
manufacture with a thicker receiver left side wall, which was then faced
off and to which was attached a new base that was 1 inch longer than the
Short Side Rail Mount. This increased the metal-to-metal surface area
enough securely to hold the base and its scope to the receiver during
the recoil impulse.
Although J.P. Sauer & Sohn manufactured some K98k rifles with
the distinctive enlarged receiver, it's thought that Gustloff Werke
(manufacturer's code "bcd") was the only manufacturer of
the Long Side Rail Mount K98k sniper rifle and with production only in
1944. Long-Side Rail Mount K98k sniper rifles and exceedingly rare and
effectively impossible to counterfeit because of the special enlarged
receiver required.
The Long Side Rail Mount K98k sniper rifle in my personal
collection provides an example of an authentic specimen. The
rifle's receiver is marked "bcd 4", indicating
manufacture by Gustloff-Werke, Werk Weimar, Weimar in 1944, the only
manufacturer and year the Long Side Rail Mount K98k was produced.
The receiver is the correct enlarged type. The barrel is marked
with the rifle's serial number and "avk Bx", indicating
manufacture by Ruhrstahl A.-G., Presswerke Brackede b. Bielefeld. All
serial numbers on the rifle match and the components are a mixture of
salt blue and phosphate. The bore is perfect and the rifle came with the
original sling.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The rifie is equipped with the special stamped sheet metal
buttplate with heavily stamped checkering, which was originally
developed specifically for the Long Side Rail Mount K98k sniper rifle,
but later issued with other types. The sheet metal magazine
floorplate/trigger guard is marked "qnw" (unknown code) and
the bolt sleeve is marked "ghn", which means it was produced
by Ullrich & Co., Carl, Metallwarenfabrik, Oberschonau/Thur.
The scope mount is attached to the left side of the receiver with
three screws held in place by three locking screws and two reinforcing
pins. The serial number of the mount, "89567" does not match
that of the rifle, which is "83600". The Dialytan 4X scope,
serial number "78067", carries the manufacturer's code
"bek", indicating manufacture by Hensoldt Werk ffir Optik and
Mechanik, Jnh. Dr. Hans Hensoldt, Herborn (Dillkreis).
The scope can's serial number matches the scope's. This
rifle is equipped with the extended safety sometimes, but not always,
found on K98k sniper rifles. This is an exceptionally rare, completely
authentic and valuable specimen that will sell for approximately $15,000
at auction.
K98k Single-and Double-Claw Mounts (Einhak-Montage)
My personal favorites among the K98k sniper rifles are the
Single-and Double-Claw Mount https://starlocalmedia.com/users/profile/leespring/ types. This is a secure system that
provides a positive return to zero every time the scope is reinstalled
on the rifle. Furthermore, the design and its manufacture-were
complicated and thus far more difficult to counterfeit. That alone is
appealing to me.
The Gewehr 98 World War I-era sniper rifles used either a Single-or
Double-Claw Mount system. In the highly respected volume, Sniper
Variations of the German K98k Rifle, author Richard D. Law states that
all of the World-War-I-era Gewehr 98 sniper rifle variations
"positioned the telescopic sight offset to the left." This is
not true.
My specimen, a Mauser Gewehr 98, with all matching serial numbers
(serial number 2729 R), has a 2.75X scope marked "EMIL BUSCH A-G
RATHENOW WISAR' 2 3/4 x Gewehr No 13 f", which is attached to
the rifle by means of a Double-Claw mount and the scope is positioned
exactly over the bore's axis.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
You simply cannot believe everything that is published, as authors
do not have access to every specimen manufactured and small arms,
especially during major war, are never produced to fit the precise
pigeonholes so attractive to collectors. In addition, I have examined
another Gewehr 98 with a Double-Claw Mount that positions the scope
directly over the bore's axis.
Claw mounts take their designation from either the single or double
claw-like projection at the bottom of both the front and rear scope
mounts. These mate very tightly with special machined slots in their
respective bases that are permanently attached to the rifle's
receiver ring and bridge. While the bases are indeed offset very
slightly to the left, the scope is positioned exactly over the
bore's axis, yet still permitting access to the rifle's iron
sights.
Many Single-Claw Mount K98k sniper rifles were issued to the Waffen
SS. Most Single-Claw Mount K98k sniper rifles were made by
Steyr-Daimler-Puch (code "bnz") starting in 1943, although
J.P. Sauer & Sohn (code "ce") also made a few. The front
base for the Single-Claw Mount is a large, permanently mounted two-piece
system. The curved lower portion was soldered to the receiver, covering
almost the entire receiver ring and thus obliterating both the
manufacturer's code and the year of production.
As a consequence, the rifle must be identified by the
manufacturer's code and any Waffenamt stempel found on the barrel
or the rifle's other components. The second portion of the front
base, that piece slotted for the single front claw at the bottom of the
front scope ring, was then attached to the left side of this curved
base.
The rear scope base was attached over the rear bridge of the
receiver by soldering and a single screw at the top center of the base.
A spring-loaded locking button protrudes at the rear end of the rearward
base. The claw slots are offset to the left, so that the rifle's
iron sights may be used with the scope attached; the mounts on the scope
itself are curved to position the scope directly over the bore's
axis.
The Single-Claw Mount K98k sniper rifle in my personal collection
serves as a classic example of this type. The rifle, manufactured by
Steyr-Daimler-Puch A-G, Werke Steyr, Austria, carries serial number
"2234 f" and all serial numbers are matching. The manufacturer
can be identified only by the manufacturer's code "bnz"
and the Waffenamt stempel eagle-over-WaA77, both of which were
rollmarked directly over the barrel's chamber.
The front and rear bases and the front and rear rings with single
claws all carry the rifle's serial number, as does the sheet metal
scope can and the leather K98k rear sight cover. The latter may very
well be a replica, as these are once again being made (marked with code
"bmo", supposedly indicating manufacture by Hans Deuter,
Koffer-, Rucksack-and Lederwarenfabrik, Augsburg) and this is the type
of nonessential equipment usually discarded by soldiers in the field.
If 70-year-old leather goods look too good to be true, they
probably are. The 4X scope has a rubber eyecup and is accompanied by an
adjustment tool. Manufactured in 1944, this K98k has the late type sheet
metal trigger guard/magazine floorplate and sheet metal front and rear
barrel bands.
There are no markings that would indicate that it was issued to the
Waffen SS, but this means nothing one way or the other. In overall
excellent plus condition with a perfect bore, a Single-Claw Mount K98k
sniper rifle of this quality would sell for approximately $12,000.
Prior to World War II, the Czech company Opticotechna in Prerau,
Czechoslovakia developed a mount of the Double-Claw-type and a scope for
hunting purposes. The mount featured double spring-loaded locking levers
at the base of the rear mount.
Three different types of Opticotechna scopes were made. The ease
with which the scope can be installed and removed is the main advantage
of the Opticotechna system. As the Waffen SS developed a close
relationship to the Czech armaments industry, many Opticotechna scopes
and Double-Claw Mounts were delivered to Waffen SS units during the war.
Some Double-Claw Mount K98k sniper rifles carry Waffen SS markings and
this, of course, makes them more desirable to collectors. Double-Claw
Mount K98k sniper systems were second only to turret mount K98k sniper
rifles in quantity during the course of the war.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
As with the Turret Mount K98k sniper systems, longitudinal openings
machined through most of the Double-Claw mount K98k sniper rifles allow
the user to deploy with the rifle's iron sights. No matter who made
the Dou-ble-Claw Mount or what scope was utilized, there is very little
difference between individual Double-Claw Mount systems. While some
Double-Claw Mount rings circle the scope tube completely, some, such as
the one in my collection, do not and are soldered to the scope tube.
These types are not found on counterfeit K98k sniper rifles.
My Double-Claw Mount K98k sniper rifle, serial number "4700
h", was made by "Erma" (a contraction of Erfurter
Maschinenfabrik B Geipel GmbH--aka Erma-Werke), Erfurt, Germany.
It's equipped with a Carl Zeiss Jena Zielvier 4X scope (serial
number 23266--scope serial numbers never matched the rifle's serial
number and if they do it's a sure sign of fakery) with a three-bar
reticle pattern (two horizontal bars and one bottom vertical bar with a
thin hairline that connects the two horizontal bars at the center).
This is a commercial hunting scope (and unfortunately these can
still be found in Germany and are frequently used to build counterfeit
K98k sniper rifles). It's attached to the rifle with a Double-Claw
Mount that has double spring-loaded locking levers at the base of the
rear mount in the Czech Opticotechna manner.
All serial numbers on the rifle are matching (even the cleaning
rod); the sling appears to be original and the bore is perfect. The date
on the receiver, partially obliterated because of the rear scope base,
indicates that the rifle was manufactured in 1938, which is the correct
time frame for this type of scope and mount.
The rifle's provenance is documented, as it's from the
collection of highly regarded K98k collector Robert Jensen and three
photographs of it appear on page 261 of Backbone of the Wehrmacht, The
German K98k Rifle, 1934-1945. Its current value is approximately
$10,000.
Hitler's Garand--A Grand Disappointment
In September of 1943, Hitler unrealistically ordered that the
production of scoped K43 rifles be increased to 25,000 per month. The
G/K43 was to be the sniper weapon system of the Wehrmacht's future.
It never happened. A brief history of the G/K43 is in order.
In 1940 an expedited developmental program was initiated to
evaluate and adopt a semiautomatic rifle in the standard German service
caliber, 7.92x57mm. One was designed by Walther, the other by Hauser.
Although the breech locking systems were completely different, the gas
systems and magazines were similar.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The Walther design, called the G41(W) (Gewehr 1941 Walther),
weighed about 11 pounds and was equipped with a non-detachable 10-round
magazine. The method of breech locking was derived from a cammed,
locking flap system designed at the beginning of the 20th century by
Friberg and Kjellman and eventually used with great success in the
Soviet Degtyarev DP series of light machine guns.
The means of operation was by propellant gases expanding into a
nose cap on the muzzle and driving a cylindrical gas piston surrounding
the barrel and attached to the operating rod on top of the barrel to
open and drive the bolt assembly to the rear.
The Mauser rifle was called the G41(M) and as stated employed a gas
system and magazine quite similar to those of the Walther rifle.
However, the method of breech locking was entirely different. The
two-piece bolt had a rotating head with two locking lugs. The lugs
"rotated out of battery when the operating rod forced the
bolt's rear piece, which contained the cam surfaces, rearward.
The operating rod was located under the barrel and the retracting
handle, at the rear end of the receiver, had to be lifted up and then
pulled back to cock the weapon, in a manner similar to that of a
turn-bolt rifle.
Both rifles were well made by conventional fabrication techniques.
Several thousand were apparently manufactured for trials. The G41(W)
proved to be superior and was adopted by the Heereswaffenamt by the end
of 1941. The designation was subsequently changed to G41.
Series production commenced and additional rifles were produced at
Berlin-Lubecker Maschinenfabriken of Lubeck. The G41 was deployed in the
Soviet Union and Italy in small quantities. It was moderately reliable,
but muzzle heavy and clumsy. The forged, machine-finished receiver, bolt
and bolt carrier contributed significantly to the weight and cost of
manufacture.
The Wehrmacht was not at all satisfied, so development of an
improved and more cost-effective model continued. A substantially
modified rifle was finalized on 30 April 1943. In essence the gas system
of the Soviet SVT40 Tokarev rifle and a detachable, box-type magazine
were combined with the breech locking mechanism of the G41(W). An
integral scope rail was mounted on the right side of the receiver.
The official designation "Gewehr 43" (G43) was changed to
"Karabiner 43" (K43) in April of 1944, but this was a change
in nomenclature only. While clearly superior to the G41, the G43 was
ordered into series production before development was complete.
A trial performed by the U.S. Army in 1946 concluded negatively
that, the general performance and endurance of the weapons tested was
poor, as excessive malfunctions and breakages were encountered. ... The
weapon does not appear to possess any outstandingly meritorious design
features."
Developed in conjunction with the G43 was the Zf4 scope and mount,
also far from perfect. Voigtlander & Sohn AG designed the Zf4. It
was at that time a prominent optical manufacturer in Germany. Located in
Braunschweig, they provided of optical goods, such as aircraft gun
cameras, binoculars and telescopic rifle sights to the Wehrmacht.
The Zf4 was of only 4X magnification and most of them were equipped
with a reticle pattern consisting of a single pointed post, with two
horizontal bars. Oddly, the windage adjustment knob is on top of the
scope tube with the elevation adjustment knob on the right side.
Elevation can be adjusted in 50-meter increments from 100 to 800 meters.
In addition to Voigtlander, Opticotechna GmbH and AGFA Kamerawerke
manufactured the Zf4 scope. Many subcontractors were also involved in
the manufacture of the Zf4. The scope attached to my personal specimen
is marked on the left side with the serial number, "Gw ZF4, a
triangle, the Voigtlander manufacturer's code, which was
"ddx" and "K43". It's very important to note
that Zf4 serial numbers never matched the serial number of the rifle.
Any that do are a sure indication of an over-zealous collector, who
couldn't stand to let well enough alone, and who, in seeking
authenticity created a counterfeit.
Voigtlander made almost 90,000 Zf4 scopes. It must be remembered
that the Zf4 was, toward the end of the war, also mounted on the
Sturmgewehr (MP43/44) and the K98k. Still, far more Zf4 scopes were
manufactured than the supply of suitable weapons on which to mount them.
Zf4 side mounts exhibit many small differences and can sometimes be
found with serial numbers matching those of the rifle and also the
scope. The serial number on my specimen's Fernrohr-Montage (Scope
Mount) does not match the serial number of the rifle and, thus, does not
represent original issue.
However, it is true that only approximately 46,000 scoped G/K43
rifles were delivered to the Wehrmacht, out of a total G/K43 series
production of 399,504 rifles. There are probably many more than 46,000
G/K43 "sniper rifles" in the hands of U.S. collectors.
Zf4 scopes and mounts were made after World War II in
Czechoslovakia and many have been installed on G/K43 rifles and pawned
of as originals. Thus in this area we have several levels of fakery;
mild by installing World-War-II-era Voigtlander-made Zf4 scopes and
mounts from that era on G/K43 rifles, such as my specimen, and total
corruption by way of installing postwar scopes and mounts on a G/K43.
No matter what some authors may say, the G/K43 rifle was a failure.
It never came close to the .30 MI Garand and wasn't even quite up
to the mediocre SVT40 Tokarev rifle it faced in Russia. Why? First and
foremost, it was introduced exactly at the time major cracks were
starting to appear in the "Thousand-Year Reich".
Germany's industrial potential was starting to crumble as a
result of incessant Allied bombing. The G/K43 was rushed into series
production before research on all of the many aspects of what was
essentially an intricate design was completed.
Quality steadily declined throughout the production history and
features not considered absolutely essential, such as the bolt hold-open
device, were dropped from the design. Still, production never caught up
with demand. There were also isolated cases of sabotage by the slave
laborers involved in its manufacture.
Because of their ethnic obsession with technical complexity, areas
such as the overall bolt system were needlessly complicated and
over-engineered. The first 500 Zf4 scopes failed to meet inspection
standards and after 9,000 had been produced by March of 1944 many were
still out-of-tolerance.
In this area at least, the Red Army fared no better, as the SVT40
proved to be a dismal sniper weapon system as well. Scoped G/K43 rifles
never matched the accuracy potential of the bolt-action K98k equipped
with mostly commercial hunting scopes. The Russians as well quickly
dropped the scoped SVT40 concept and went back to the M1891 Mosin-Nagant
bolt-action rifle equipped with the PU series of relatively
low-magnification scopes.
Sturmgewehr - an even bigger disappointment
In October 1943, the MP43 Sturmgewehr was tested in comparison with
the G43 rifle using the relatively new Zf4 scope developed for the
G/K43. The Zf4 scope was based upon the 4X scope used by the Soviets on
Mosin-Nagant sniper rifles. Attaching the Zf4 scope to an MP43 proved to
be disastrous.
After 30 rounds were fired in the full-auto mode, the Zf4 scope
self-destructed. Subsequently, five shots fired in the semiautomatic
mode did not even impact on the target. Further tests in September 1944
were also unsatisfactory.
Most likely, the problem was associated with an excessive amount of
flex and torque the sheet metal receiver (to which the scope and mount
were attached) exhibited during the recoil and counter-recoil strokes of
the reciprocating components. There might have eventually been a
solution, but the war ended before it could be found.
Really rare and really mostly counterfeit
The Zielfernrohr 4-Fach (Zf4) scope was developed not only for the
G/K43 rifle, but to become the future standard telescopic sight of the
Wehrmacht, but for the K98k, the Sturmgewehr, and the
FallschirmjagerGewehr (FG42--the paratrooper's automatic rifle).
Because it was originally designed to be attached onto the integral base
at the rear of the G/K43 receiver, its eye relief was much shorter than
that of the telescopic sights used on the K98k. As a consequence, it had
to be positioned further rearward for that application.
J.P. Sauer & Sohn and Weihrauch developed a special, so-called
"Swept Back Mount" to solve this problem. It was a modified
version of the standard G/K43 mount with swept back brackets to hold the
scope onto the mount, which in turn interfaced with a base attached to
the left side (on the G/K43 the scope is attached to the right side of
the receiver) of the K98k receiver.
Authentic Swept Back Mount K98k sniper rifles are extremely rare.
Very few were produced and in addition, due to a faulty production
process, many were over-hardened and subsequently cracked when the
clamping lever was closed. It has been reported that only three
specimens have been authenticated: one in the former U.S. Army's
Aberdeen Proving Ground collection and two in private collections (one
of which is photographed herewith).
The Swept Back Mounts themselves are now widely duplicated.
Remembering that both original and postwar Zf4 scopes are fairly
abundant and that a K98k with a swept back mount would fetch an
astronomical price, it takes no great leap of the imagination to
understand that sleazy counterfeiters have been working feverishly on
this potentially juicy project. Caveat Emptor!
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The Fatal Flaw in Eastern Front Sniper Rifles
The sniper rifles fielded by both the Wehrmacht and the Red Army on
the Eastern Front during World War II in every instance started out as
infantry rifles with stocks designed for the soldier to utilize only the
iron sights mounted directly on top of the receiver and barrel. To this
was added, as nothing more than an afterthought, a mount that invariably
positioned a telescopic sight several inches above the bore's axis.
It was thus impossible at the same time both to view an image
through the scope's ocular and acquire a proper and consistent
cheek weld. The cheek weld is absolutely imperative to achieve
repeatable and accurate results. As a consequence, combat experienced
Scharfschutzen often used a so-called "chin" weld that raised
the eye to the proper height needed to acquire the scope's ocular.
A few at least in the Wehrmacht finally seemed to understand this.
For, published in the Entwurf Heeresdienst-vorschrift 298/20g, 18
November 1944, Provisional Army Manual, Sniper Training and Deployment,
are two photographs of a German soldier aiming a high turret mount K98k
sniper rifle to which has been attached what appears to be a cloth or
felt cheekpiece that provides a correct cheek weld.
The cheekpiece is secured to the stock by a bent metal clamp
attached to the cheekpiece by a threaded bolt and nut and to the K98k
stock's metal bolt disassembly disc also by means of a threaded
bolt and nut. I have also examined a photograph of a German sniper on
the Eastern Front who tied a winter mitten to his K98k stock in order to
obtain a cheek weld.
Unpleasant Conclusions
The German World-War-II, Scharfschiitzen or sniper's, cloth
badge was a black hawk with a golden eye and beak above green oak
leaves. Rarely issued, it was never worn by snipers on the front lines.
To be captured with this badge on the Eastern Front, or worse yet a
sniper rifle, meant certain torture of the most unspeakable kind and a
slow and painful death.
When the war ended on 8 May 1945, Knight's Cross holder and
highly acclaimed sniper Sepp Allerberger, who served in H Battalion,
Gebirgsjager Regiment 144 (GJR 144) of 3 Gebirgsjager Division (3 GD),
decided to leave Olmiltz in Czechoslovakia and escape on foot back to
his home in a small village near Salzburg, the alpine region of Austria.
His first act prior to leaving his regiment was to place his sniper
rifle under the steel treads of an assault gun and have the driver run
over it. With only a handful of exceptions, almost all German snipers
destroyed their weapons either before they were captured or at the end
of the war. This is one of the principal reasons why original and
authentic German World-War-IT-era sniper rifles are so extraordinarily
rare today.
Seemingly forever, whenever a collectible object, be it a Ming
Dynasty vase or Colt Walker Dragoon, has become valuable enough, it has
attracted counterfeiters. This is certainly no less true With the German
sniper rifles of World War II. These "alterations" range from
no more than mildly "improving" a beloved piece by adding an
authentic leather sling that wasn't there, to attaching replica
bases, mounts and scopes to a K98k rifle that was devoid of anything
other than its factory iron sights and selling it as an authentic sniper
rifle.
This latter is outright criminal fakery; the former, can actually
slightly enhance the rifle's value. World-War-II-era bases and
mounts have been made, and are being made now, in both the United States
and Germany. With these, counterfeiters are busy in their machine shops
building totally fake K98k sniper rifles.
More complicated, ethically and esthetically, are the so-called
"reproduction" K98k sniper rifles assembled often from Russian
capture K98k rifles--remember, the total production of the K98k during
World War II was 14,685,284, and many millions of these were lost on the
Eastern Front and have been refinished, rebuilt and stored for decades
in Russian arsenal vaults--and so-called replica bases and mounts and
replica scopes made mostly in Belorussian optical factories.
A number of these have had markings altered and/or added and have
been sold as original pieces. However, even if they are honestly
proclaimed by both their sellers and owners as no more than
"historical reproductions," it should be kept in mind that
they have, and never will have, collectible status or much real value
and will never, giver appreciate in value. In my personal opinion, they
represent rather poor investments, to say the least.
If you want to acquire an authentic German World-War-II-era sniper
rifle that will continue to appreciate in value, then I recommend
contacting either a dealer or auction house of accredited reputation
that sells objects of known and documented provenance. I have listed a
few below.
If you feel that you cannot afford the real thing, then I suggest
you focus your aspirations on something more modest in the area of
World-War-II-era militaria. I cannot and never will be able to afford a
Lamborghini Murcielago, but I neither aspire to own one, nor do I envy
those who do.
Note: throughout the text I have provided detailed descriptions of
German sniper rifles from my personal collection and their current
approximate value, most certainly not out of vanity, but to provide the
reader with precisely described examples to assist in the analysis of
features that are important in determining the authenticity of a sniper
rifle offered for sale. This is unfortunate, but necessary because of
the vast number of fake German sniper rifles now flooding the market.
I would also like to express my gratitude to my friend of more than
40 years, George Brinkop, for the loan of three of the rifles from his
extensive collection of German World War I and II sniper rifles and for
his most generous assistance with terminology used in the text in the
German language.
RELATED ARTICLE: THE MAUSER 98 ACTION
There is no doubt whatsoever that the Model 1898 Mauser action and
its direct derivatives are the finest, strongest and most foolproof
military boltactions ever designed. The one-piece receiver is machined
from a single forging. The recoil lug, integral with the receiver
forging, is large and more than ample.
The inside of the receiver ring is threaded to accept the barrel
shank. There are 12 threads per inch with a pitch of 55 [degrees]
Whitworth. There is a collar, completely around the inside of the
receiver ring except for the extractor cut, against which the rear end
of the barrel impinges. This collar adds strength to the receiver ring
and provides a seal around the bolt head. The top front of the receiver
bridge is slotted to accept a charger clip.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The Mauser '98 bolt is a solid steel machined forging with an
integral bolt handle, usually with a round knob. There are dual-opposed
locking lugs on the front end. The top (left side) lug is slotted to
permit the ejector to pass through. The bottom (right side) lug is
solid.
The inside of the receiver ring has been milled to form the
shoulders against which the locking lugs abut There is a third (or
safety) lug at the rear of the bolt body and slightly forward of the
bolts cocking handle, in line with the bottom locking lug. This lug
engages a recess in the receiver when the bolt is closed. It acts only
as a safety lug, in the unlikely event that the front lugs fail.
A long spring-steel extractor (much copied) is attached to a groove
in the bolt body by a separate collar and provides what is usually
called "controlled" feeding. This means that rounds cannot be
dropped into the chamber because the extractor claw will not slip over
the rim and so the bolt cannot be closed. All feeding must be from the
magazine and the extractor claw rides in the case's extractor
groove starting at the time the cartridge moves upward out of the
magazine. Thus, the extractor "controls" the case's
movement throughout the feeding cycle.
When the bolt is opened, the beveled, squared-off base of the bolt
handle moves along the rearward inclined surface of the receiver bridge
and this provides camming power for initial extraction and assists in
the bolt's beginning rotation. The bolt lift on the Mauser '98
action is 90 [degrees]. The bolt body is bored from the rear to accept
the firing pin and mainspring.
The rear of the striker and the cocking piece has three interrupted
lugs to provide precise quarter-turn locking between these two
components. The mainspring is retained by the cocking piece. Two safety
lugs on the firing pin, matching cutouts inside the bolt, serve to block
the fall of the firing pin should it fracture before the bolt is fully
locked. While many insist the Mauser '98 action cocks on opening,
more than one-third of the cocking motion actually takes place as the
bolt is closed.
There is a wing-type manual safety in the top of the bolt sleeve.
When placed in the far right position, both the firing pin/cocking piece
and bolt are locked. Movement all the way to the left will permit the
rifle to be fired. In the center position, only the firing pin/cocking
piece remains locked, permitting the bolt to be rotated for safe
unloading of the magazine.
There are two oval safety gas vents toward the front of the bolt
body, on either side of the extractor collar. The bolt stop, on the left
side of the receiver, rotates on a pointed screw that passes through an
integral stud on the receiver.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The trigger guard and staggered-column, box magazine are machined
from a single piece of steel. Capacity of the magazine is five rounds,
and it can be loaded singly or with a standard five-round stripper clip.
There is a hinged, milled-steel detachable floorplate, together with a
milled follower and W-shaped follower spring.
Over the 100 years of its existence, many have modified the Mauser
'98 action and there have been no small number of competing
designs. None have equaled its most salient features and it remains,
more than a century after its introduction, the very best military
turn-bolt ever brought to "shoulder arms."
RECOMMENDED SOURCES FOR GERMAN WORLD-WAR-II-ERA SNIPER RIFLES
Randall M. Bessler, LLC, Dept. SG N, P.O. Box 2248, Carson City, NV
89702; phone/fax: 775-885-0717; email: randallmbessler@msn.com;
web-site: www.collectorfirearms.com.
Richard Crosier, Dept, SG N, 3440 Back Creek Road. Waddy, KY 40076;
phone: 502-738-9751; email: rickcrosier@msn.com.
Rock Island Auction Company, Dept, SG N, 7819 42nd Street West Rock
Island, IL 61201; phone: 309-797-1500 or 800-238-8022; fax:
309-797-1655; email: info@rockislandauction.com; website:
www.rockislandauction.com.
ON THE COVER
A K98k sniper rifle with 4X scope in Single-Claw Mounts was made by
Steyr in 1944. The front and rear bases and the front and rear rings
with single claws all carry the rifle's serial number. It is shown
with the rare Anti-Partisan Badge and the "the medal of the frozen
meat", The Russian campaign ribbon. Photo by Mike Anschuetz.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
RECOMMENDED REFERENCES
Sniper Variations of the German K98k Rifle, Backbone of the
Wehrmacht Volume II, by Richard D. Law. ISBN 0-88935-222-4. 240 pages,
291 illustrations, $47.50.
Backbone of the Wehrmacht, The German K98k Rifle, 1934-1945, by
Richard D. Law. ISBN 0-88935-102-3. Author's revised edition, 384
pages, 478 illustrations, $69.95.
Hitler's Garands--German Self-Loading Rifles of World War II,
by W. Darrin Weaver. ISBN 0-88935-275-5. 392 pages, 590 illustrations,
$69.95.
Sturmgewehr--From Firepower to Striking Power, by Hans-Dieter
Handrich. ISBN 0-88935-356-5. 600 pages, 392 illustrations, $79.95.
Collector Grade Publications, Inc. P.O. Box 1046, Co-bourg, Ont K9A
4W5, Canada; phone: 905-342-3434; fax: 905-342-3688; email:
info@collectorgrade.com; website: www.collectorgrade.com.
German Sniper Rifles, The Propaganda Photo Series, Volume VII, by
A. Wacker and G. de Vries. S.I. Publications BV, P.O. Box 188, 6860 AD
Oosterbeek, The Netherlands; fax: (+)31-26-4430824; email: si@si
publicaties.nl; website: www.sipublicaties.nl and in the
USA--www.casematepublishing.com. Copyright 2011. ISBN 978-90-78521-04-4.
152 pages, 200 black and white illustrations, $39.95.
Sniper Scopes and Mounts 1914-1945, by Robert Spielauer. Email:
info@k98.at; website: www.k98.at. Copyright 2007-2008. ISBN
978-3-200-01010-9. 557 pages, numerous black and white illustrations.
Out of print, available only as an eBook for 49 Euros.
Sniper on the Eastern Front, The Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger
Knight's, by Albrecht Wacker. Pen & Sword Limited, 47 Church
Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS, England; email:
enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk; website: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk.
Copyright 2005. ISBN 1-84415-3177. 178 pages, black and white
photographs, $35.55.
Text and photos by Peter G. Kokalis
COPYRIGHT 2012 InterMedia Outdoors, Inc.
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2012 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/GermanWorldWarIIsniperrifles:interestinNazismallarmsand...-a0297717342
especially those of Germany, has somewhat surprisingly never peaked and
subsequently waned. It continues to increase at a steady, ever
increasing upward pace.
In several specific areas this has proven to be both good and bad.
There are more Waffen SS helmets in the United States than there were
ever heads to put them during the war. And it has often been said by
advanced collectors that there are more German sniper rifles in this
country than were ever fielded by the Wehrmacht.
When it comes to detecting fake Waffen SS helmets and decals, a
portable x-ray-based technology for archaeometry and authentication has
recently been developed. And, although its primary use has been in
antique and art authentication--essentially in identifying synthetic and
artificial materials from the genuine old ones, it appears to hold great
promise for helmet authentication. No comparable process is yet
available for detecting counterfeit German sniper rigs. So, at present,
we must rely on subtler, less positive detection methods, some of which
we shall touch upon.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Any discussion of World War H German sniper rifles is essentially,
but certainly not completely, an analysis of the truly confusing array
of mounts used to attach telescopic sights to the ubiquitous K98k
bolt-action rifle. For background, we must very briefly go back to World
War I and the Mauser-designed Gewehr 98 rifle.
At the beginning of World War I, Germany didn't have a
military sniper rifle with an optical sight. After the last months of
1914, the Western Front stabilized and for the next four years the war
was fought by two more or less static lines of men hidden in trenches,
by means of artillery, machine guns, rifles, gas flamethrowers and
finally, primitive tanks.
It was only a matter of time before someone, probably an officer of
the Imperial German army, came up with the idea of using his personal
scoped hunting rifle more accurately to target the enemy in an opposing
trench. This proved to be so successful that soon afterwards, the German
military authorities ordered the development of a true military sniper
rifle based upon the Gewehr 98 fitted with a scope and mount.
The first German dedicated sniper rifle was made by the state-owned
Gewehrfabrik Danzig. It was a selected Karabiner 98AZ with a civilian
scope made by Goerz; these reached the front in the spring of 1915. The
German military attempted to obtain civilian scoped hunting rifles, but
that effort was not successful and they instead substituted Gew98 rifles
and a large variety of scopes as quickly as possible.
Although the exact number of Gew98 scoped rifles issued during
World War I is not known, it's estimated that each infantry company
had about 12 scoped rifles by the end of the war.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
During the Reichswehr era, from 1919 to 1933, the German military,
the limits of which were closely defined by the Versailles Treaty, had
little interest in scoped rifles, as they were considered to be strictly
artifacts of trench warfare. It was thought any future war would be
highly mobile and dominated by armor units and tank battles.
The K98b sniper rifle developed during this period, and equipped
with a 4X Zeiss-Zielvier scope, was manufactured in very limited numbers
and never actually issued to troops. This lack of interest culminated on
17 November 1934 when the chief of the army instructed that "...
all scoped rifles which are still in the inventory of the infantry must
be returned to the arsenals before 15 December 1934."
In July of 1935, it was ordered that all GewW98 scoped rifles
"will be sold, because there is no future use for this
material." The German army's experience in World War II was to
change all of that, but not before it was almost too late.
German Sniper Rifles of World War II
Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, introducing a new
concept of war: Blitzkrieg. The highly mobile nature of the armored
units comprising the successful and quite short (only six weeks)
Blitzkrieg campaign in Western Europe reinforced the view that the
sniper rifle was obsolete.
Thus, when Hitler initiated Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941
and invaded the Soviet Union with more than 3.9 million Axis troops, the
sniper rifle held no significance to the German military. However, the
Red Army had previously fought a long and horrendous civil war with the
White Army in which sniping had a high priority on both sides. As a
consequence, while the Red Army was not ready for the Axis invasion, its
snipers were.
Soviet snipers, both men and women, fought as two-member teams--a
sniper and an observer--under the control of the company commander. The
standard Soviet sniper rifle throughout the Great Patriotic War was the
Mosin-Nagant M1891/30 bolt-action rifle (the semiautomatic Tokarev SVT40
proved to be a dismal failure as an sniper weapon) with either the 4X PE
or 3.5X PU scopes.
During the first phase of the war, Soviet snipers played an
important role, often operating behind German lines and targeting NCOs,
officers, wireless operators, motorcycle drivers, forward observers and
both machine gun and artillery crews. The German army learned a bitter
lesson, as at least three German generals, a Waffen SS
Obersturmbannfuhrer and Waffen SS Standartenfuhrer e were killed in
action by Soviet snipers.
From late 1941 to early 1942, the Wehrmacht's spotlight
finally turned on countersnipers and their rifles, and as special
sniping equipment was not yet available, German snipers appeared on the
battlefield once again armed with a hodgepodge of weapons ranging from a
very few World-War-I-era scoped Gew98s to a substantial number of
captured scoped Mosin-Nagant M1891/30 rifles.
The latter, and its incendiary ammunition, proved to be 7 quite
popular with German snipers (or "sharpshooters"
[scharfschiitzen] as they were called). After the catastrophic defeat at
Stalingrad in early 1943, the German army set 5 up a sniper-training
program at a substantial number of locations, both in Germany and
occupied territory.
The standard course lasted from six to eight weeks. However, not
all German snipers were trained at these schools. By the end of the war
approximately 125,000 German sniper rifles with 4X scopes had been
manufactured; about 70,000 K98k systems and circa 55,000 G/ K43
semiautomatic rifles with the Zf4 scope.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
K98k Sniper Rifles: K98k-Zf41
The original intention of what was to become the disappointing
K98k-Zf41 combination was to have a telescopic sight rifle in each
infantry squad during close combat, so that those riflemen could engage
small targets such as firing ports in pillboxes or armored fighting
vehicles, individual machine gunners and other short-range targets that
did not require the deployment of a trained sniper. It was universally
ridiculed and actually despised by troops in the field.
The Zf41 was, and remains, unique among military telescopic sights.
The Zielfernrohr 1941 was the first optical sight adopted by the
Wehrmacht during World War II. It was developed by Optische Industrie
Emil Busch in Rathe-now upon request of the army, which wanted an
inexpensive, easy-to-manufacture and easy-to-mount telescopic sight.
It met all those requirements, but unfortunately at the expense of
far more important parameters. It consists of a small tube of sheet
metal with a length of only 13 centimeters and a magnification of only
1.5X. Its other salient characteristic is its extremely long eye relief
It was attached to the left side of the K98k rear sight and is
positioned over the bore's axis. It's easy to remove and does
not interfere with loading the rifle. With the Zf41, the K98k is simply
not a proper sniper rifle. In addition to completely inadequate
magnification, its field of view of only 7 meters and its twilight
performance are totally unacceptable for the sniping role.
Furthermore, only a trained armorer with special tools and
knowledge can adjust it. Despite this, it remained in both production
and service until the end of the war. It has been estimated that between
1940 and 1945 more than a dozen optical firms in Germany, Austria,
France and Czechoslovakia made about 100,000. The scope and mount were
carried on the soldier's belt in a metal container (Behalter).
My personal specimen is attached to a K98k with all matching serial
numbers and with the receiver marked "byf 44", indicating
manufacture by Mauser Werke Oberndorf in 1944. Its Zf41 scope is marked
with the manufacturer's code "dow", indicating
manufacture by Opticoteshna GmbH, Prerau/Prt, Czechoslovakia, and
"ZF 40" (with the "40" lined through) and
"41/1" with "+" to indicate cold weather use.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
An important note is that the mount is marked "29033 k"
(matching the serial number of the rifle) and "duv",
indicating manufacture by Berlin-LiThecker Maschinenfab-riken, Bernard
Berghaus, Werk Lubeck, Helmstr. 29-35 and Waffenamt stempel
eagle-over-'214'. This is an authentic K98k-Zf41 combination
and will bring up to $5,500.
The K98k-Zf41 is commonly faked. Numrich Gun Parts Corporation
sells both reproduction Zf41 scopes and mounts. Only three manufacturers
actually produced the K98k-Zf41 system: Mauser Werke Oberndorf (code
"byf"), Mauser Werke Borsigwalde (code "ar") and
Berlin-Lubecker Maschinenfabriken (code "duv"). Replica Zf41
mounts made in France can be identified by the locking groove being a
straight milling cut rather than the half-moon notch found on an
authentic base.
Some fake K98k-Zf41 sniper rifles exhibit welding-torch burns on
the barrel and rear sight sleeve. Furthermore, a very careful
examination of the stock, where it was relieved for the Zf41 mount will
frequently reveal a counterfeit assembly, as these are most often very
crudely notched and/or will exhibit much cleaner wood than the stock
surrounding it. Also, many crude conversions have numerous cuts and
scratches.
High and Low ZF-K98k Turret Mounts (Turm-Montage)
The term "Turret Mount" or Turm-Montage (Tower Mount) on
a IC98k rifle refers to the turret-shaped front mounting base, which was
soldered and screwed to the front end of the receiver. Attachment of the
scope and its rings to a so-called turret mount is as follows. The scope
assembly's front foot must be inserted into the front base at a 90
[degrees] angle and then the scope assembly is rotated toward the rear
base and locked in place. It should be noted that the term "Turret
Mount" is a postwar collectors' designation and was never used
in contemporary German documents.
This type of mount was a Mauser development of the early 1920s for
a contract with Argentina. It was originally called the
Argentinien-Montage (Argentinean Mount) and was for an order of Model
98/1909 rifles equipped with a Zeiss Zielvier scope. The K98k was
adopted in 1935, and since Mauser in Oberndorf developed it, the company
also received an order to design a scoped version.
Quite logically, they selected the Zeiss Zielvier scope and
Argentinien-Montage. It was designated as the K98k with Zf39
(Zielfernrohr 1939--telescopic sight, model 1939). Not much came of
this, but when in 1943 rifle manufacturers were permitted to produce
their own sniper rifles, Mauser once again returned to the K98k-Zf39, as
it was an exceptionally strong mount that retained zero with repeated
removal and reinstallation.
During World War II, Mauser produced several different types of
this turret mount. The most distinctive differences were between the
so-called "Low" and "High" Turret Mounts, which
refer to the height of the front base, which are 10 and 15 mm,
respectively.
This dimensional difference was a consequence of the need for the
bolt handle to clear the different sizes of oculars of the substantial
number of commercial scopes that were utilized. The first type was a low
turret mount, of which all the components feature a finely polished
surface. Two screwed plates and the locking lever's locking pin
screw attached the spring under the front top mount and its stop pin on
the rear ring was also screwed. This mount has a ring diameter of 25.5
mm and can be used only with Zeiss Zielvier scopes.
The second type was also a low turret-type with inferior polishing
and visible tool marks. This mount was available with two ring
diameters: 25.5 mm for Zeiss Zielvier scopes and 26.5 mm for Dialvtan
scopes.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The third type was a high turret mount, again with two ring sizes
to accommodate a substantial variety of scopes. Scopes such as the
Ajack, will usually be found on high turret mount K98k sniper rifles
after 1943, when the need for more sniper rifles increased dramatically.
The largest numbers of turret mount K98k rifles in collectors'
hands today are High Turret Mounts dated 1944. Low Turret Mount K98k
sniper rifles are far fewer and are mostly dated 1943. Although others
produced them, the principal manufacturers assembling Turret Mount
ZF-108k sniper rifles were Mauser Oberndorf (code "byf" and
Waffenamt stempel eagle-over '135') and JP Sauer & Sohn
(code "ce" and Waffenamt stempel eagle-over '37').
You are safest to obtain a high turret mount ZF-K98k sniper rifle
manufactured by either Mauser or JP Sauer & Sohn. Also, the front
turret ring should carry the serial number of the rifle and with those
manufactured from 1944 to the end of the war, many of the rifle's
components will have a phosphate finish.
An example of a ZF-K98k High Turret Mount sniper rifle that was
carefully researched prior to its acquisition is the one in my personal
collection, serial number "10284". All serial numbers on this
rifle are matching (receiver, front barrel band, bolt and magazine
floorplate).
While the manufacturer's mark and date are covered by the rear
scope base, the Waffenamt stempel eagle-over '135' indicates
manufacture by Mauser Werke AG, Oberndorf am Necker, Wurttenburg. The
scope is an Ajack 4X90 and most importantly, the front turret ring
carries the serial number of the rifle, "10284".
The bolt sleeve, sheet metal front barrel band and sheet metal
magazine floorplate are phosphate-finished, which indicates manufacture
late in 1944 or early 1945. An authentic ZF-K98k high turret mount
sniper rifle in this condition is worth from $7,500 to $9,000.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Short and Long Side Rail K98k Mounts (Kurze & Lange
Seiten-Montage)
Another early scope mounting system used on the K98k was the
Schweden-Montage (Swedish Mount), subsequently called "Short Side
Rail Mount." It was developed in the early 1930s by the Weihrauch
Company in Suhl and the scope manufacturer Jackenroll in Berlin for a
Swedish contract to equip Swedish M96 Mauser sniper rifles with this
mount and Jackenroll's Ajack scopes.
From 1935 to 1937, the Waffen SS was issued a small quantity of
Erma-converted World War I-era G98 rifles fitted with the Short Side
Rail Mount and the 4X Ajack scope. In 1941, the German police, now under
the control of Reichsfiihrer-SS Himmler, were equipped with K98k rifles
with the Short Side Rail Mount and a variety of commercial scopes.
In 1943 these rifles were taken by the Wehrmacht and issued to army
troops. Assembled at army arsenals before issue, the Short Side Rail
Mount will usually be found on K98k rifles manufactured by Mauser, Erma,
J.P. Sauer & Sohn and Gustloff. Four versions of this mount are
known. The first type was attached to the left side of the receiver
(with a small part of the stock removed) with three screws and fitted
with a horizontal rail on top.
It soon became apparent that the three screws loosened as a result
of the recoil impulse, and an improved version was introduced using
three small locking screws to secure the larger screws. A third model
had the three locking screws with additional strengthening pins. The
fourth version had three screws, three locking screws and two tapered
pins and some later models also had a central locking lever, instead of
the front one.
From this evolution it can be seen that the short side rail mount
was a failure and its production ceased completely in 1944 with
development of the "Long Side Rail Mount." Although few Short
Side Rail Mount K98k sniper rifles survived the Eastern Front, it has
been reported that these mounts have been made in postwar Germany and
counterfeit specimens have been assembled, as the mounts can be attached
to a K98k rifle receiver by an experienced machinist.
Unless you can document the provenance, it would be wise to steer
clear of an undocumented Short Side Rail Mount K98k sniper rifle.
Legitimate versions were assembled in German army arsenals during the
war using rifles made by at least three different manufacturers with a
substantial variety of commercial scopes.
The final solution was to modify the K98k receiver during
manufacture with a thicker receiver left side wall, which was then faced
off and to which was attached a new base that was 1 inch longer than the
Short Side Rail Mount. This increased the metal-to-metal surface area
enough securely to hold the base and its scope to the receiver during
the recoil impulse.
Although J.P. Sauer & Sohn manufactured some K98k rifles with
the distinctive enlarged receiver, it's thought that Gustloff Werke
(manufacturer's code "bcd") was the only manufacturer of
the Long Side Rail Mount K98k sniper rifle and with production only in
1944. Long-Side Rail Mount K98k sniper rifles and exceedingly rare and
effectively impossible to counterfeit because of the special enlarged
receiver required.
The Long Side Rail Mount K98k sniper rifle in my personal
collection provides an example of an authentic specimen. The
rifle's receiver is marked "bcd 4", indicating
manufacture by Gustloff-Werke, Werk Weimar, Weimar in 1944, the only
manufacturer and year the Long Side Rail Mount K98k was produced.
The receiver is the correct enlarged type. The barrel is marked
with the rifle's serial number and "avk Bx", indicating
manufacture by Ruhrstahl A.-G., Presswerke Brackede b. Bielefeld. All
serial numbers on the rifle match and the components are a mixture of
salt blue and phosphate. The bore is perfect and the rifle came with the
original sling.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The rifie is equipped with the special stamped sheet metal
buttplate with heavily stamped checkering, which was originally
developed specifically for the Long Side Rail Mount K98k sniper rifle,
but later issued with other types. The sheet metal magazine
floorplate/trigger guard is marked "qnw" (unknown code) and
the bolt sleeve is marked "ghn", which means it was produced
by Ullrich & Co., Carl, Metallwarenfabrik, Oberschonau/Thur.
The scope mount is attached to the left side of the receiver with
three screws held in place by three locking screws and two reinforcing
pins. The serial number of the mount, "89567" does not match
that of the rifle, which is "83600". The Dialytan 4X scope,
serial number "78067", carries the manufacturer's code
"bek", indicating manufacture by Hensoldt Werk ffir Optik and
Mechanik, Jnh. Dr. Hans Hensoldt, Herborn (Dillkreis).
The scope can's serial number matches the scope's. This
rifle is equipped with the extended safety sometimes, but not always,
found on K98k sniper rifles. This is an exceptionally rare, completely
authentic and valuable specimen that will sell for approximately $15,000
at auction.
K98k Single-and Double-Claw Mounts (Einhak-Montage)
My personal favorites among the K98k sniper rifles are the
Single-and Double-Claw Mount https://starlocalmedia.com/users/profile/leespring/ types. This is a secure system that
provides a positive return to zero every time the scope is reinstalled
on the rifle. Furthermore, the design and its manufacture-were
complicated and thus far more difficult to counterfeit. That alone is
appealing to me.
The Gewehr 98 World War I-era sniper rifles used either a Single-or
Double-Claw Mount system. In the highly respected volume, Sniper
Variations of the German K98k Rifle, author Richard D. Law states that
all of the World-War-I-era Gewehr 98 sniper rifle variations
"positioned the telescopic sight offset to the left." This is
not true.
My specimen, a Mauser Gewehr 98, with all matching serial numbers
(serial number 2729 R), has a 2.75X scope marked "EMIL BUSCH A-G
RATHENOW WISAR' 2 3/4 x Gewehr No 13 f", which is attached to
the rifle by means of a Double-Claw mount and the scope is positioned
exactly over the bore's axis.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
You simply cannot believe everything that is published, as authors
do not have access to every specimen manufactured and small arms,
especially during major war, are never produced to fit the precise
pigeonholes so attractive to collectors. In addition, I have examined
another Gewehr 98 with a Double-Claw Mount that positions the scope
directly over the bore's axis.
Claw mounts take their designation from either the single or double
claw-like projection at the bottom of both the front and rear scope
mounts. These mate very tightly with special machined slots in their
respective bases that are permanently attached to the rifle's
receiver ring and bridge. While the bases are indeed offset very
slightly to the left, the scope is positioned exactly over the
bore's axis, yet still permitting access to the rifle's iron
sights.
Many Single-Claw Mount K98k sniper rifles were issued to the Waffen
SS. Most Single-Claw Mount K98k sniper rifles were made by
Steyr-Daimler-Puch (code "bnz") starting in 1943, although
J.P. Sauer & Sohn (code "ce") also made a few. The front
base for the Single-Claw Mount is a large, permanently mounted two-piece
system. The curved lower portion was soldered to the receiver, covering
almost the entire receiver ring and thus obliterating both the
manufacturer's code and the year of production.
As a consequence, the rifle must be identified by the
manufacturer's code and any Waffenamt stempel found on the barrel
or the rifle's other components. The second portion of the front
base, that piece slotted for the single front claw at the bottom of the
front scope ring, was then attached to the left side of this curved
base.
The rear scope base was attached over the rear bridge of the
receiver by soldering and a single screw at the top center of the base.
A spring-loaded locking button protrudes at the rear end of the rearward
base. The claw slots are offset to the left, so that the rifle's
iron sights may be used with the scope attached; the mounts on the scope
itself are curved to position the scope directly over the bore's
axis.
The Single-Claw Mount K98k sniper rifle in my personal collection
serves as a classic example of this type. The rifle, manufactured by
Steyr-Daimler-Puch A-G, Werke Steyr, Austria, carries serial number
"2234 f" and all serial numbers are matching. The manufacturer
can be identified only by the manufacturer's code "bnz"
and the Waffenamt stempel eagle-over-WaA77, both of which were
rollmarked directly over the barrel's chamber.
The front and rear bases and the front and rear rings with single
claws all carry the rifle's serial number, as does the sheet metal
scope can and the leather K98k rear sight cover. The latter may very
well be a replica, as these are once again being made (marked with code
"bmo", supposedly indicating manufacture by Hans Deuter,
Koffer-, Rucksack-and Lederwarenfabrik, Augsburg) and this is the type
of nonessential equipment usually discarded by soldiers in the field.
If 70-year-old leather goods look too good to be true, they
probably are. The 4X scope has a rubber eyecup and is accompanied by an
adjustment tool. Manufactured in 1944, this K98k has the late type sheet
metal trigger guard/magazine floorplate and sheet metal front and rear
barrel bands.
There are no markings that would indicate that it was issued to the
Waffen SS, but this means nothing one way or the other. In overall
excellent plus condition with a perfect bore, a Single-Claw Mount K98k
sniper rifle of this quality would sell for approximately $12,000.
Prior to World War II, the Czech company Opticotechna in Prerau,
Czechoslovakia developed a mount of the Double-Claw-type and a scope for
hunting purposes. The mount featured double spring-loaded locking levers
at the base of the rear mount.
Three different types of Opticotechna scopes were made. The ease
with which the scope can be installed and removed is the main advantage
of the Opticotechna system. As the Waffen SS developed a close
relationship to the Czech armaments industry, many Opticotechna scopes
and Double-Claw Mounts were delivered to Waffen SS units during the war.
Some Double-Claw Mount K98k sniper rifles carry Waffen SS markings and
this, of course, makes them more desirable to collectors. Double-Claw
Mount K98k sniper systems were second only to turret mount K98k sniper
rifles in quantity during the course of the war.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
As with the Turret Mount K98k sniper systems, longitudinal openings
machined through most of the Double-Claw mount K98k sniper rifles allow
the user to deploy with the rifle's iron sights. No matter who made
the Dou-ble-Claw Mount or what scope was utilized, there is very little
difference between individual Double-Claw Mount systems. While some
Double-Claw Mount rings circle the scope tube completely, some, such as
the one in my collection, do not and are soldered to the scope tube.
These types are not found on counterfeit K98k sniper rifles.
My Double-Claw Mount K98k sniper rifle, serial number "4700
h", was made by "Erma" (a contraction of Erfurter
Maschinenfabrik B Geipel GmbH--aka Erma-Werke), Erfurt, Germany.
It's equipped with a Carl Zeiss Jena Zielvier 4X scope (serial
number 23266--scope serial numbers never matched the rifle's serial
number and if they do it's a sure sign of fakery) with a three-bar
reticle pattern (two horizontal bars and one bottom vertical bar with a
thin hairline that connects the two horizontal bars at the center).
This is a commercial hunting scope (and unfortunately these can
still be found in Germany and are frequently used to build counterfeit
K98k sniper rifles). It's attached to the rifle with a Double-Claw
Mount that has double spring-loaded locking levers at the base of the
rear mount in the Czech Opticotechna manner.
All serial numbers on the rifle are matching (even the cleaning
rod); the sling appears to be original and the bore is perfect. The date
on the receiver, partially obliterated because of the rear scope base,
indicates that the rifle was manufactured in 1938, which is the correct
time frame for this type of scope and mount.
The rifle's provenance is documented, as it's from the
collection of highly regarded K98k collector Robert Jensen and three
photographs of it appear on page 261 of Backbone of the Wehrmacht, The
German K98k Rifle, 1934-1945. Its current value is approximately
$10,000.
Hitler's Garand--A Grand Disappointment
In September of 1943, Hitler unrealistically ordered that the
production of scoped K43 rifles be increased to 25,000 per month. The
G/K43 was to be the sniper weapon system of the Wehrmacht's future.
It never happened. A brief history of the G/K43 is in order.
In 1940 an expedited developmental program was initiated to
evaluate and adopt a semiautomatic rifle in the standard German service
caliber, 7.92x57mm. One was designed by Walther, the other by Hauser.
Although the breech locking systems were completely different, the gas
systems and magazines were similar.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The Walther design, called the G41(W) (Gewehr 1941 Walther),
weighed about 11 pounds and was equipped with a non-detachable 10-round
magazine. The method of breech locking was derived from a cammed,
locking flap system designed at the beginning of the 20th century by
Friberg and Kjellman and eventually used with great success in the
Soviet Degtyarev DP series of light machine guns.
The means of operation was by propellant gases expanding into a
nose cap on the muzzle and driving a cylindrical gas piston surrounding
the barrel and attached to the operating rod on top of the barrel to
open and drive the bolt assembly to the rear.
The Mauser rifle was called the G41(M) and as stated employed a gas
system and magazine quite similar to those of the Walther rifle.
However, the method of breech locking was entirely different. The
two-piece bolt had a rotating head with two locking lugs. The lugs
"rotated out of battery when the operating rod forced the
bolt's rear piece, which contained the cam surfaces, rearward.
The operating rod was located under the barrel and the retracting
handle, at the rear end of the receiver, had to be lifted up and then
pulled back to cock the weapon, in a manner similar to that of a
turn-bolt rifle.
Both rifles were well made by conventional fabrication techniques.
Several thousand were apparently manufactured for trials. The G41(W)
proved to be superior and was adopted by the Heereswaffenamt by the end
of 1941. The designation was subsequently changed to G41.
Series production commenced and additional rifles were produced at
Berlin-Lubecker Maschinenfabriken of Lubeck. The G41 was deployed in the
Soviet Union and Italy in small quantities. It was moderately reliable,
but muzzle heavy and clumsy. The forged, machine-finished receiver, bolt
and bolt carrier contributed significantly to the weight and cost of
manufacture.
The Wehrmacht was not at all satisfied, so development of an
improved and more cost-effective model continued. A substantially
modified rifle was finalized on 30 April 1943. In essence the gas system
of the Soviet SVT40 Tokarev rifle and a detachable, box-type magazine
were combined with the breech locking mechanism of the G41(W). An
integral scope rail was mounted on the right side of the receiver.
The official designation "Gewehr 43" (G43) was changed to
"Karabiner 43" (K43) in April of 1944, but this was a change
in nomenclature only. While clearly superior to the G41, the G43 was
ordered into series production before development was complete.
A trial performed by the U.S. Army in 1946 concluded negatively
that, the general performance and endurance of the weapons tested was
poor, as excessive malfunctions and breakages were encountered. ... The
weapon does not appear to possess any outstandingly meritorious design
features."
Developed in conjunction with the G43 was the Zf4 scope and mount,
also far from perfect. Voigtlander & Sohn AG designed the Zf4. It
was at that time a prominent optical manufacturer in Germany. Located in
Braunschweig, they provided of optical goods, such as aircraft gun
cameras, binoculars and telescopic rifle sights to the Wehrmacht.
The Zf4 was of only 4X magnification and most of them were equipped
with a reticle pattern consisting of a single pointed post, with two
horizontal bars. Oddly, the windage adjustment knob is on top of the
scope tube with the elevation adjustment knob on the right side.
Elevation can be adjusted in 50-meter increments from 100 to 800 meters.
In addition to Voigtlander, Opticotechna GmbH and AGFA Kamerawerke
manufactured the Zf4 scope. Many subcontractors were also involved in
the manufacture of the Zf4. The scope attached to my personal specimen
is marked on the left side with the serial number, "Gw ZF4, a
triangle, the Voigtlander manufacturer's code, which was
"ddx" and "K43". It's very important to note
that Zf4 serial numbers never matched the serial number of the rifle.
Any that do are a sure indication of an over-zealous collector, who
couldn't stand to let well enough alone, and who, in seeking
authenticity created a counterfeit.
Voigtlander made almost 90,000 Zf4 scopes. It must be remembered
that the Zf4 was, toward the end of the war, also mounted on the
Sturmgewehr (MP43/44) and the K98k. Still, far more Zf4 scopes were
manufactured than the supply of suitable weapons on which to mount them.
Zf4 side mounts exhibit many small differences and can sometimes be
found with serial numbers matching those of the rifle and also the
scope. The serial number on my specimen's Fernrohr-Montage (Scope
Mount) does not match the serial number of the rifle and, thus, does not
represent original issue.
However, it is true that only approximately 46,000 scoped G/K43
rifles were delivered to the Wehrmacht, out of a total G/K43 series
production of 399,504 rifles. There are probably many more than 46,000
G/K43 "sniper rifles" in the hands of U.S. collectors.
Zf4 scopes and mounts were made after World War II in
Czechoslovakia and many have been installed on G/K43 rifles and pawned
of as originals. Thus in this area we have several levels of fakery;
mild by installing World-War-II-era Voigtlander-made Zf4 scopes and
mounts from that era on G/K43 rifles, such as my specimen, and total
corruption by way of installing postwar scopes and mounts on a G/K43.
No matter what some authors may say, the G/K43 rifle was a failure.
It never came close to the .30 MI Garand and wasn't even quite up
to the mediocre SVT40 Tokarev rifle it faced in Russia. Why? First and
foremost, it was introduced exactly at the time major cracks were
starting to appear in the "Thousand-Year Reich".
Germany's industrial potential was starting to crumble as a
result of incessant Allied bombing. The G/K43 was rushed into series
production before research on all of the many aspects of what was
essentially an intricate design was completed.
Quality steadily declined throughout the production history and
features not considered absolutely essential, such as the bolt hold-open
device, were dropped from the design. Still, production never caught up
with demand. There were also isolated cases of sabotage by the slave
laborers involved in its manufacture.
Because of their ethnic obsession with technical complexity, areas
such as the overall bolt system were needlessly complicated and
over-engineered. The first 500 Zf4 scopes failed to meet inspection
standards and after 9,000 had been produced by March of 1944 many were
still out-of-tolerance.
In this area at least, the Red Army fared no better, as the SVT40
proved to be a dismal sniper weapon system as well. Scoped G/K43 rifles
never matched the accuracy potential of the bolt-action K98k equipped
with mostly commercial hunting scopes. The Russians as well quickly
dropped the scoped SVT40 concept and went back to the M1891 Mosin-Nagant
bolt-action rifle equipped with the PU series of relatively
low-magnification scopes.
Sturmgewehr - an even bigger disappointment
In October 1943, the MP43 Sturmgewehr was tested in comparison with
the G43 rifle using the relatively new Zf4 scope developed for the
G/K43. The Zf4 scope was based upon the 4X scope used by the Soviets on
Mosin-Nagant sniper rifles. Attaching the Zf4 scope to an MP43 proved to
be disastrous.
After 30 rounds were fired in the full-auto mode, the Zf4 scope
self-destructed. Subsequently, five shots fired in the semiautomatic
mode did not even impact on the target. Further tests in September 1944
were also unsatisfactory.
Most likely, the problem was associated with an excessive amount of
flex and torque the sheet metal receiver (to which the scope and mount
were attached) exhibited during the recoil and counter-recoil strokes of
the reciprocating components. There might have eventually been a
solution, but the war ended before it could be found.
Really rare and really mostly counterfeit
The Zielfernrohr 4-Fach (Zf4) scope was developed not only for the
G/K43 rifle, but to become the future standard telescopic sight of the
Wehrmacht, but for the K98k, the Sturmgewehr, and the
FallschirmjagerGewehr (FG42--the paratrooper's automatic rifle).
Because it was originally designed to be attached onto the integral base
at the rear of the G/K43 receiver, its eye relief was much shorter than
that of the telescopic sights used on the K98k. As a consequence, it had
to be positioned further rearward for that application.
J.P. Sauer & Sohn and Weihrauch developed a special, so-called
"Swept Back Mount" to solve this problem. It was a modified
version of the standard G/K43 mount with swept back brackets to hold the
scope onto the mount, which in turn interfaced with a base attached to
the left side (on the G/K43 the scope is attached to the right side of
the receiver) of the K98k receiver.
Authentic Swept Back Mount K98k sniper rifles are extremely rare.
Very few were produced and in addition, due to a faulty production
process, many were over-hardened and subsequently cracked when the
clamping lever was closed. It has been reported that only three
specimens have been authenticated: one in the former U.S. Army's
Aberdeen Proving Ground collection and two in private collections (one
of which is photographed herewith).
The Swept Back Mounts themselves are now widely duplicated.
Remembering that both original and postwar Zf4 scopes are fairly
abundant and that a K98k with a swept back mount would fetch an
astronomical price, it takes no great leap of the imagination to
understand that sleazy counterfeiters have been working feverishly on
this potentially juicy project. Caveat Emptor!
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The Fatal Flaw in Eastern Front Sniper Rifles
The sniper rifles fielded by both the Wehrmacht and the Red Army on
the Eastern Front during World War II in every instance started out as
infantry rifles with stocks designed for the soldier to utilize only the
iron sights mounted directly on top of the receiver and barrel. To this
was added, as nothing more than an afterthought, a mount that invariably
positioned a telescopic sight several inches above the bore's axis.
It was thus impossible at the same time both to view an image
through the scope's ocular and acquire a proper and consistent
cheek weld. The cheek weld is absolutely imperative to achieve
repeatable and accurate results. As a consequence, combat experienced
Scharfschutzen often used a so-called "chin" weld that raised
the eye to the proper height needed to acquire the scope's ocular.
A few at least in the Wehrmacht finally seemed to understand this.
For, published in the Entwurf Heeresdienst-vorschrift 298/20g, 18
November 1944, Provisional Army Manual, Sniper Training and Deployment,
are two photographs of a German soldier aiming a high turret mount K98k
sniper rifle to which has been attached what appears to be a cloth or
felt cheekpiece that provides a correct cheek weld.
The cheekpiece is secured to the stock by a bent metal clamp
attached to the cheekpiece by a threaded bolt and nut and to the K98k
stock's metal bolt disassembly disc also by means of a threaded
bolt and nut. I have also examined a photograph of a German sniper on
the Eastern Front who tied a winter mitten to his K98k stock in order to
obtain a cheek weld.
Unpleasant Conclusions
The German World-War-II, Scharfschiitzen or sniper's, cloth
badge was a black hawk with a golden eye and beak above green oak
leaves. Rarely issued, it was never worn by snipers on the front lines.
To be captured with this badge on the Eastern Front, or worse yet a
sniper rifle, meant certain torture of the most unspeakable kind and a
slow and painful death.
When the war ended on 8 May 1945, Knight's Cross holder and
highly acclaimed sniper Sepp Allerberger, who served in H Battalion,
Gebirgsjager Regiment 144 (GJR 144) of 3 Gebirgsjager Division (3 GD),
decided to leave Olmiltz in Czechoslovakia and escape on foot back to
his home in a small village near Salzburg, the alpine region of Austria.
His first act prior to leaving his regiment was to place his sniper
rifle under the steel treads of an assault gun and have the driver run
over it. With only a handful of exceptions, almost all German snipers
destroyed their weapons either before they were captured or at the end
of the war. This is one of the principal reasons why original and
authentic German World-War-IT-era sniper rifles are so extraordinarily
rare today.
Seemingly forever, whenever a collectible object, be it a Ming
Dynasty vase or Colt Walker Dragoon, has become valuable enough, it has
attracted counterfeiters. This is certainly no less true With the German
sniper rifles of World War II. These "alterations" range from
no more than mildly "improving" a beloved piece by adding an
authentic leather sling that wasn't there, to attaching replica
bases, mounts and scopes to a K98k rifle that was devoid of anything
other than its factory iron sights and selling it as an authentic sniper
rifle.
This latter is outright criminal fakery; the former, can actually
slightly enhance the rifle's value. World-War-II-era bases and
mounts have been made, and are being made now, in both the United States
and Germany. With these, counterfeiters are busy in their machine shops
building totally fake K98k sniper rifles.
More complicated, ethically and esthetically, are the so-called
"reproduction" K98k sniper rifles assembled often from Russian
capture K98k rifles--remember, the total production of the K98k during
World War II was 14,685,284, and many millions of these were lost on the
Eastern Front and have been refinished, rebuilt and stored for decades
in Russian arsenal vaults--and so-called replica bases and mounts and
replica scopes made mostly in Belorussian optical factories.
A number of these have had markings altered and/or added and have
been sold as original pieces. However, even if they are honestly
proclaimed by both their sellers and owners as no more than
"historical reproductions," it should be kept in mind that
they have, and never will have, collectible status or much real value
and will never, giver appreciate in value. In my personal opinion, they
represent rather poor investments, to say the least.
If you want to acquire an authentic German World-War-II-era sniper
rifle that will continue to appreciate in value, then I recommend
contacting either a dealer or auction house of accredited reputation
that sells objects of known and documented provenance. I have listed a
few below.
If you feel that you cannot afford the real thing, then I suggest
you focus your aspirations on something more modest in the area of
World-War-II-era militaria. I cannot and never will be able to afford a
Lamborghini Murcielago, but I neither aspire to own one, nor do I envy
those who do.
Note: throughout the text I have provided detailed descriptions of
German sniper rifles from my personal collection and their current
approximate value, most certainly not out of vanity, but to provide the
reader with precisely described examples to assist in the analysis of
features that are important in determining the authenticity of a sniper
rifle offered for sale. This is unfortunate, but necessary because of
the vast number of fake German sniper rifles now flooding the market.
I would also like to express my gratitude to my friend of more than
40 years, George Brinkop, for the loan of three of the rifles from his
extensive collection of German World War I and II sniper rifles and for
his most generous assistance with terminology used in the text in the
German language.
RELATED ARTICLE: THE MAUSER 98 ACTION
There is no doubt whatsoever that the Model 1898 Mauser action and
its direct derivatives are the finest, strongest and most foolproof
military boltactions ever designed. The one-piece receiver is machined
from a single forging. The recoil lug, integral with the receiver
forging, is large and more than ample.
The inside of the receiver ring is threaded to accept the barrel
shank. There are 12 threads per inch with a pitch of 55 [degrees]
Whitworth. There is a collar, completely around the inside of the
receiver ring except for the extractor cut, against which the rear end
of the barrel impinges. This collar adds strength to the receiver ring
and provides a seal around the bolt head. The top front of the receiver
bridge is slotted to accept a charger clip.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The Mauser '98 bolt is a solid steel machined forging with an
integral bolt handle, usually with a round knob. There are dual-opposed
locking lugs on the front end. The top (left side) lug is slotted to
permit the ejector to pass through. The bottom (right side) lug is
solid.
The inside of the receiver ring has been milled to form the
shoulders against which the locking lugs abut There is a third (or
safety) lug at the rear of the bolt body and slightly forward of the
bolts cocking handle, in line with the bottom locking lug. This lug
engages a recess in the receiver when the bolt is closed. It acts only
as a safety lug, in the unlikely event that the front lugs fail.
A long spring-steel extractor (much copied) is attached to a groove
in the bolt body by a separate collar and provides what is usually
called "controlled" feeding. This means that rounds cannot be
dropped into the chamber because the extractor claw will not slip over
the rim and so the bolt cannot be closed. All feeding must be from the
magazine and the extractor claw rides in the case's extractor
groove starting at the time the cartridge moves upward out of the
magazine. Thus, the extractor "controls" the case's
movement throughout the feeding cycle.
When the bolt is opened, the beveled, squared-off base of the bolt
handle moves along the rearward inclined surface of the receiver bridge
and this provides camming power for initial extraction and assists in
the bolt's beginning rotation. The bolt lift on the Mauser '98
action is 90 [degrees]. The bolt body is bored from the rear to accept
the firing pin and mainspring.
The rear of the striker and the cocking piece has three interrupted
lugs to provide precise quarter-turn locking between these two
components. The mainspring is retained by the cocking piece. Two safety
lugs on the firing pin, matching cutouts inside the bolt, serve to block
the fall of the firing pin should it fracture before the bolt is fully
locked. While many insist the Mauser '98 action cocks on opening,
more than one-third of the cocking motion actually takes place as the
bolt is closed.
There is a wing-type manual safety in the top of the bolt sleeve.
When placed in the far right position, both the firing pin/cocking piece
and bolt are locked. Movement all the way to the left will permit the
rifle to be fired. In the center position, only the firing pin/cocking
piece remains locked, permitting the bolt to be rotated for safe
unloading of the magazine.
There are two oval safety gas vents toward the front of the bolt
body, on either side of the extractor collar. The bolt stop, on the left
side of the receiver, rotates on a pointed screw that passes through an
integral stud on the receiver.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The trigger guard and staggered-column, box magazine are machined
from a single piece of steel. Capacity of the magazine is five rounds,
and it can be loaded singly or with a standard five-round stripper clip.
There is a hinged, milled-steel detachable floorplate, together with a
milled follower and W-shaped follower spring.
Over the 100 years of its existence, many have modified the Mauser
'98 action and there have been no small number of competing
designs. None have equaled its most salient features and it remains,
more than a century after its introduction, the very best military
turn-bolt ever brought to "shoulder arms."
RECOMMENDED SOURCES FOR GERMAN WORLD-WAR-II-ERA SNIPER RIFLES
Randall M. Bessler, LLC, Dept. SG N, P.O. Box 2248, Carson City, NV
89702; phone/fax: 775-885-0717; email: randallmbessler@msn.com;
web-site: www.collectorfirearms.com.
Richard Crosier, Dept, SG N, 3440 Back Creek Road. Waddy, KY 40076;
phone: 502-738-9751; email: rickcrosier@msn.com.
Rock Island Auction Company, Dept, SG N, 7819 42nd Street West Rock
Island, IL 61201; phone: 309-797-1500 or 800-238-8022; fax:
309-797-1655; email: info@rockislandauction.com; website:
www.rockislandauction.com.
ON THE COVER
A K98k sniper rifle with 4X scope in Single-Claw Mounts was made by
Steyr in 1944. The front and rear bases and the front and rear rings
with single claws all carry the rifle's serial number. It is shown
with the rare Anti-Partisan Badge and the "the medal of the frozen
meat", The Russian campaign ribbon. Photo by Mike Anschuetz.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
RECOMMENDED REFERENCES
Sniper Variations of the German K98k Rifle, Backbone of the
Wehrmacht Volume II, by Richard D. Law. ISBN 0-88935-222-4. 240 pages,
291 illustrations, $47.50.
Backbone of the Wehrmacht, The German K98k Rifle, 1934-1945, by
Richard D. Law. ISBN 0-88935-102-3. Author's revised edition, 384
pages, 478 illustrations, $69.95.
Hitler's Garands--German Self-Loading Rifles of World War II,
by W. Darrin Weaver. ISBN 0-88935-275-5. 392 pages, 590 illustrations,
$69.95.
Sturmgewehr--From Firepower to Striking Power, by Hans-Dieter
Handrich. ISBN 0-88935-356-5. 600 pages, 392 illustrations, $79.95.
Collector Grade Publications, Inc. P.O. Box 1046, Co-bourg, Ont K9A
4W5, Canada; phone: 905-342-3434; fax: 905-342-3688; email:
info@collectorgrade.com; website: www.collectorgrade.com.
German Sniper Rifles, The Propaganda Photo Series, Volume VII, by
A. Wacker and G. de Vries. S.I. Publications BV, P.O. Box 188, 6860 AD
Oosterbeek, The Netherlands; fax: (+)31-26-4430824; email: si@si
publicaties.nl; website: www.sipublicaties.nl and in the
USA--www.casematepublishing.com. Copyright 2011. ISBN 978-90-78521-04-4.
152 pages, 200 black and white illustrations, $39.95.
Sniper Scopes and Mounts 1914-1945, by Robert Spielauer. Email:
info@k98.at; website: www.k98.at. Copyright 2007-2008. ISBN
978-3-200-01010-9. 557 pages, numerous black and white illustrations.
Out of print, available only as an eBook for 49 Euros.
Sniper on the Eastern Front, The Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger
Knight's, by Albrecht Wacker. Pen & Sword Limited, 47 Church
Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS, England; email:
enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk; website: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk.
Copyright 2005. ISBN 1-84415-3177. 178 pages, black and white
photographs, $35.55.
Text and photos by Peter G. Kokalis
COPYRIGHT 2012 InterMedia Outdoors, Inc.
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
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