Looking for my Dad's Mauser in German Military Mausers Forum Forum

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Looking for my Dad's Mauser

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rbcgunsmithing	Looking for my Dad's Mauser	Lead	[-]
Posts: 5 Dec 13 12 9:44 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None My dad, Abbott Craft was a Staff Sargeant in the US Army stationed in Linz Austria after WWII. During that time he purchased some guns to be brought back to the US. One of those guns was a K98 Mauser, S/N 2359 that he purchased February 20, 1948 (according to the military paperwork that I have). Dad passed away in 1970 and several years later I inherited his guns and the Mauser was not amoung them. I can only assume that he either sold or traded it off some time prior to 1970. We lived in MI but he did spend a year or so in KY shortly after he returned to the states in 1950. I know it's a long shot, okay, a REAL long shot that I could ever find this rifle but what the hell, I figure I'll throw the info out there and see what happens. I was surfing Gunbroker earlier today and actually found K98 S/N 2352 for sale! Go figure, the rifle that was built a mere 7 guns ahead of my Dad's.
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Crunch130		#1	[-]
Posts: 1317 Dec 13 12 10:16 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Mr. Craft, Welcome aboard! A note about Mauser serial numbers - If you don't know what year it was made, and in what factory, your serial number alone is not enough to identify a unique rifle. My K98 was built in 1944 at Gustloff Werkes - hence the receiver is marked BCD 4. BCD for the factory code, 4 for the year. Those and the serial number are needed to uniquely identify the rifle. And no, my dad who fought at the Battle of the Bulge, did not bring this one or any other home for me. I had to buy it. To add to the complication, the serial numbers went up to 9999, then added a letter prefix and started over. Next letter, start over again. So his rifle may have had a letter prefix and he just didn't list it, or it may have been in the first block from that factory for that year. As much as we collectors value Mausers today, they were not particularly valuable when your dad was alive and many were not taken care of. So, good luck, but with the large number of Mauser #2359's that were made, the only way to know for sure is the current owner has documentation that it came from your dad. And my condolences that your father passed at what must have been a fairly young age. Regards, Crunch
nothernug		#2	[-]
Posts: 13330 Dec 13 12 11:26 PM Forum Site Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Howdy and welcome to Parallax Bill's! As was pointed out, I fear your search is a forlorn hope. Even if you should find a rifle with the same serial #, the odds are astronomically against it being the same. Still, I bet it did raise the eyebrows to see one so near at least in number. If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen. Sam Adams
rbcgunsmithing		#3	[-]
Posts: 5 Dec 14 12 6:36 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thanks guys for the feedback on my dad's Mauser. I too remember when you could buy a Mauser for $35.00 at the hardware store. I believe that the S/N has no prefix and is simply 2359. My reason for this statement is that the documentation is all military paperwork (and we all know how anal the military can be about dotting I's and crossing T's), and the paperwork that I have for the other two guns that he brought back matches their serial numbers exactly. So the rationale is that if there were a prefix, they would have listed it. I am also a FFL so I have passed the serial number along to an ATF agent that is also a friend in the hope that they can find it in the national database. This too is a long shot since the only way it will be in the database is if it changed hands through an actual dealer, and that dealer has since gone out of business having turned-in their bound book. I really appreciate everyone's input on this since I am far from being a Mauser expert or detective!
armydriver		#4	[-]
Posts: 30 Dec 16 12 3:31 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Good luck on your quest.
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rbcgunsmithing		#5	[-]
Posts: 5 Dec 16 12 12:03 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thanks Armydriver! I just happen to think that I have a couple customers that are WWII reenactors that may know others that act as German troops. Who knows, if the rifle stayed local and didn't get 'sporterized' one of them may have it. Again, a long shot. Would love to find it and buy it back, but just finding it would really be special.
nothernug		#6	[-]
Posts: 13330 Dec 17 12 1:23 AM Forum Site Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	rbcgunsmithing wrote: (and we all know how anal the military can be about dotting I's and crossing T's), and the paperwork that I have for the other two guns that he brought back matches their serial numbers exactly. So the rationale is that if there were a prefix, they would have listed it. I will agree with your reasoning that the other guns paperwork are specific so that this other should have been too. But, Army being anal on vet bring back paperwork? Not necessarily. My Dad was in the CBI and brought back a Japanese hand grenade, type 97 I think. (Thereby lies a tale! let's just say it's a minor miracle that I'm here at all!) I have the particulars someplace. The details are irrelevant here. I'm only posting the images for curiosity sake. Dad has two pages authorizing his having and keeping it. But, those are little if anything more than type written pages. Then again, maybe it was a Theater thing. I imagine the ETO was a lot more tightly organized and run than the CBI. If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen. Sam Adams
rbcgunsmithing		#7	[-]
Posts: 5 Dec 17 12 6:06 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Well ain't that a cool war trophy! How did you upload the paperwork scan? If I knew how I would upload my Dad's paperwork just to share. It's so ironic that he was in for 13 years and served in multiple areas but unfortunately I have very few of his records. Tried to get his complete military history at one point only to find out that the National Archives housing his records burned completely a year after his death. I really treasure the records that I DO have and keep them stored in a safe!
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