Danzig Gewehr 98 – 8mm – MFG 1915 – WWI Prussian Markings – Imperial German

This is a no reserve penny auction for a Spandau Gewehr Model 1898 bolt action rifle in 7.92×57/8mm Mauser. Serial number- 7259. This rifle is in great condition, considering it is almost 110 years old! This is an example of a World War I Model 98 Mauser made by Danzig in 1915. There is no import mark. Most of the serials match however, there are some serials that do not, namely on the bolt, bolt handle, and safety. However, these parts have patinaed with the rest of the gun so were likely time-period fixes. Everything else appears to match the receiver. It can be hard to find Gewehr 98s as very few survived WWI dut to heavy use, often parts were replaced, and many were destroyed during the war, or sporterized due to the forced downsizing of the German military by the Treaty of Versailles. Other rifles received conversions or were completely replaced after the war by the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich. By the time of WWII, a new version of the 1898, the Karabiner 98, was adopted by the German Army for World War II, which is essentially a shorter/lighter version of the original Model 1898 with a bent bolt handle. Please see the photos as there is a crack in the stock near the butt plate.
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<br />The Model 1898 is widely considered by firearm experts as the greatest bolt-action rifle of all time. It not only served several militaries through the first half of the 20th century but inspired other rifles to the modern day. The American Springfield Model 1903 was basically a copy of the action with a few minor changes.