Mornin’ from North Carolina, first post on this forum...
Hello-
I have lurked on various gun forums, and it seems that this one is the most “civil’ and knowledgeable.
I have a WWII bring-back of my Father’s, and a sporter I built to hunt with. Both are 98k in 8mm.
I rediscovered deer hunting in my early 40’s, and used my Dad’s rifle ‘ out there’ to hunt with. I didn’t like the occasional ding into the stock when hoisting the weapon up into the deer stand, so I built a 98k sporter out of a non-matching I got at a .gunshow.
Dad’s gun was a WWII bring-back. It is all matching, dated 44 on the receiver, and was given to me at age 14. His P-47 sqdn landed at Gieblestadt Luftwaffe Base near the end of the war, and he told me that he and his buddies scoured the base for “collectibles” after taking possession of the base. Told me that they forced a huge lock on a heavy door, and discovered an armory, where all the pilots and mechanics helped themselves to what they wanted from it. Dad took what is now my 98K. When I cleaned the gun after receiving it, it was full of cosmoline or something similar, the rifling was pristine, and stock as well. I am certain that he never fired it after bringing it home. I never thought to ask him how he got it home after the war... and am curious now about that!
My sporter is after-market fitted with and ATI stock, and a 3x9scope. It’s non-matching, dated 1939, and the rifling is decidedly more worn than Dad’s gun. I dropped the original furniture off, and have since sold that mil furniture to a local guy who loves the rifles. I have taken a lot of deer with this weapon, using S&B’s 196 SP, or PPU, 196 SP.
Looking forward to getting along with you guys, and reading posts about our rifles!
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