In very sharp ALL MATCHING condition, we have a very attractive Erfurt Arsenal 1918 manufactured Kar 98az Carbine STRAIGHT OUT OF THE WOODWORK FROM THE GRANDSON OF THE DOUGHBOY WHO BROUGHT IT BACK. MOST IMPORTANTLY THIS IS EXACTLY AS IT CAME BACK FROM THE GREAT WAR, WITH THE VERY RARE AND ELUSIVE SHEET METAL DUST COVER, AND A RARE HARD TO FIND MUZZLE COVER. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THE DUSTOVER ALONE IS WORTH AT LEAST $1500 AND THE MUZZLE COVER IS WORTH AT LEAST $250.00
Of course this is totally matching down to the screws and the bore is mint. The stock is the typical late war beech. Clearly this rifle made it through the war relatively intact and has just sat in the closet for over a hundred years. The model 98az was the standard carbine in use by the German Army at the time and it was the forerunner of the later 98k. These rifles featured the 98 “small ring action” and many were turned into custom rifles because of the sleek design. Today, finding and original matching rifle is a real score and this mint example would be the pride of any German Mauser collection. These rifles because of the short length stayed in service for much longer than the Gew 98.
After the end of WWI they were in wide use with the Wiemar Era and the Nazi Era Police; they were in use with the Police until the end of WWII. I recently saw German war footage of the invasion of France and guys in the field artillery were still issued with them as late as 1940 and they were in use all through the war with secondary army units.
This is the classic late WWI German Storm Troopers Trench fighting rifle in a very rare state of preservation and originality and It belongs in a museum!
