Mauser 98 8x57

[rapidboy1]

Hi Vagrant ,
My friend has decided to get a Mauser 98 in the original 8x57 so he shoot in "Historic Rifle" competitions and also because he feels he isn't having fun unless he's having tremendous difficulty locating brass to home load all his ammo!!!
Anyway he started buying all kinds of associated items ,bayonet ,cleaning kit etc. and this little items turned up in the cleaning kit.




It slips on to the muzzle and secures by turning around the foresight.
Its a good fit ,came with the cleaning kit and seems to be correct for this rifle.
At first we thought it was a bore guide to protect the crown when cleaning using a ram rod ,but why clean from the muzzle when you can remove the bolt and clean from the breach?
Secondly its actually rifled!?
I don't know why it would be rifled unless the gun was intended to be fired with it in place (i really don't fancy trying that!!!) and what purpose would it serve?
Personally I believe it's a bore guide made from a barrel possibly faulty ,damaged or shot out.
A barrel would already be the correct diameter and this would have been manufactured during war time when materials and labour would not have been wasted.
What do ya think?

[switchman1]

greetings rapidboy:an uneducated guess is that it is a muzzle protector of some kind,or possibly a smoke grenade launcher,Ibet if you typed k98 mauser and did a search something would show up,happy hunting.

[Vagrant]

I'll have to check around some on this one. I have no idea !

[switchman1]

Greetings Rapidboy: I think I found what you're lookin for this mornin took a while but what the heck I got nothin but time, try this address.
cdnninvestments.com/mauser.html

[Diggaway]

Hello rapidboy; most likely a muzzle protecter.I would doubt that the issued cleaning rod(and not all variations carried them) would be long enough to be easily handled from the breech.It would also prevent sawing if a pullthrough cord wasn't thumbtrapped.
Do the lands and grooves line up when installed?and,of curiosity,is the rifle's muzzle crowned in such a fashion to require additional protection?
I can supply bbl length info should you need it.

[Vagrant]

It is a bore guide.
M48A-035
Bore Guide, Military Grade, originally issued with Rifle
Assures cleaning rod alignment with bore. 29.95
The pic didn't make it but you can see it at this link.
http://www.mitchellsales.com/accessories/index.htm
Scroll almost to the botom of the page.

[rapidboy1]

Nice work guys,
The rifled piece moves inside the outer assembly so the rifling in the guide dont line up with barrel rifling.
There seem's no reason for it to be rifled so i think my original theory may be correct , that "surplus" barrels where used to make these.

Many thanks
Rapidboy

[Vagrant]

Because it is rifled and can rotate a cleaning patch forces it to line up with the rifling in the barrel as it passes from the guide to the barrel. But WHY make it so complicated when a "smooth bore" bushing wouldn't need to line up The only answer I can think of is; A classic German case
of "Look what we can do"

[Stone Knife]

They sure have come up with some clever items in the past 60 years.

[Vagrant]

They sure have come up with some clever items in the past 60 years.

In have worked with the Krauts [I'm part German] in the past [at B.A.S.F. in Bedford Mass, now closed]. The one thing they are not noted for is humor. But if you get to know them they are a "riot"!! One of "our guys" [noted for his ineptitude] was screwing something up [as usual] when one of the Germans came over to me and wanted to know if he could ask a question? He seemed very reluctant but I assured him he could ask ME anything. I wasn't sure about the rest of our guys. He pointed to our resident foul-up [who was really screwing something up at the time. And asked "How did you guys win the war?" I was in tears it was so funny. I once refered to Germany as "Twelveland" when talking to one of them. He didn't understand until I explained their fetish for everything being neat and in order and packaged in fixed amounts. Once we were questioning why we had a certain problem frequently that was almost unheard of in Germany. Someone asked why it didn't happen there? My answer was "It is NOT allowed". The Americans seemed embarassed but the Krauts were in tears. There engineering is top notch but the thing I remember most was the Humor. [Most of our guys did not join in like I did, and I think they missed a lot of fun]. After completing a long list of tasks we needed done as soon as possible, I went to the leader and asked, Nachst Opfer [Next victim?] they had never heard the expresion used that way and LOVED it. They used it all the time until they returned to the "Fatherland". I wonder if it "caught on" there?