Milsurp After Hours

A few years ago I was fortunate to be able to purchase this nice G 98 WW1 Mauser with some nice provenance. The rifle came complete with matching bayonet.

This rifle was taken of a captured German soldier by a Lieutenant Kayall of the Durham Light Infantry during the Somme offensive in 1916.

The rifle was offered to me by Mr Kayall's grand daughter after she had asked the Durham Light Infantry Museum if they wanted it, they said no as they didn't want real weapons.

Mr Kayall's son was in the RAF during World War 2 and was shot down and captured, besides a distinguished career as a pilot he also became famous as the escape officer in the Wooden Horse escape when the dug a tunnel from under a wooden vaulting horse that was taken out into the middle of the exercise yard every day.

Anyway here's some pictures of that rifle which will still hold 2" groups at 100 yards.

The Lange rear sight is a sculptural classic is it not?

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A very good looking gew98. Does the rod still match ?. What kind of bayonet did the rifle come home with ?. The only out of place thing is the 98k sling on it , unsightly but hard to find an original example these days.

Am not so amazed that the 'museum' turned it down ( evil live shooter it is !). Am amazed that the family had no desire to keep it ...shame on them. Is there any written provenance regarding this rifle...say journal entries or something similar that is period fo the great war to validate the story ?.

Nice rifle. It hasn't been deactivated has it? I can't believe that any decent museum would turn that down.

Dave

That is a fine rifle with a with a great history, i have handled it and fired it a few times over the years and i am pretty certain the sling is an original G98 sling, but i could stand to be corrected if my memory serves me wrong! Dromia?

Joe

Your Somme capture G98 looks like it is fitted with a WWI Kar98a sling ( has the sliding/locking buckle, later used on the WW II Kar98k slings) and this "kar" sling has been modified to fit the Gew98 Quick detachable lower sling swivel; the correct "Parade Loop" is there, attaching the front loop of the sling to the upper band hook ( "Shorten slings for Parade" position).
Proper Gew98 slings had a standard friction buckle, without tongue.

Nice find. Try to get some "written provenance" from the original owners, such as letters mentioning the rifle, or similar. or even the officer's diary entry, if possible.
That will enhance the value should it ever have to go to "auction" as "the property of a gentleman".

regards,
Doc AV
AV Ballistics
Brisbane Australia

Very, very, very NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you only shoot lovingly made hand cast handloads through that Jerry smokepole!