Pre-WWII German K98 Standard modell.

The banner with the company name Mauser is certainly one of the most known and in great demand by surplus weapons collectors, and it was used on famous guns as C96 pistols, interwar Oberndorf hunting and sporting rifles and on the export carbines called "Standard Modell".

Between the Two World Wars, with Mauser’s production of firearms restricted by the Versailles Treaty, the German weapon production was strongly restricted and in these conditions, with the pretext of export sales and sport duties, Mauser developed a short rifle in which was used its logo and so called Mauser Banner that became the standard configuration for the later wartime K98 military rifles.

Feature of the Standard Modell is the absence of many marking on the carbines, limited to the "MAUSER" banner logo stamped on the top of the receiver ring, the "Crown/B, G, U and N" commercial proofmarks on the side of the barrel, the written STANDARD MODELL on the receiver left side wall and, when used by the German army, waffenamt acceptance proofs.

These models were fitted with bolts having straight handles and and under-mounted sling mounts (later production Standard Modells were modified with a turned-down bolt handle and side-mounted sling mounts).

The rifle we're showing here is in 8x57mm caliber, belongs to the "B" serial range, and moreover has the 36Si41 code and the WaA63 waffenamt on the bottom of the barrel. The bolt and other secondary parts were subsequently replaced.

This rifle is equipped with the original inverted "V" front sight and military style tangent rear sight graduated from 100 to 2000 meters but, due to an old German law, the slide has a little metal weld under to prevent the cursor from aim beyond 300 meters and is fitted with the early style all milled trigger guard and floor plate, the early wide middle barrel band, and early style "H" pattern milled front barrel band.

It is fitted with a 321 mm cleaning rod with a slotted head nd the wood stock is the early correct pattern Standard-Modell style with finger grooves on the sides and a blue flat steel buttplate.

The general appearance of the weapon is good, the wood is in excellent condition as much of the barrel. The receiver instead has some of the surface part no longer polished, but marked by uniform pitting. The barrel is in good condition, with clearly visible rifling.