rare Israeli K98

[rjmt]

I was send these photos last night for identification
I believe this is one of the Russian capture K98 given to Israel by Russia in 1948

Israeli K98: How the Jewish State Acquired German Rifles After WWII

One of history’s great ironies is that the fledgling state of Israel, predominantly made up of pre-war Zionists and Jewish

www.tactical-life.com

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[Andy54Hawken]

Could be...or.....
It could be a 98K that suffered an attack by a woodpecker with a twisted sense of humor....

While the rifle does have some interesting art work on it...that is about all that can be said here for sure.

Carving or markings on a firearm is only one of the many ways needed to ID who it was owned or used by...or even maybe where...
Stating that a firearm was used by someone , just by going on only one aspect of the firearm , may give a false history to the firearm

You need to look at the firearm as a whole...and compare it with proven known examples of a particular firearm , to get an idea of what it might be.
Andy

 

[rjmt]

Could be...or.....
It could be a 98K that suffered an attack by a woodpecker with a twisted sense of humor....

While the rifle does have some interesting art work on it...that is about all that can be said here for sure.

Carving or markings on a firearm is only one of the many ways needed to ID who it was owned or used by...or even maybe where...
Stating that a firearm was used by someone , just by going on only one aspect of the firearm , may give a false history to the firearm

You need to look at the firearm as a whole...and compare it with proven known examples of a particular firearm , to get an idea of what it might be.
Andy

another aspect is it belongs to a Jewish family and they have had it since they came to this country in the '50s

 

[Dungannon]

A lot of them were purchased by the nascent Israeli state from Czechoslovakia after WWII. Manufacturer stamping on the top of the receiver will show its original source. Many were converted from 8mm to .308 in Israeli arsenals before being retired from service. 'PAL' may be a reference to the Palmach, but absent arsenal proof marks in Hebrew I'd be very sceptical of its use by Israel military. The amateur markings on the metal are in English rather than Hebrew; another oddity.

 

[rjmt]

I just heard back that the PAL is for Palinski - the family are Polish Jews who relocated to Israel
waiting for a photo of the receiver

 

[mrblond]

Could be...or.....
It could be a 98K that suffered an attack by a woodpecker with a twisted sense of humor....

While the rifle does have some interesting art work on it...that is about all that can be said here for sure.

Carving or markings on a firearm is only one of the many ways needed to ID who it was owned or used by...or even maybe where...
Stating that a firearm was used by someone , just by going on only one aspect of the firearm , may give a false history to the firearm

You need to look at the firearm as a whole...and compare it with proven known examples of a particular firearm , to get an idea of what it might be.
Andy

when i was shopping for a matching 98k a few years back, i was shocked at all the rifles out there that someone doodled on in hopes of making it something it wasn't

 

[Andy54Hawken]

another aspect is it belongs to a Jewish family and they have had it since they came to this country in the '50s

Interesting for sure...However...
If true...then that has me doubting that this particular rifle was used by the Israeli military.

Nor sure how difficult it would have been to immigrate to America in the 1950's....
But I would imagine that doing so with a firearm , while it could happen...would be more difficult.
Also...
Getting a military firearm away from the military is also beset with hazards...again not impossible , just tough to do.

Whereas , during the 1950's , here in America , one could easily mail order a Mauser and have it delivered to one's home......
Andy

 

[rjmt]

Interesting for sure...However...
If true...then that has me doubting that this particular rifle was used by the Israeli military.

Nor sure how difficult it would have been to immigrate to America in the 1950's....
But I would imagine that doing so with a firearm , while it could happen...would be difficult.
Also...
Getting a military firearm away from the military is also beset with hazards...again not impossible , just tough to do.

Whereas , during the 1950's , here in America , one could easily mail order a Mauser and have it delivered to one's home......
Andy

and yet how many GIs sent weapons home from Vietnam

but the Russian capture K98s were sent to Palestine before Israel had a formal military, they were fighting British occupation at that time

 

[rjmt]

in 1973, I air freighted a BMW motorcycle into Atlanta from Frankfort
I can assure you no one checked what was on that pallet
it was easy for GIs to bring in war relics

 

[Andy54Hawken]

and yet how many GIs sent weapons home from Vietnam

but the Russian capture K98s were sent to Palestine before Israel had a formal military, they were fighting British occupation at that time

Please note that I said :

Getting a military firearm away from the military is also beset with hazards...again not impossible , just tough to do.

Read the : "again not impossible , just tough to do."

In any event...
It seems as if you are convinced that this rifle was indeed issued by the Israeli military and brought "home" by someone...
Maybe so....
I kinda doubt it for the reasons I have stated.
So....
With the interest of not clogging up a thread with a lot of back and forth...
I will leave you to your thread.
Andy

 

[rjmt]

Please note that I said :

Read the : "again not impossible , just tough to do."

In any event...
It seems as if you are convinced that this rifle was indeed issued by the Israeli military and brought "home" by someone...
Maybe so....
I kinda doubt it for the reasons I have stated.
So....
With the interest of not clogging up a thread with a lot of back and forth...
I will leave you to your thread.
Andy

I never suggested it was used by the Israeli military
my thoughts are it belonged to a member of the Jewish resistance around 1948
the family whos name is on the rifle still own it
Polish Jews started relocating to Palestine by 1946
I've been told that members of the Palinski family relocated to what was then Palestine in the late '40s and then to the U.S. in the '50s
the Polish alphabet uses Latin letters and for a Polish Jew in Palestine to stamp his name as PAL is not out of context
according to research, these Russian provided K98s were handed out to anyone who could fight at that time, no records kept
very personalized, with the family name on it as well as the oversized star of David
the IDF would never allow a soldier to personalize a rifle like this

 

[rjmt]

Andy, I have a Finn Mosin M28
was given to an individual in the Civil Guard who customized it with his own funds and kept it at home
his local militia number is stamped on the receiver
many of these rifles are still retained today by Finn families
it is not out of context for Jewish families to have done the same with their K98s

 

[ma96782]

A refresher for this old thread.

Aloha, Mark