Deactivated Kriegsmodell K98 DOU 45

This is one of rarest K98's of the Second World War. The Kriegsmodell K98 was introduced towards to the end of WWII from late 1944 until early 1945. In 1945 DOU (Waffen Werke,Brunn Bystrica) are estimated to have produced just 29,712 K98s, the fewest of all the K98 factories that were still able to manufacture them. By this late stage of the war many factories has ceased production due to Allied capture or bombing. The Kriegsmodell K98 is basically a simplified version of the standard K98. In order to help speed up production various parts were simplified or just eliminated completely such as, the bayonet lug, cleaning rod, bolt disassembly disk, bolt guide, barrel band spring, and even the locking screws for the floor plate. Often they were rough machined with mis-matched parts and very few markings, the aim being to make as many serviceable carbines as quickly as possible.

This example is correctly marked dou 45 (Waffen Werke,Brunn Bystrica 1945) and has the model designation "Mod.98" stamped on the receiver. This configuration was only used for this year. The barrel bands and floor plate are the correct type found on this model. Known serial numbers ran from 141 to 9079b, this example being from the very first batch of 1945. They were issued to German units as well as the Volksstrum (Peoples Militia) or Germany's version of the British Home Guard as Hitler's last ditched war effort in arming the people to defend Germany against Allied forces as they advanced towards Berlin.