This is an excellent example of a mid-WWII German 98K rifle as produced by the Gustloff-Werke, Weimer that has a wartime "FN" contract barrel. It is very rare to find "FN" contract parts on any WWII German K98 rifle and usually what you do find are factory installed bolts, that were used to supplement production. Only very rarely do you ever find "FN" contract barrels as most factories produced barrels themselves right up to the end of the war and the FN factory was busy making handguns and large assemblies. The top of the receiver is proofed with the standard eagle 749 Waffenamt over "bcd/ 43", the wartime code for the for the Gustloff factory and the year of manufacture, with the serial number stamped on the left side with the receiver side wall marked in block letters "MOD 98". The right side of the receiver ring has the correct number "1" inspector proof with a large Nazi spread wing-eagle proof on the right side. The left rear section of the barrel has the large Eagle firing proof with underside marked "ch 62856 43" with the original script "fn" factory proof inside a circle, next to the FN factory "WaA140" Waffenamt, proof. It is fitted with a set of the earlier all milled barrel bands, that are both correctly numbered and proofed to match the rifle with a all milled trigger guard and floor plate, both of which are also correctly numbered and proofed to match the rifle. The rifle is fitted with a earlier all milled, non-matching bolt assembly with a two double gas holes on the underside, that has a single Eagle 63 proof on the underside of the bolt handle. The stock and hand guard are the correct late war laminated versions that are numbered, inside the barrel channel, 1951n. The low portion of the stock has a single small letter "c" indicating manufacture by the Gustloff factory with a small Eagle WaA749 Waffenamt proof, with he correct cupped buttplate. It is complete with the original cleaning rod and front sight hood. The rifle has the correct wartime salt blued finish with old aged oil finish on the wood.

Excellent overall with 98% of the original blue finish showing wear on the edges and high spots overall, the bolt body from cycling the actions and some light thinning on the floor plate from handling. The stock and hand guard have a beautiful matching medium brown color with clear proofs with just very minimal handling marks any where. As noted it has all the correct wartime parts and is all matching except the bolt assembly which matches itself, that was probably miss-swapped on board the ship coming back to the US. An excellent example of a rarely seen 98K rifle.