Among the leaders in the field of portable optics in the days prior to World War One, the German military was among the first to experiment with equipping their infantry with optics. While the gain in effective range wasn't as good as what the evaluators hoped for, the scoped test rifles showed utility in dim and fading light conditions where conventional iron sights were all but useless. These lessons were remembered in 1914, when the invasion of France bogged down into the grim trench warfare that would define the next 4 years on the Western Front. Armed with a mix of civilian sporting rifles and scope-equipped Gewehr 98s, the German "Scharfschutzen" (sharpshooter) were recruited from men already familiar with optics use, and became the terror of the trenches in dusk and on clear nights. Among the first military snipers, the Scharfschutzen set many precedents for later snipers, working alone or in pairs at liberty to both maneuver and observe at their own discretion, acting as both a fatal hazard and reconnaissance asset, and demonstrating great creativity in camouflaging and protecting both themselves and their fighting positions. While donated and purchased sporting rifles performed well, they weren't rugged enough for war, nor suitable for modern spitzer rounds or the high powered armor piercing rounds issued to snipers, requiring the adoption of a modified Gewehr 98 as early as 1914. Blade front and "ski ramp" tangent rear sights, with a set of claw mount bases dovetailed and screwed into the receiver ring and rear bridge, the former eliminating the original manufacturer marks. The bolt handle has been turned to clear the scope tube, and matching numbers are present on multiple parts, including the smooth pistol grip stock and flat buttplate. The scope is marked "LUXOR 3x 39865" and "OIGEE. Berlin" on the knob base, and engraved "Gew. nr. 8702/v" on the left side of the tube, with "8702" struck through and "8001" arsenal added next to it.

Very fine. The barrel and triggerguard assembly show 70% of the original blue finish, showing areas of brown and gray patina, mild spotting and light handling marks. The correct bright polish receiver has turned a generally smooth gray, with minor dings and spots. The wood is also very fine, with scuffing and scratching appropriate to age, signs of clamping on the forearm, and a split forming on the right side of the stock behind the bolt washer. The optics are a bit hazy but otherwise excellent, with mild wear and spotting on the exterior blue finish tube. Mechanically excellent. One does not find these World War I German sniper rifles very often, let alone in this exceptional condition!