holes on a sniper

**MR MATT** · 10-07-2009, 11:30 AM

how do you know when the holes for a scope on a sniper rifle such as a K98 or mosin nagant are authentic and not just done by some one
my friend said he found one a while back for around $150 but he didnt have the money with him and wasnt sure if the holse were authentic or just put there later

**GasMasksUK** · 10-07-2009, 12:00 PM

I'm sure that mosin nagant sniper rifles have a different cocking handle on them, on the normal service version it sticks out the side of the bolt, but on the sniper version its curved and is right up against the wooden stock.

Thanks

Danny

**sovblocgunfan** · 10-07-2009, 06:53 PM

by MR MATT

how do you know when the holes for a scope on a sniper rifle such as a K98 or mosin nagant are authentic and not just done by some one
my friend said he found one a while back for around $150 but he didnt have the money with him and wasnt sure if the holse were authentic or just put there later

You're referring to the drill and tap holes used to attach a scope mount, yes? That's a hard question to answer, b/c it covers a wide range of possibilities. Original sniper? Fake sniper? Rifle altered to accept a different type of scope and mount? Remember: in the context of WWII, "sniper rifles" were often simply service rifles that had scopes mounted on them. There's lots of room for interpretation here.

If done correctly and well it'll be hard to tell the difference without looking at the rifle itself and its markings. I'm not a K98 person, but Mosin Nagants were often modified for sniper use, then "un"snipered when decommissioned for storage or refurbishment. During this process, bolt handles were returned from bent to straight format, and the scope mount D/T holes were plugged with threaded plugs and welded over. These ex-snipers can often be returned back to their sniper configuration without too much difficulty, and with vintage scope and mount equipment, it's hard to tell without looking at the rifle markings themselves.