mauser 98 commercial sporter type a ( I think )

[rallyeman]

thanks for including me. I recently inherited a Mauser Oberndorf Sporter. I have done a little research and I think this is a model A. It has engraving but has been hard to find serial number. It is in excellent condition. I wanted to know if this is one that was made in Germany, I have been told that they are made in many countries. I spoke to person at Mauser.org and was told that German Mausers are expected to double and triple in value every few years

[mike ford]

rallyeman,
The caption on the barrel certainly suggests you have Mauser Oberndorf Sporter. To determine more information, you should post additional photos. Photos of all markings are necessary, especially those under the wood. It will be necessary to remove metal from the wood, to see these. If it is an Oberndorf action, it will likely have a number on the back of the magazine box. You should be able to see a serial number. My theory as to why you can't has to do with the way early scopes were often mounted in claw mounts. Often, there was a "dovetail" cut into the receiver ring, into which the front plate for the claw mount rings was driven. This has not been allowed in Germany, for quite a while. Usually, a rifle that had this type claw mounts( now gone), would have the dovetail cut filled with a piece of steel and matted, stippled, or engraved to cover up the removal. Your rifle shows signs of this having been done, and the serial number could have very well have been removed or covered up in this process. We can give additional information when you post clear photos as requested above.
Mike

[Axel E]

The coveted Original Mauser, Oberndorf, commercial sporters were not "made in many countries", but at the Mauser, Oberndorf, factory only. This includes the famous Rigby rifles that were, contrary to popular belief, not made in London, but Oberndorf too. The Mauser factory supplied their commercial actions to many other "name" gunmakers too, but rifles built by others on such actions are not original Mauser sporters. The Mauser factory type designations A, B, S, M, G of course don't apply to rifles made by others on Mauser actions.
Your photos don't show the most important details of a commercial Mauser action, bolt handle , firing pin nut, triggers, triggerguard and magazine floorplate, nor the markings under receiver and on back of magazine box. The left side of the receiver ring lacks the typical Mauser factory serial number and Oberndorf proofmarks. Instead, it seems to show the remains of a Suhl/Z-M proof.
The rifle certainly is not a type A, called the "English model" too. The type A is distinguished by a black buffalo horn foreend tip and a British style "express" rear sight.
Your rifle looks more like a type B at first glance. The B came with a Schnabel foreend tip, but not such a pronounced one as on your rifle. Below you find some photos of commercial Mauser, Oberndorf B rifles. One of them has a ribbed, half-octagonal barrel like your's.
Your stock looks more like those made by the smaller Suhl and Zella-Mehlis gunmakers. The grip cap is definitely Suhl not oberndorf.
The only thing of Mauser, Oberndorf commercial production so far is the barrel. As it is marked "Mauser Werke AG", it is post 1922. What's the caliber? Such original Mauser commercial barrels in European chamberings appear quite often at American gunshows. They were left astray when original Mauser sporters were rebarreled post-WW2 to take cartridges more readily available in the USA.
Sorry, IMHO you have a Suhl or Zella-Mehlis made rifle, built in the 1920s -30s on a scrubbed and engraved ex-military Gew98 action, fitted quite recently with a stray Mauser, Oberndorf barrel.

[kcordell]

Very nice Axel. Is that a Hensoldt mounted?

[Axel E]

Is that a Hensoldt mounted?

No. It's a Zeiss (Jena) "Zielsechs"