GEW 98 rear site advice?

[Brad]

Being a lover of military history I seem to have developed this desease which I have no luck in controlling.
I bought what I believe to be a WWI vintage German rifle'
It is a GEW 98 dated 1917, Berlin and DWM manuf.
I know enough about stuff to be dangerous to my wallet, but I think this is a pretty good one.
Finish of metal and wood all looks original and probably 60-70%.
All parts s/n's seem to match.
Now here are my questions. The rear site base matches,but not the leaf or slide.
I was told that this was a common change after the war?
Would I be better to leave as is or try and get the original type site?
If I change it, is it a big deal to change? What do I need to get?
I appreciate any help.
Brad

[Bill]

Yes, it was a common upgrade.

Get a copy of Bell's Mauser book, it is covered in detail.

Don't know if you can find the original parts.

[dave]

The original rear sight base and the "up-grade" sight base are two different animals, do not interchange. Is it the "roller coaster" sight or the more or less flat design? Describe any other small markings on that base. You could have an original sight with m/m parts or a G.98 modified model with m/m parts. In either case you should not change anything. Is the reciever, bolt, and sight still in the white or blued?

[Brad]

Thanks for the responses.
This is a DWM Mauser, Berlin, 1917. The s/n is 4320.
The rear sight is the lower type. Not the high roller coaster.
The s/n on the base matches with a K stamped over it, but there is another number on the leaf, 8376, and on the slide just 86.
Just behind the sight base which seems intregal with the barrel is stamped an "S".
On the right side of the base / barrel is "S/4 2G", and what looks like two very small squares with small letters or numbers inside.
THe Reciever, Bolt Barrel / Base and sight are all blued. It appears old or original, if they were blued?
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Buy what you said in your e-mail, an original site cannot be fitted to the base?
Brad

[dave]

The S/42G marks indicate the sight was made in 1935 by Mauser Werks. So the rifle has been "modified" in the mid 30's, with the new style sight. The sight base is not "intregal with the barrel", but a tube which is soft soldered to the barrel. The leaf is mis-matched, perhaps a field repair? You could change back to the 'roller coaster' but it would also mismatch (all of it). So why do that? You now have a WW1 rifle that was modified in the 30's. Many of these were done and issued to early SS and other para-military organzations. Originally bolt, receiver, sides of rear sight, butt plate, and many other small parts were in the white. These were all blued during re-build. You have a very collectable rifle so keep it as is and look for another "original" one. Also many of these Gew.98 rifles were rebuilt to K.98k specs.