2/16/24 - Manufactured at the very tail end of the WWII, the VG-98 was part of the "Volkswaffen" (People's Weapon) series of armaments, intended to gear up German 2nd line defensive formations without diverting higher quality armaments still needed by the main formations of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. Most of the units destined to receive these weapons were "Volksturm" (People's Storm or People's Assault), which consisted mostly of men too old and boys too young to be properly drafted. When the war came to an end, few VG98s were picked up by Allied trophy hunters since they weren't as "pretty" as the more common 98k or mechanically novel like some other Volks weapons, resulting in very few being available on the contemporary American market. The heart of the VG98 is a Model 98 receiver, with crude fixed sights, a roughly finished barrel, and a one-piece stock. This particular example is marked 'bnz 45', denoting it was made in 1945 at the Steyr factory. The finish is rough, as expected, with a couple of areas with especially rough machining. The receiver and bolt handle are matching, and they are also the only numbered parts. The stock is smooth and has a faint proof mark on the right side that isn't discernible. It also has several obvious cracks, which is also very common for this model. Bore is shiny with strong rifling.
