Mauser 98 shotgun: an interesting Mauser collectible

Guns Magazine, May, 2008 by Holt Bodinson

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One of the fascinating stories in the surplus arms trade is the conversion of surplus or obsolete arms into something more contemporary and useful. History is full of examples, both here and abroad. The most familiar example to most Americans would be the conversion of Springfield .58-caliber muskets into cartridge shooting Trapdoors at the conclusion of the Civil War. Another, more recent example covered in these pages was Spain's modification of their old Model 1916 and Model 1943 Mausers into the CETME-resembling FR-7 and FR-8. And that brings me to the Geha shotgun.

Imagine you were small, private arms manufacturer in Germany following the country's defeat in WWI and had to survive somehow under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. It was the era of the Weimar Republic. There were no more military contracts to be had. Inflation was rampant, the production of military arms prohibited. Half the country's iron and steel industry was lost as was 16 percent of its national territory and all of its overseas colonies.

Bleak Future

The German arms marketplace was pretty bleak, except for two facts. Sporting arms could continue to be manufactured, and there were millions of military Mauser 98's and associated parts floating around. The challenge was to covert them into marketable sporting guns, and thus was born one of the most remarkable adaptations of the Mauser 98 ever conceived--the 2-shot shotgun.

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They are not uncommon on the used gun rack or at gunshows, which is a pretty good indication there were a lot of Mauser 98 shotgun conversions sold in the United States at utility gun prices. And they are still rather cheap to buy because they are strange looking and have an undeserved reputation of being unsafe to shoot.

Don't pass these unique Model 98 hybrids by! They are a terrific Mauser collectible from the 1920s and 1930s. Just consider the 2-shot Mauser conversion shotgun a special category of milsurps.

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Produced from approximately 1919 to the mid-1930s, the Mauser shotgun conversions bore several brand names and were produced by a variety of firms. Three distinct grades of 2-shot Mauser shotguns have been identified. The lowest quality guns bear the name "Geha," a step up from the Geha is the "Hard Hit Heart" and at the top of the list in the "Remo." The Best

The first Model 98 shotgun conversions appear around 1919-20 in Suhl, Germany, where the RemoGewehrfabrik manufactured a highgrade version under the "Remo" name, often featuring Germanic engraving as well as a classic, checkered, walnut spotter stock replete with the distinctive Suhler side panels, small cheekpiece and schnabel fore-end. A full-choke, 12-gauge model was offered initially and later a 16-gauge, branded as Remo II. Remo models are rare and difficult to spot at a show because they look so much like fine, old German sporting rifles.

With the commercial success of the Remo conversion, other makers soon jumped into the rifle-to-shotgun conversion market. Producing a more plain-Jane and economy priced shotgun for the mass market, the firms of Gustav Geneschow/Geco, Adamy Gebrueder, Heym Gebrueder and Waffenfabrik Simson have been reportedly associated with the Geha label.

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Everyman's Gun

The Geha reviewed here is a typical example of the full conversion. It is a 16-gauge with a 2-3/4" chamber (some may have a 2-9/16" chamber so have chamber checked) and a 26.5" fullchoked barrel. The bore measures .665" and the choke .640". The left side of the barrel near the breech carries the word "Nitro." The original military stock has been sporterized and is nicely oil finished. The stock retains the original steel buttplate, rear sling swivel base and replacing the bolt disassembly disk are two metal disks with the word "Geha" pressed into both sides of the buttstock. The only visible marking retained on the front receiver ring is the word "Germany," stamped on the left side of the ring.

The action is a bit of Teutonic mechanical genius. Taking a stock large-ring Model 98, the maker bored out the front of the receiver to accept a 12-, 16- or 20-gauge shotgun barrel. In doing so, most, if not all, of the original locking lug recesses and the inner collar are removed. How does the action lock up? The system depends upon the 3rd lug of the bolt, often referred to as the safety or auxiliary lug. On the Model 98 bolt, the safety lug is found just in front of the root of the bolt handle. As the bolt is closed, the 3rd lug seats into a locking recess in the bottom of the receiver bridge. It's proved to be a safe system, although I would not stuff the Geha with 2-3/4" Magnum loads. Keeping the design in perspective, just remember the typical American boltaction shotgun relies solely on the root of the bolt handle as the locking lug.

The top of the front receiver ring is grooved lengthwise as a rear sighting plane. Screwed to the left receiver wall is a very distinctive, sheet metal, shell guide. The shell guide cradles the body of the shotshell, both positioning and controlling the shell while it is in the action.