Captured German Mauser 98k rifles — weapons once carried by soldiers of the Third Reich — found new life after 1945. When Nazi Germany collapsed, millions of Mausers were seized by the Soviets and their Allies. Many were later shipped around the world as military aid, showing up in conflicts from the Middle East to Southeast Asia. In Norway, thousands were rebarreled to .30-06 Springfield and later converted to 7.62×51 NATO for Home Guard use — serving quietly through the Cold War years. Meanwhi