I'm cross posting this question because I can't determine which sub is the best sub. The sub r/guns didn't seem to have a lot in the way of historic content. I'm trying to trace the history of this gun and hopefully learn a little bit about it. Sorry if this is too specific a question for this sub.
I'm interested in learning anything worth knowing about this gun but I'm mainly curious about the numbers and initials on the side. I'm guessing it might be the serial and initials of the original owner. My googling didn't any sites that would allow me to search and find who it originally belonged to though.
Here's its history as far as we know: Basically it was brought back from WW1 by my great-uncle. Its been in our family for awhile. He fought in WW1 in France. He most likely got in there and brought it back with him to the US.
My mom is big into genealogy, so I'm sure she'd appreciate finding out a little bit about where it came from and who owned it before it came into our family.
Edit: To add, the initials are not my great Uncles.
The rifle seems to be a Gewehr 98, the standard infantry rifle, but given the extreme close-up photos, I could perhaps be mistaken; it could be a K98A or K98B carbine.
The graffiti is what's known as trench art. Soldiers, out of boredom or vanity or whatever reason, carved doodles, symbols, and personal details into the wooden furniture of their rifles. As to what it means, I would guess that the initials are either the soldier's own or someone close to him, a wife or sweetheart. As to the numbers, that has me stumped. As far as I know, German ID numbers were generally 3 or rarely 4-digit, but this one is 5.
Yup, what the short southern man said. Trench art. Might have been punched with the base of a spent rifle cartridge. Do your uncle's initials match those of great uncle?