K98k - Provenance
I recently discovered a small treasure trove of documents that had been stashed away in a storage locker. Here are the documents that I found:

Certificate of Retention and Customs Declaration

War Prize Certificate

Response to query about sporterizing K98k

I remember my father talking about sporterizing the Mauser. I didn't know, until I discovered this letter, that he had made inquiries about how to do so. I'm really glad that he, for whatever reason, decided against doing so.

Curios and Relics - Not an addition to the collection, but a way to add to the collection. Just slightly more than a month ago, I applied to BATFE for collector status. My Federal Firearms License arrived yesterday. I am now a 03 - Collector of Curios and Relics.
For information on becoming a licensed collector, visit the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. From their main page, find Forms (on the top of the page), follow the link for Firearms Forms, and choose form 7CR. It's a fairly simple process and it costs $30.00 (as of May 2012).
I understand that many suppliers offer discounts to licensed collectors. I'll keep you posted on how that works out.

M1 Garand - "The greatest battle implement ever devised." - General George S. Patton, Jr.
Here is my new, CMP Garand. It arrived by FedEx yesterday (6/5/12) morning. I had mailed in the paperwork less than a month ago. I was really surprised at the quick processing and delivery.
I was even more surprised when I opened the box. This beauty appears to have a new walnut stock. The stock bears the CMP cartouche. The rifle is parkerized and shows little wear on the metal parts. The serial number on the Springfield Armory receiver indicates that it was manufactured in the 1955-1957 time frame. The barrel, also Springfield, is stamped with a 55. The bolt is HRA.
The rifle came in an OD green, hard plastic case. Along with the rifle, I got one en bloc clip, a Shoot-N-C target, and a manual. The hang tag indicates that it is in pretty good shape.

Nice way to remember the events of 68 years ago.

Mosin-Nagant 91/30 - I recently (3/2012) acquired the second rifle in my collection of WW II Battle Rifles. I found this one in a gun store in Winchester, Virginia. I paid $140.00, with taxes and background check. It came with a bayonet and the dog-collar sling.
The gun was manufactured at the Tula (USSR) Arsenal in 1933. It appears to have been re-arsenaled after the Great Patriotic War. The serial numbers have been force matched (electro-etched) to the receiver. The gun has a laminated stock. And, I put an after-market butt pad on it to increase the length of pull.

7.62x54r in stripper clip

After stripping it down and cleaning it in detail, I put it all back together and oiled it. The bolt runs smoothly and the trigger pull seems decent. I ordered some new 7.62 x 54r ammunition (TulAmmo). I also bought a 10-pack of stripper clips (made in China).
I took it to the range and put some shots down-range at 100 yards. I got a pretty decent group out of it, so I moved over to the 250 yard steel target. I hit 3 out of 5 using the iron sights. Not bad for an 80 year old rifle and Russian ammo.

Karabiner 98 Kurz - The first rifle in my collection is a K98k. It was brought back from Germany by my father, T/Sgt John Banks USAAF, after WW II. I have the original documentation that authorized my father to bring the rifle to the USA as a war prize. After the war, the rifle sat in the back of the closet in my parent's bedroom. In the early 1950s, my father wrote to Field and Stream asking their advice on sporterizing the rifle. I have the (very polite) letter of response from the magazine. I am just grateful that he never followed their advice.

Mauser bolt (note serial number)

dou - Bystrica

All of the serial numbers on the rifle match. The stamps on the receiver indicate that it was manufactured in Bystrica in 1943.  The rifle has a laminated wood stock. Unfortunately, the original leather sling was turning to dust. I took it off of the rifle and replaced it with a decent reproduction. The original, short cleaning rod was missing. I replaced it with a good quality reproduction.

Bayonet, scabbard, and frog

I also have a bayonet, scabbard, and frog. The "jwh" stamp on the bayonet indicates that it was manufactured at Manufacture Nationale (Staatliche Waffenfabrik) Chatellerault, France. The year of manufacture "44" is stamped on the spine of the blade. Unfortunately, the serial number on the bayonet does not match the serial number on the scabbard.
.

Original ammo

My father also brought back five rounds of 8mm Mauser ammunition (in an original stripper clip). The ammunition is dated 1938.