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What is it?

Comments

  • waltermoewaltermoe Member Posts: 1,830 ✭✭✭✭

    From what I see, it is a Mauser design. What caliber is it? Are there any nazi proof marks on it? I have seen civilian made Mauser with that type of bolt handles, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t made from an old war rifle. Is there any dates on top of the receiver?

  • asphalt cowboyasphalt cowboy Member Posts: 8,904 ✭✭✭✭
     Small ring M98 Mauser. As to which one is anybodies guess without pics of any markings present.
  • slingerslinger Member Posts: 1,326 ✭✭✭
    Thank you. 8mm Mauser just chambered nicely and extracted. Not a mark on it anywhere. Yard sale. Ten bux.
  • TRAP55TRAP55 Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭
    If I had to make an educated guess from what I can see, it's most likely a Mauser KAR 98A or Polish 98AZ. There may be proof markings still on it that could tell more. Pull it from the stock and look on the bottom of the receiver flat behind the recoil lug, and on the barrel near the receiver. Clear pics of the whole gun showing the stock and sights, I might be able to give you a close time period when it was done.
  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,649 ✭✭✭
    The "claw"  scope mounts on top of the receiver. Were very commonly used for commercial hunting rifles prior to W W II. There use was terminated, during the later years of war. Because the drilled and tapped scope mounts, were easier to install. As the receiver, had to be specially machined for the "claw" mounts. 

    Lack of any markings. Screams out to me, as it, being a G.I. bring back. After the war, the local German gunsmiths would build anything the G.I.'s wanted. For coffee and cigarettes. They didn't sweat, the very stringent prewar proof and identification laws. Because they knew, the U.S. soldiers would just take the rifles home. With out any body knowing or caring about the lack of proof marks. 

    IMHO, Super deal for 10 bucks!
  • slingerslinger Member Posts: 1,326 ✭✭✭
    TRAP55 said:
     look on the bottom of the receiver flat behind the recoil lug,
    Yessir; sure enough, in that place is a "2014" and our proverbial German bird. Thanks again.


  • TRAP55TRAP55 Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭
    What Rufe said is the same is what I was thinking too. A "Cigarette Rifle", why I was curious to see the rest of it. Given with what they had to work with in the early post war years, some of these rifles have had some quality work done to them. Does it have double set triggers?
  • nononsensenononsense Member Posts: 10,928 ✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2020
    Remember that there were two ways to become a gunsmith in Europe during this time period:
    - Apprenticeship for many years until authorized by your Guild to become a journeyman gunsmith.
    - Attend an engineering school such as Ferlach where you studied and trained for 4-years to become a firearms engineer designer.
    The American method bears no resemblance to either of the above because we require nothing, no training, to hang out your shingle. The Europeans provided educated and highly trained gunmakers to the public to complete the needs of the public for firearms. Prior to the World Wars, it was not unusual to find rifles marked as Guild Guns which demonstrated the skills of the journeyman.


    Claw mount bases.

    Claw Mounts - A quick-detachable scope mounting system, popular in Germany and Austria. The front of the scope is fitted with a hook-shaped tentacle which is inserted into a slot in a fixed front scope base. The rear of the scope is fitted with another set of hook-shaped tentacles. When these are pressed sharply downwards into their opposing receptacles they snap into place, held by a spring-loaded clasp, locking the scope into position. When properly installed, claw mounts are generally considered the best quick-detachable system for scope mounting: the cleanest looking, the easiest to operate and the most accurate in returning to zero. But, it is not an off-the-shelf, bolt-on system; claw mounts must be custom-fitted by a skilled gunsmith.

    Of special note on Claw Mounts:

    The method of mounting the claw mount bases on your example is the most accepted and safe version albeit labor intensive. A primary base or bridge was was first machined then soldered onto the receiver rings. The claw mount base was then machined into that base. This was considered to be far safer than the expedient method of machining the dovetail directly into the rings.


    Claw mounts, by design, are an extremely customized method of holding a scope. None were standardized by any factory during this time period and as a result required hand fitting for both the front and rear legs.

    Modern Claw Mount System:




  • navc130navc130 Member Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭
    That is a beautiful find.  It would be wise to make sure that it is an 8mm "S" bore (.323 most common), and not the early "J" bore (.318).  It looks like it is the original military barrel, from what I can see."
  • asphalt cowboyasphalt cowboy Member Posts: 8,904 ✭✭✭✭
    slinger said:
    Thank you. 8mm Mauser just chambered nicely and extracted. Not a mark on it anywhere. Yard sale. Ten bux.
     Play it safe and have a competent smith do a chamber casting. 8x57 JS will readily chamber in a 30-06 as well as others.
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