Not sure if anyone is into WWI military rifles but here is one of mine...

[Stopsign32v]

It's a 1915 Tula "Peter The Great" that was sometime during WWI captured from the Russians by the Austrians (noted by the AZF marking). Later either it was captured from the Austrians or more than likely sold by the Austrians to the Finnish army (noted by the SA boxed marking).

Where the Finnish scrubbed the original Russian serial number away from a mismatch bolt.

And then stamped their own.

Austrian marking under the Imperial Russian eagle. Not scrubbed (rare)

Finnish marking

Battle damage to the stock repaired

Finnish modified magazine with the HV "jam free" mod. Also note the original Finnish hang tag.

With it's NEW brother. (which I JUST sold for a 230% profit )

 

[SNCBOOM]

That's awesome, post it up over in the "Gun Porn" thread over in the pics and video section.

 

[zak88lx]

Nice rifle! :coolman:
Have you taken it to the range yet?

I have a few WW2, and Korean military rifles that I have been collecting and shooting since my mid-teens.
I will try and post some pictures up later.

The history of these guns is amazing, and that's what got me started in the beginning.
I enjoy looking up the armory markings to see what story each gun tells.
I also remove the stocks to check for hidden markings and cartouches that may have been missed.

 

[Stopsign32v]

Nice rifle! :coolman:
Have you taken it to the range yet?

I have a few WW2, and Korean military rifles that I have been collecting and shooting since my mid-teens.
I will try and post some pictures up later.

The history of these guns is amazing, and that's what got me started in the beginning.
I enjoy looking up the armory markings to see what story each gun tells.
I also remove the stocks to check for hidden markings and cartouches that may have been missed.

No haven't shot it. If you look on the bolt you will see the cosmoline still on it from the factory used for the shipping. The bore has dried cosmoline also. The original owner of the firearm over here took it out of the box to log it in his book then put it back in and away. He died sometime recently and his widow sold the rifle (and more) to the guy I bought it from.

Long story short, the rifle has not been shot since being in the US. :rockon:

And I also don't plan on taking the stock off this one. It is staying the way it is and put up. I enjoy it more that way. I like keeping the history undisturbed.

 

[zak88lx]

No haven't shot it. If you look on the bolt you will see the cosmoline still on it from the factory used for the shipping. The bore has dried cosmoline also. The original owner of the firearm over here took it out of the box to log it in his book then put it back in and away. He died sometime recently and his widow sold the rifle (and more) to the guy I bought it from.

Long story short, the rifle has not been shot since being in the US. :rockon:

And I also don't plan on taking the stock off this one. It is staying the way it is and put up. I enjoy it more that way. I like keeping the history undisturbed.

My last 8mm Mauser K98 (1941 BNZ) that I bought was a Russian captured rifle. It was packed in cosmoline and crated from when the Russians captured it.
It took me a whole week to properly steam off all of the cosmoline.
I took it to the range and it fired like new.

 

[Stopsign32v]

My last 8mm Mauser K98 (1941 BNZ) that I bought was a Russian captured rifle. It was packed in cosmoline and crated from when the Russians captured it.
It took me a whole week to properly steam off all of the cosmoline.
I took it to the range and it fired like new.

Lucky for me I haven't gotten one yet that has been packed in cosmoline. Would love to see your K98!

I see your RC K98 and raise you a '38 42 code vet bringback. All numbers match except for the bolt. (cool story behind that)

Swastika still there, not removed.

 

[zak88lx]

Lucky for me I haven't gotten one yet that has been packed in cosmoline. Would love to see your K98!

I see your RC K98 and raise you a '38 42 code vet bringback. All numbers match except for the bolt. (cool story behind that)

Swastika still there, not removed.

Very, very nice! :thumbsup:
And it looks like the barrel is the original length as well.
A lot of the GI bring backs had the barrels cut, as they could only bring back items that would completely fit inside their duffel bag.

The Russian captured Mauser's were almost always scrubbed of Swastikas, Death heads, SS markings, Iron Crosses and pretty much anything else that reminded them of that bad time.
My 1941 BNZ has a faint SS code on the receiver, that was almost completely scrubbed.
I have been told that the 1941 BNZ SS rifles were made in Austrian concentration camps for the SS soldiers.

 

[zak88lx]

All numbers match except for the bolt. (cool story behind that)

What's the story on the bolt? :read:

 

[Stopsign32v]

If you really have a SS rifle then you have something there.

 

[Stopsign32v]

What's the story on the bolt? :read:

You might know, but if you don't...In WWII the Germans would clean their rifles out in the field and would boil a pot of water. All would drop their bolts in the water to clean them while they cleaned the rest of their rifle. After they were done they would get a bolt out of the pot and go on their way. Thus everything matches but the bolt. :beer:

 

[zak88lx]

You might know, but if you don't...In WWII the Germans would clean their rifles out in the field and would boil a pot of water. All would drop their bolts in the water to clean them while they cleaned the rest of their rifle. After they were done they would get a bolt out of the pot and go on their way. Thus everything matches but the bolt. :beer:

Haha, never heard of that story before, but it makes sense. :beer:

 

[Stopsign32v]

Haha, never heard of that story before, but it makes sense. :beer:

The history is what gets me. Like with the K98...at the exact point that rifle went from all matching to bolt miss match. Can you imagine what it would have been like to be in that rifle's presence?

Or the rifle in the OP. I can't imagine what it looked like when the Austrian soldier picked up the M91. Did the Austrian that picked it up kill the soldier using it? Did the M91 wound the Austrian first? So many questions that make it so interesting to me.

Your K98...where was it captured? When? By who? So interesting, I love this hobby!

 

[CobraBob]

Interesting reading in this thread. Pretty neat that you folks collect older military rifles. The history behind them is really awesome.

 

[zak88lx]

I just took some quick pics of my Mauser with the cell phone.
I will try and get some better pics tomorrow in the sunlight.
Our damn kitchen is like a dungeon (no light).

 

[Stopsign32v]

I really like it! That is a clean example! I'm still looking for a matching '38 bayonet for mine.

 

[zak88lx]

I really like it! That is a clean example! I'm still looking for a matching '38 bayonet for mine.

Thanks!

I purchased this Mauser approximately 8 years ago from a Canadian gun supplier.
They had a few crates of the Russian Capture K98's for sale.
When you ordered the rifle, they just randomly sent you one from the crate.
You had no idea what you were getting, until it arrived and you opened the case.
I regret only ordering one of them, as it was like Christmas morning opening that case.

I have taken it to the range many times, and it always gets great compliments with everyone wanting to fire off a shot or two.
The bolt action is amazingly smooth, and the gun is so well built.
It also has a very distinct sound which always attracts people at the range.
I have many rifles both historic and modern, but this one is definitely one of my favourites.

As for the background on the rifle, I have no idea when or where it was captured, or what happened to the German soldier who had it.
I suppose a lot of these RC's were collected off of dead German soldiers, but I guess a few may have surrendered them as well.
I know a lot of the Russian Captures have blood stains in the wood, which probably meant the death of German soldier.

In a way its kind of scary and sad thinking about these things.
How many soldiers and civilians were killed by this rifle?
What battles was it a part of?

 

[!!!PainTrain!!!]

It's always cool to see vintage weapons. My father has been collecting since he was young and actually opened up a store a few years back. I always get goose bumps when I see some of the rifles and memorabilia he has.

My favorites are always the vintage sniper rifles. 03s, G43, K98, Mosin, M1C&Ds from Korea, etc. just picking up the rifle and looking through the scope, it's hard to imagine seeing another human in your cross hairs and pulling the trigger. He has two pretty sweet WWII Enfields that are complete with wooden shipping crates, still packed in their plastic as well.

 

[01vert]

The mismatched bolts come from the Germans surrendering them / being captured and the bolts being removed.

If a GI wanted a bringback that he hadnt shipped himself they grabbed the rifle, surrendered the bolt upon boarding ship, and then were given a bolt from the pile when they got off ship, almost never matching.

Most Japanese rifles ended up this way from the surrendered rifles.

 

[Stopsign32v]

The mismatched bolts come from the Germans surrendering them / being captured and the bolts being removed.

That is one of the theorys. No one really knows what happened but it is common. However the surrendered guns were all thrown together, taken apart, and rebuilt with all different parts. The cleaning theory makes more sense IMO.


Also I just won an absolute badass rifle!!! I cannot wait to get it! :rockon: Here is a small hint. One of only 6,000 made too

 

[Mystic03]

very cool OP! im big into old rifles. where could i pick up a kar98 k?