Czech 98k 'winter trigger'

Have seen this rifle at the gun shows for the last year and a half, was always priced a bit more than I wanted to pay. Well today it had a new owner, and a much lower price, so I decided to snatch it up. It is, I believe, a post war Czech BRNO 98k with the 'winter trigger'. The bolt is definitely not the original, as it is straight, but the interesting thing about it is that it appears to be in a 7mm VZ24 stock. The rifle appears to have been in this stock for quite a long time, and it fits it like a glove. This rifle is not import marked anywhere, scrubbed receiver top, two small Czech lions, and the barrel bears the 'dot 13' in a shield. Sling appears to be correct and original. Would appreciate any thoughts on it!

One more thing....this rifle has a lower case 'e' suffix. As I understand it, post war Czech 98k's carry capital letter suffixes. Does this make this a wartime/German occupation rifle?

Stock looks a little like a home made stock. Doesn't look like an arsenal job at all. Does look like a VZ-24 stock.

What is home-made about the stock? Looks OK to me. I have handled rougher stuff that was undoubtedly original. Since (as far as I am aware) rifles were not sent out of the factory with winter triggers, the winter trigger cannot be ex-factory original, and no-one can tell now who fitted it.

As to the use of a VZ24 stock: get hold of a copy of Ball, "Mauser Military Rifles of the World" and you will learn that pre-war the Czechs had a thriving business selling Vz24s in 7.9, 7.65 and 7mm versions. I imagine that the same stock was used for all versions, so what makes it a specifically 7mm stock? And if there is some difference, when the export market dissapeared with the German invasion, it may further be presumed that the weapons made under occupation (and post-war) used up whatever stocks may have been on hand in the factory, regardless of their originally intended application.

The only slight clue that I can see in the photos is the typeface of the butt numbering. All the examples in Ball use a "curly" style with a visible curve in the diagonal stroke of the "4" and a continental-style diagonal top "hook" on the 1 with no serif (the "foot"). The "4" may be inconclusive, but the "1" is not. I suspect a postwar stamp and hence post-war assembly from remainder parts. Does the butt number match the barrelled action?

"The bolt is definitely not the original, as it is straight,..."


Again, look in Ball. Vz24s were indeed made with straight bolt handles. If the number matches the action and has not been scrubbed and resstamped, the nit is probably original to that rifle.

I have that very book, and am aware that the Czechs exported lots of VZ24s to different countries. This is not a VZ24, as it is only marked 'CESKOSLOVENSKA ZBBROJVKA A.S BRNO' no VZ24 after it. Am also aware that '24s did indeed have straight bolts, however the handle is a bit more teardrop shaped than most VZ24 bolt handles I've seen, and is completely devoid of markings. The reason I suspect this is a stock for a 7mm '24 is the larger square shaped bolt cut out on the side as opposed to the somewhat smaller and rounded off cut outs seen on most other rifles. There were some markings on the inside of the wood, but were kind of hard to see, will have to look again to try to see what they are.

This was kind of interesting...just found this under the sling pull tab. It reads ' E NEUENSCHWANDER WALLISWIL 42'.

Anzac15, thanks for the info. The only thing that makes sense to me at the moment is that it was assembled from left-over parts.

There is (was?) an Ernst Neuenschwander in Walliswil, which is in the district of Oberaargau in the Canton of Bern. Switzerland, not Bohemia!


So what is this doing on the sling of a sort-of-Vz24-ish rifle?


Curiouser and curioser :confused:

Yep, found a Swiss cross on the other side of the sling right after I posted that pic.
It is a pretty interesting rifle, it has the slots in the front sight for a sight hood. According to Ball, this was dropped when VZ24 production began. Wish it could talk!

Sure is an oddball. Looks like a VZ24 stock with the bolt through the pistol grip and finger grooves but the bolt cutout looks weird. If it were prewar Czech it would have an E37 or E some other two digit year which denotes year of acceptance by the Czech army. The Dot marked barrel is WW2 German/Czech manufacture and the bottom metal is stamped with the large trigger guard which is a post war Czech feature. And the receiver ring is scrubbed? I would guess a post war refurb by Czechoslovakia but who knows? Maybe something someone built from spare parts, very possible due to the straight bolt which wasn't used by the Czechs post war. Probably a great shooter though.