M95 Repetier-KarabinerStutzen with questions

[Eaglelord17]

Hi all,

I recently acquired a Budapest manufactured M95 Repetier-KarabinerStutzen in the original 8x50r. Manufactured in 1910 and accepted into service by Austria (W-n marking on the barrel instead of BP). Stock is mismatched as is the bolt (bolt is Steyr manufacture not Budapest). The stacking rod was also removed at some point. My questions are if anyone can identify the stock marking on there, why there is a wooden patch on the stock (maybe there was a sling swivel there?), and if anyone can identify the star on the front barrel band/bayonet band. The star in particular has aroused my curiosity as it is purposely struck on there, and I haven't heard of one being used on a M95. I was thinking it might be a property mark of some sort for some country but I really don't know.

Here are some pictures,








Here is a photo of the stock marking and the repair

Here is a photo of the stock marking and repair with flash to give a different view point

A picture of the bayonet band with the star marking

Any help is appreciated

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Eaglelord17]

Thought I would do a update with the information I have found. The stamping I believe is a 'AO' in a circle. Looking online I have found reference to these being Italian Captured M95s (which would make sense, as it is still in its original caliber, but has received some rebuilding which was common due to the amount of M95s captured by Italy). Most the Italian M95s are marked 'AOI' and were used in Italian East Africa (which is what the 'AOI' stands for in Italian), but apparently some weren't used there (I have found reference to some being used in Libya for example), so 'AO' could just be another province that it was sent to.

At least I now know that it was captured by Italy either as post-war respirations or during combat (both are equally likely, as it was manufactured in 1910 it would have been around for the whole war so it could have been captured on the battlefield).

[jmoore]

Thanks for the posting and additional info. Can't say I've seen one like it previously, but I'm usually looking for "not carbines".

[Eaglelord17]

Ya, I bought this mainly as I am trying to build a good representative WWI collection (only missing one firearm from Germany, Imperial Russia, U.S. of A., and the Ottomans, all of these are difficult to find a piece at a reasonable price). For some reason these M95s really appeal to me, this being the 3rd in my collection (one Bulgarian 8x50r, this one, and a M95 Police Carbine in 8x56r which is a dead on shot at 100m and is a blast to shoot).

If anyone else was wondering the Star is apparently a proof mark sometimes found on them so that solves that mystery as well.

[fredfarkle]

It's a cut down stock. Patch is where the sling was before.

[Aragorn243]

I don't think it's a cut down stock, that would be pretty obvious and the patch is way too small for a sling attachment. It's only about half the size of the swivel attachment, you can easily compare the size in the photo.

[ChuckS]

My full size also has a 10 on it in the same place. I am not very familiar with these rifles. Is this normal place for the date of manufacture? The "S" is stamped over top of was originally on the receiver just forward of the "10" and I cannot tell what it was.

[Eaglelord17]

It is not necessarily the date of manufacture what it is, the date of acceptance into either the Austrian or Hungarian military. If it starts W-n then it was Austrian military acceptance (like the one above, it would mean Austrian acceptance 1910), if it is B-p then it is Hungarian acceptance. Most people consider it the date of manufacture, as it is really the only hint as to when it was built (odds are if it was accepted into service in 1910 it is a 1910 rifle though there is the possibility for it to be a 1909 for example).

The 'S' stamp sometimes gets in the way of the acceptance dates, which is normal (they didn't really care about preserving the acceptance date as you can likely tell). It is pretty safe to say yours would have been built either in 1910 or slightly earlier.

[ChuckS]

Does there exist a record of serial and block numbers that would further give me an idea of when this rifle was "accepted"? The serial number on this one has a "G" after it. It is 4XXX G.

[Eaglelord17]

Nothing like that, as far as I know. 1910 would be a safe date to put your rifle at. Remember the 10 refers to the acceptance of the rifle into service, not its manufacture date so you already know the date of acceptance (though not exactly the army).