Mauser sniper rifle

[jerry10]

New to this forum and could do with some advice- have tried elsewhere but not much help. I recently bought a scoped mauser rifle for running dear target shooting, complete with everything - brass, heads, gauges, custom dies and even a kg of unopened powder. I paid about $700 for the lot.It originally was brought to the UK by a retiring army officer who had seen out his service in India, but had also seen active service in Belgium. It was bought by the previous owner some time ago when it was rebarrelled to 7x57 by a good gunsmith. It shoots superb. The scope is marked with a + followed by blc zielvier and a serial number. It is 4x (about) and has a sunshade fitted. The mounts are double clawed and have a gap so that the iron sights can be used. The front mount is on the bell of the scope. The receiver appers to be a military k98 but most of the markings have been carefully removed, though part of one can be seen under the front mount, on the triger, bolt and on the receiver under the woodwork. Loads of rough machining marks under the wood. Is it the remains of a sniper rifle or a fake?

Information

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[vintage hunter]

Without pictures it's hard to say. Could be a pre-war German sporting rifle, a lot of these were set up in the manner you describe.

[jerry10]

Thanks for reply. My initial thoughts were that this must be a commercial piece but the marks on the scope appear to be military though I could be wrong. One person has said that blc is a military mark but someone who knows a lot about scopes told me that they were also used on commercial scopes. I will try and take some photos today and attempt to post them. Any idea why anyone would remove the marks? Can not imagine this being done by military as it seems to have been carried out too well.

[jerry10]

I have taken some pictures but they are too large to post. Anyone know how I can get around this?

[kar98k]

upload the images to a host site like imagevenue.com. then post the clickable thumbnailed images

[jerry10]

These are some of photos, rifle has sporter stock and trigger guard.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Sounds like a typical German hunting rifle based on a 98 system. The system could be ex-military or commercial. To decide which, photos of any and all remaining markings a required.

"Zielvier" was a Zeiss scope type, and blc was the wartime code for Carl Zeiss in Jena. So it sounds like you may well have a sniper scope, but this does NOT prove that you have a sniper rifle - the scope could have been fitted onto a commercial hunting rifle, post-war.

Pictures please!

Patrick

[Patrick Chadwick]

At this moment, the photos seem to confirm my first impression: this is a commercially made hunting rifle on a 98 system with a wartime-manufacture Zeiss "Zielvier" scope. If markings have been removed, this suggests a post-war conversion of a military rifle.

The trigger assembly shows the number 29. This would be the last two digits of the original number. Look for numbers in other positions - bolt body, bolt shroud, trigger guard etc. etc. A correct German rifle should have the full serial number on the barrel, receiver and bolt body. Since the scope mounting covers the markings on the barrel ring, the gunsmith should have remarked it in another location - I have seen one where the number had been restamped on the bottom of the barrel, and was only visible if the system was removed! Incorrect, but even in the land of DIN, practice does not always come up to theory!

Look everywhere, and note what you find.

Patrick

[Patrick Chadwick]

A correct German rifle should have the full serial number on the barrel, receiver and bolt body.

Well. that point has been cleared. The conversion was not done by a gunsmith in Germany. The barrel and receiver ring are marked with the British nitro proof (BNP) and the caliber. The finish appears to show bluing over rust pits.

My guess at present: a beater 98 that was rebarreled to make use of the action. Scope looks good, for its age, and is in much better condition than the pitted action. So IMOH most definitely never a sniper, just a good scope fitted to a run-down 98 that was sporterized, and rebarreled by heaven knows who in the UK. If it shoots well, be happy and leave it as it is. Collector value of the rifle is nil. But the scope would be worth 3-4 hundred over here, if the optics are still good.

Patrick

[jerry10]

Hi Patric, my feelings the same, though I was told by the previous owner that the rifle had no proof marks until he had it rebarreled and refinished in ealy eighties. I am trying to remove the scope bases at the moment and refitting with weaver type mounts - the bases are soldered and screwed in place. I presume the bases will add to the second hand value of the scope?