deadeyedon
10-30-2008, 12:23 AM
I believe it is a 8 X 51 short action Commercial Mauser from around 1920's. The safety is not like a regular Mauser flip type safety. You squeeze it with thumb & forefinger at the rear of the bolt. It has double-set trigger, a thin Schnabel forearm, round grip knob and is very lightweight. The rear sight has been removed from the barrel mount and a Lyman peep installed on the rear of the receiver above the bolt. It has a butter knife bolt handle with checkering under handle, it's sort of pear shaped really, and a lever opens the magazine from the bottom. The bolt and safety is where I am stumped. It is a controlled feed action with features sort of like a 1903 Springfield rather than the three-position type safety on a Model 70 or other Mauser actions I have seen. When cocked the bolt firing piece is out rearward. A round knob at the rear end of the bolt has a piece that you squeeze and hold which makes a small lever like move out of its slot and stop or prevent forward movement of the firing piece half way into the bolt, stopping it from striking the firing pin. To engage the safety after cocking the action you hold the knob on the rear of the bolt and squeeze the thumb piece, pull the trigger while holding the bolt knob and slowly allow it to move forward where the small lever piece catches the bolt shroud(I guess it is called) and keeps the firing piece from going all the way into the bolt and striking the firing pin. The lever holds the firing piece at half cock in the “Safe” position. The rifle stays cocked until you are ready to fire, at which time you pull the bolt knob back into full cock, whereas the lever recedes back into the bolt body and the striker/pin can move forward and fire. I hope that you can see this in the pictures provided.
It is definitely not a military rifle. It has double set trigger and the marking on the mag plate is "ESHA" in a sort of half moon curve. The stamp across the barrel just in front of the receiver says "Cal. 8 X 51". Just under that is stamped “KRUPP STAHL” just to the front of the action. The person I got it from said the action is the shortest action of the 3 action lengths made and an 8X57mm round will not go into the magazine as it is too long, but it will chamber. I have heard that the German numeral for "7" as in 57 sometimes appears as something mistaken for a "1". Looking in cartridge books, I know there is a caliber 8 X 51mm. A gunsmith I know that studied in Germany says that the German #7 is sometimes mistaken for the #1 when stamped. Do you know if this is true? Also on the barrel there appears to be something like the following just behind the rear sight on the barrel parallel to the length of the barrel:
<S> then a <ST> is further down towards the action.
On the left side of the rear sight base, which is permanently attached to the barrel, is the serial number. Also on the left side of the barrel just above the stock, in front of the forward ring is a symbol “Crown” over a <N> next to <St>. Under the small letter <m> is the # <13gr>. These are all parallel with the barrel or horizontal.
Under the stocks forearm I found the following symbols, stamped vertically, with the barrel pointing up placed one on top of the other or stacked up and down.
Like the following:
1st symbol = Symbol of a bird like the Ruger black eagle or German eagle facing left with some type of small shape over the head.
2nd symbol= a crown with a capital under it.
3rd is no symbol but numbers like this = <7> or 7 then a comma then 8 mm
4th = 50½
All vertical symbols are spaced apart about the same distance, one top of each other. The Eagle and the Crown with the B are repeated again vertically stamped on top of each other on the left side of the front action ring just under where they are stamped on the barrel( they all are pretty much lined up vertically. The serial numbers are on the action, bolt handle and the barrel rear sight mount and are all the same numbers, verifying the rifle as all original parts. The two receiver screws of the rifle both tighten up and point vertical with the barrel or ie., when tight they line up.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks DeadeyeDon
It is definitely not a military rifle. It has double set trigger and the marking on the mag plate is "ESHA" in a sort of half moon curve. The stamp across the barrel just in front of the receiver says "Cal. 8 X 51". Just under that is stamped “KRUPP STAHL” just to the front of the action. The person I got it from said the action is the shortest action of the 3 action lengths made and an 8X57mm round will not go into the magazine as it is too long, but it will chamber. I have heard that the German numeral for "7" as in 57 sometimes appears as something mistaken for a "1". Looking in cartridge books, I know there is a caliber 8 X 51mm. A gunsmith I know that studied in Germany says that the German #7 is sometimes mistaken for the #1 when stamped. Do you know if this is true? Also on the barrel there appears to be something like the following just behind the rear sight on the barrel parallel to the length of the barrel:
<S> then a <ST> is further down towards the action.
On the left side of the rear sight base, which is permanently attached to the barrel, is the serial number. Also on the left side of the barrel just above the stock, in front of the forward ring is a symbol “Crown” over a <N> next to <St>. Under the small letter <m> is the # <13gr>. These are all parallel with the barrel or horizontal.
Under the stocks forearm I found the following symbols, stamped vertically, with the barrel pointing up placed one on top of the other or stacked up and down.
Like the following:
1st symbol = Symbol of a bird like the Ruger black eagle or German eagle facing left with some type of small shape over the head.
2nd symbol= a crown with a capital under it.
3rd is no symbol but numbers like this = <7> or 7 then a comma then 8 mm
4th = 50½
All vertical symbols are spaced apart about the same distance, one top of each other. The Eagle and the Crown with the B are repeated again vertically stamped on top of each other on the left side of the front action ring just under where they are stamped on the barrel( they all are pretty much lined up vertically. The serial numbers are on the action, bolt handle and the barrel rear sight mount and are all the same numbers, verifying the rifle as all original parts. The two receiver screws of the rifle both tighten up and point vertical with the barrel or ie., when tight they line up.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks DeadeyeDon