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Im trying to iD this rifle my great uncle brought back from Europe in WW2 and sportorized not many markings to work with says it used to be a sniper variant its in 8mm I can take more after work thanks yall

20240112_063858.jpg 20240112_063742.jpg
 
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There may be someone here good enough to ID the rifle by just the trigger, but getting a couple more pictures would certainly help. Some of the bolt/receiver? The front/rear sight?
 
If it was issued as a Sniper rifle you will find the holes where an optic was attached. any gun can be used to snipe , but those issued to a sniper will have been altered for that role. do a little research into what optics and mounts were common, and you will find the corresponding holes. DR
 
It is also on your trigger. I googled "Spanish Mauser M43 proof marks" and hit images and started scrolling. Both of those came from forums.
 
I'd like to thank yall very much for the information im pretty sentimental about the rifle ,gonna post some of the other markings later on the pictures I have currently are just too blurry
 
If it was issued as a Sniper rifle you will find the holes where an optic was attached. any gun can be used to snipe , but those issued to a sniper will have been altered for that role. do a little research into what optics and mounts were common, and you will find the corresponding holes. DR
This is not always the case. Especially if it has been sporterized.
I have handled hundreds of mausers throughout the decades. Ive lost track of how many "my grandfather brought it back" rifles and lugars, that were parts guns assembled post war. In that group, the number of "sniper" rifles was high. At least once or twice a year, we would hear "it was a sniper rifle, see here, the holes for a scope."....that happen to be drilled for generic weaver bases and rings lol
There is only a few ways to correctly ID them, serial numbers and records being the most accurate. Some slipped through the cracks for sure. Many where modified in the field with no or very little, records to authentic. Post war, parts were cheap and easy to find and that opened the door to thousands of parts built fake snipers.

Anyway, the proof marks, and ring will tell its story.

.
 

This is not always the case. Especially if it has been sporterized.
I have handled hundreds of mausers throughout the decades. Ive lost track of how many "my grandfather brought it back" rifles and lugars, that were parts guns assembled post war. In that group, the number of "sniper" rifles was high. At least once or twice a year, we would hear "it was a sniper rifle, see here, the holes for a scope."....that happen to be drilled for generic weaver bases and rings lol
There is only a few ways to correctly ID them, serial numbers and records being the most accurate. Some slipped through the cracks for sure. Many where modified in the field with no or very little, records to authentic. Post war, parts were cheap and easy to find and that opened the door to thousands of parts built fake snipers.

Anyway, the proof marks, and ring will tell its story.

.
Great uncle brought it back from ww2 in Europe so the story goes
 
This is not always the case. Especially if it has been sporterized.
I have handled hundreds of mausers throughout the decades. Ive lost track of how many "my grandfather brought it back" rifles and lugars, that were parts guns assembled post war. In that group, the number of "sniper" rifles was high. At least once or twice a year, we would hear "it was a sniper rifle, see here, the holes for a scope."....that happen to be drilled for generic weaver bases and rings lol
There is only a few ways to correctly ID them, serial numbers and records being the most accurate. Some slipped through the cracks for sure. Many where modified in the field with no or very little, records to authentic. Post war, parts were cheap and easy to find and that opened the door to thousands of parts built fake snipers.

Anyway, the proof marks, and ring will tell its story.

.
Thank you sir
 
What's the measurement of the action screw holes?
Looks like it was scrubbed which was coming back then. The numbers off the Floorplate and magbox are gone. Some didn't have them but hard to tell from the pics.
Any other markings?
Here is one that was sporterized but kept thr markings.

Drilled for weaver bases .... 😉

20240112_160142.jpg 20240112_160123.jpg
 
What's the measurement of the action screw holes?
Looks like it was scrubbed which was coming back then. The numbers off the Floorplate and magbox are gone. Some didn't have them but hard to tell from the pics.
Any other markings?
Here is one that was sporterized but kept thr markings.

Drilled for weaver bases .... 😉

View attachment 1800814 View attachment 1800815
Okay biggest is 1 5/8ths , medium is about 7 8ths
 
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Hey yall just like to say thanks for the help 99 percent is pointing to spanish m43 and arrowshooter in particular for finding the markings God bless yall
 
This is not always the case. Especially if it has been sporterized.
I have handled hundreds of mausers throughout the decades. Ive lost track of how many "my grandfather brought it back" rifles and lugars, that were parts guns assembled post war. In that group, the number of "sniper" rifles was high. At least once or twice a year, we would hear "it was a sniper rifle, see here, the holes for a scope."....that happen to be drilled for generic weaver bases and rings lol
There is only a few ways to correctly ID them, serial numbers and records being the most accurate. Some slipped through the cracks for sure. Many where modified in the field with no or very little, records to authentic. Post war, parts were cheap and easy to find and that opened the door to thousands of parts built fake snipers.

Anyway, the proof marks, and ring will tell its story.

.
My own grandfather sporterized hundreds of Mausers. And you are right just being drilled and tapped does not mean much. but it has to line up to the mounts in use at the time.
My first deer rifle was a 98 Mauser that was re-barreled to 30-06, was D&T'd for a Redfield mount, and a Herters stock. In the 50's and 60's he could buy them for $15 to $30.
 
My own grandfather sporterized hundreds of Mausers. And you are right just being drilled and tapped does not mean much. but it has to line up to the mounts in use at the time.
My first deer rifle was a 98 Mauser that was re-barreled to 30-06, was D&T'd for a Redfield mount, and a Herters stock. In the 50's and 60's he could buy them for $15 to $30.
Same with my father as he was a gunsmith/ffl from the late 70s to around 1995. The one I pictured above was one of several he built. It is in 8mm-06ackimp.
It was sold to an army buddy of mine who kept it for for 30 years and recently returned it to me to pass down to my grandson.
Anyway, I grew up with crates of mauser parts laying around the house and several dummies for me and my friends to play with.
Later in life I also worked as a gunsmith for Jerry Kramer out if Hood River. I attended 6 /7 shows a year for a decade or so with that old fella. It was in that time I was really schooled in mausers and lugers. Jerry had a very large and valuable collection, a horder of collectible guns more or less. Matter of fact one of his lugers was featured in John Walter's book. He was very well connected in that world and he taught me more then i deserved and introduced me to some amazing folks.
Anyway, I've handled hundreds over the years and seen only a handful of original k98 snipers. Thats all i was getting at. Most not for sale, and all verified in some fashion. Holes lining up even with period correct mounts isn't always proof of anything other than someone drilled it for them at some unknown point in time.
Sure wish we could still find em for $15 or the cases of them my pops used to get for$
$99 lol
 
Same with my father as he was a gunsmith/ffl from the late 70s to around 1995. The one I pictured above was one of several he built. It is in 8mm-06ackimp.
It was sold to an army buddy of mine who kept it for for 30 years and recently returned it to me to pass down to my grandson.
Anyway, I grew up with crates of mauser parts laying around the house and several dummies for me and my friends to play with.
Later in life I also worked as a gunsmith for Jerry Kramer out if Hood River. I attended 6 /7 shows a year for a decade or so with that old fella. It was in that time I was really schooled in mausers and lugers. Jerry had a very large and valuable collection, a horder of collectible guns more or less. Matter of fact one of his lugers was featured in John Walter's book. He was very well connected in that world and he taught me more then i deserved and introduced me to some amazing folks.
Anyway, I've handled hundreds over the years and seen only a handful of original k98 snipers. Thats all i was getting at. Most not for sale, and all verified in some fashion. Holes lining up even with period correct mounts isn't always proof of anything other than someone drilled it for them at some unknown point in time.
Sure wish we could still find em for $15 or the cases of them my pops used to get for$
$99 lol
Im trying to get into collecting old milsurps as well sound pretty lucky to get to play with all the cool toys lol
 

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