Mystery Mauser 98 type rifle

[jon_norstog]

I blew the photos up, it didn't look like the receiver was scrubbed, more like it never had a crest. There is a serial number, so I don't think it would be part of a purchase for super-secret work, maybe for some kind of armed militia or rebel group? Or a contract that fell through?

jn

[Art]

The upper band assembly/bayonet lug looks like a Belgian Mauser Model 1935 but the stock is wrong and the pictures of Model 1935s I've seen don't have a turned down bolt handle. The Belgians were big arms exporters between the wars so who knows.

When I read the first post I thought it might have been a Yugo Model 48 B, Model 48Bs were made for export where "plausible deniability" was important.

[Hal O'Peridol]

Caliber was stamped by the pre 1968 importer Interarms.

[BudT]

Quiet a few scrubbed or made without any identifying marks and ammo made the same way post war for clandestine stuff. My uncle a OSS officer talked about this, Ye Old Hunter was a front for the CIA post WWII OSS for weapons. A front company. Guns get captured and at some point get sold on the open market, no big deal. Start watching for about 90 billion in American stuff to start showing up in places around the world, gonna be interesting to say the least. Maybe we can get a good deal on some 5.56 or 9mm ammo when the Taliban decides to sell it off.

[jon_norstog]

Ye Olde Hunter! Man I bought a few guns from them when I was a kid. Back when you could mail-order any weapon that wasn't regulated under the 1934 Act. I still haVE A Mexican 7mm rolling block I got from that vendor.

jn

[BudT]

Ye Olde Hunter! Man I bought a few guns from them when I was a kid. Back when you could mail-order any weapon that wasn't regulated under the 1934 Act. I still haVE A Mexican 7mm rolling block I got from that vendor.

jn

They advertised a lot in the American Rifleman magazine, sold a lot of stuff cheap back then.

[jon_norstog]

They advertised a lot in the American Rifleman magazine, sold a lot of stuff cheap back then.

I still regret not buying one of the surplus Finn Army 20 mm single shot anti-tank guns they were selling. They sold the ammo too, a couple dollars a round. Someone took one of those to a range we used to use as kids, we weren't there when it happened but everyone was talking about it for a couple weeks afterward.

jn

[Hal O'Peridol]

John, if you are talking about the Lahti anti tank gun in 20mm, that was a semi auto magazine fed beast. And as a teen I wanted one sooooo bad after seeing one at a local gun shop.

I eventually settled for a Boy(e)s anti tank rifle in .50 BMG