Per the note, I would guess a Navy vet aboard LST-17 (landing ship, tank) found it at a dump near the dock in the port city of Bizerte, Tunisia in Sep. 1943. LST-17 was launched early in 1943 and served in the North African theater per Nav. source records. Can't make out the last set of numbers. Any photos of the rifle?
Per the note, I would guess a Navy vet aboard LST-17 (landing ship, tank) found it at a dump near the dock in the port city of Bizerte, Tunisia in Sep. 1943. LST-17 was launched early in 1943 and served in the European, North African theater before moving to the Pacific later in the war per NavSource records. Can't make out the last set of numbers. Any photos of the rifle?
http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16/160017.htm
The first "word" or abbreviation looked German to me and I thought "Tod" was todt at first. However, this is clearly from a GI. Any vets out there that can translate anything here? The numbers and letters at the bottom right may be a unit? Thank you
Unfortunately every K98 from this collection has just about been reblued. But there is a bunch more now and 200 more coming.As it turns out, the landing craft referenced was manned by a coast guard crew and was at D-Day. Tunisia in '43 was probably Afrika Korps. Here are the pics. Unfortunately, someone refinished the metal above the wood line. It was a wearing away and had that cold blue reek so I chose to remove it to get it as close to original as possible. I can see why it was refinished because I was careful taking off the cold blue and not much original finish is left. Anyway, aside from the bolt which matches itself, everything down to the band spring and trigger guard screws match.
That is neat, I’ve always hoped to as well but no luck yet. The best/only thing I can remember was a blown out screw hole in a Steyr that had a small piece of what appeared to be camo fabric wrapped around the BP screw to add tension on the threads, I think I snapped some pictures actually. Gotta watch Russian rifles, sometimes they have live rounds under the BP haha.