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Any depot marked M95M rifles out there?

Pat

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Staff member
Just wondering if anyone here has ever seen an M95M of any variety that was depot marked, or had some known identifier of having gone through German hands in WWII. Hambone's excellent thread on K98Ks in action (Many, many pics) contained a post with scans from a Gebirgsjager album with a picture of what appeared to be an M95M stood up against a military motorcycle. I've never seen an M95M with definitive marks, but mine has a 'duffel-cut.'
Thanks,
Pat
 
Yes. 95M w e/L (Police) left side receiver; another w (if memory serves) e/Mg10 in wrist (last seen in A. Selker's collection).
 
I have one with Mz8 marked wrist. I thought I posted photos before, but I can't find them. I'll post some- the Germans did use them- here is a photo of them in use in Norway. I would imagine the majority were used without modification.
 

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Photos of M95M

Here are the photos. The German depot mods include blueing the bolt, serial numbers force matched on all parts by electropencil, and stock numbered on the bottom. My rifle started life as a Bulgarian contract M95 based on the receiver crest. The M95M rifles have an interesting history, even non-German modified ones. There was a really nice one for sale recently on Gunbroker.
 

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The M95M is a cool rifle. The Bulgarian contracts are very well traveled: served in the Bulgarian Army in First and Second Balkan Wars, with the Serbs or Bulgarians in WWI, and finally with the Germans in WW2. My matching example is an ex-Bulgarian as well (though not German marked like mrfarb's).

The men in the above picture are actually Norwegian SS men. I've attached two more photos of Germans with M95Ms. Both are apparently taken in Norway.
 

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GREAT rifles and pics gentlemen, thanks for sharing!

I agree, these are neat rifles with extremely rich and varied history. When I get time, I'll post pics of my Bulgarian contract M95M. There are no apparent German mods, but it has been 'duffel-cut.'
Thanks again for sharing the pics and knowledge.
Best,
Pat
 
Interesting that both rifles or carbines M95M have BT3 marked stocks, as the rework of M95M was made in Uzice. Same as the numbering is belgian typus.
 
Hi AndyB,
True. The Yakov Poshinger Arms and Ammunition Factory ('FOMU') was contracted to perform the conversions, but VTZ (stamped as 'BTZ') at Kragujevac did the final inspections and approved the finished product by stamping the triangle with 'BTZ' on the right side of the butt stocks. Domestically produced bayonets for the M95M were made at Kragujevac and also received the 'BTZ' stamp on the ricasso.
Best,
Pat
 
Really interesting thread. I got a couple of token M95s a while back, but they really do deserve more attention. Does anyone have any definitive info on Austrian reworks? I heard that most rifles were cut-down into carbines in 1934 (and that these are the new imports). Is that substantiated at all? And of courses there are full-length rifles with "S" marked barrels as well, though these tend not to be import marked.
 
Really interesting thread. I got a couple of token M95s a while back, but they really do deserve more attention. Does anyone have any definitive info on Austrian reworks? I heard that most rifles were cut-down into carbines in 1934 (and that these are the new imports). Is that substantiated at all? And of courses there are full-length rifles with "S" marked barrels as well, though these tend not to be import marked.


The Austrians standardized the new 8x56RS M30 "S-Patrone" in 1930, and they began converting M95s around the same time. Long rifles were apparently cut down to carbine/stutzen length, but you do find some long rifles rechambered for the M30 cartridge. Most of Austria's inventory of M95/30s were sold to Bulgaria in 1938 in exchange for natural resources. The Bulgarian designation for them is believed to be M95/34. Almost all of the M95/30s that you see are recent Bulgarian imports.

An original M95/30 is hard to find, and the M95/30 long rifles are even harder to find. I will try to post pictures of my (possibly) German modified example later this week.
 
Thanks for your reply, Ryan. Here are pictures of my long M95/30. It is not import marked and is all matching (complete with misguided white crayon).

My other one is a 1916 Steyr and is definitely one of the recent Bulgarian imports, a cut-down M95 and import marked as "M95/34".
 

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As promised...
Here's mine. Not German marked, but all matching numbers and 'duffel cut.'. Very interesting rifles all around.

I'm surprised there are so many Bulgarian marked M95Ms here. They're the hardest ones to find!
Pat

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Found this on a german website, photo of a couple M95's in german use (one is under the left leg).

The translation from the website is:

General Friedrich Kussin (city Commander of Arnhem), was shot on 17 september 1944 the 3rd British para battalion (B company).

Body is driver. On the photo of the dead driver are two M95 Hembrug carbines. The model carbine, which on the dead body of the driver is a no. 1 or a no. 4 new model old model. Typical of both models are the sideways kordon brackets on the flask and the wooden cladding piece on the warehouse. The type carbine under the body has so see also lateral kordon brackets.

Edit: added another photo from Norway
 

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General Friedrich Kussin (city Commander of Arnhem), was shot on 17 september 1944 the 3rd British para battalion (B company).

Body is driver. On the photo of the dead driver are two M95 Hembrug carbines. The model carbine, which on the dead body of the driver is a no. 1 or a no. 4 new model old model. Typical of both models are the sideways kordon brackets on the flask and the wooden cladding piece on the warehouse. The type carbine under the body has so see also lateral kordon brackets.

The carbines in the first photo are Dutch and are a completely different animal from the Austro-Hungarian M95s or the M95M conversion. While a Mannlicher style action, it is a turn bolt design and has many other considerable differences.

http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?7725-HZa-Dutch-Carbine-Mg10-Rework
 
Interesting rework rifles, thanks for the including the informative clarification info on that thread.

I'd guess if you are driver/bodyguard of a general, you'd want to have a short carbine type weapon for quicker access. Unfortunately, meeting up with the number of Brit paratroopers did not give them any chance whatsover.

Found some interesting details on the General's untimely demise:

http://www.defendingarnhem.com/Feldkommandantur642.html
 

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