I may have received a good one, German Capture VZ24

[Nklem]

My grandpa left me two guns. One an old win. and the other a Mauser VZ24. I thought the mauser was junk, bolt did not match, numbers stamped all over it and non working safety (works but stuck in the off position). Heck it was even missing some of the sling rings. It is BRNO 1926 and pretty clean. I figured it was worth a few hundred dollars. I did some searching today for a sling and cocking piece to repair the safety and guess what. This is a German Capture Czech vz24! I cannot find any for sale anywhere to get a value. Here's the photos. Any help would be appreciated. I cannot tell if the WaA is 65 or 55. The barrel has the eagle and German marks. The stock, the buttplate too, it appears to have a straight 98 bolt. Pretty good shape too with a nice clean bore. Sorry I took out the serial numbers. I was going to repair the safety and go shooting this weekend.

Also, I just noticed on the bottom of the magazine cover, the release button has a very small eagle on it too and the number 214 under it. There are lots of numbers stamped in the upper hand guard underside wood and written in pencil. The bolt has a script B type figure on it near the business end, the receiver underside has a B and a inverted U with two smaller circles on each top vertical part of the U . Plus many more marks. The barrel has the eagle and swastika. Also a large S on the top of the barrel. A "C" on the left side of the barrel , front of the sight, a czech E3 lion and number 38 on the right side of the barrel with an E on it's side pointing up. E3 Lion 38 on the front band/sling ring, gun serial stamped on everything else except the bolt differs but all the bolt parts have the same number set on them. The butt plate numbers are actually stamped over another smaller number set. There is a small lower case "f" on the lower part of the butt plate. I can upload pics if you want to see them all.

 

[RyanE]

Well, its definitely a German modified vz24. It appears to have a new barrel, the side swivels were removed and the stock plugged, and a stock disc was installed. Pretty common modifications. Do any of the parts have matching serial numbers?

Any chance you could take a clearer and closer photo of the German eagle stamped on the stock? Can you read any of the letters underneath it?

Also of note both the fireproof and depot inspection appear to match this recently posted gun:http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?9087-gewehr-98-1915-DWM

 

[Nklem]

Here is the stock stamp. I cannot read it

Everything has the same number stamped on it (the floor plate, plate frame, butt plate, stock, fore end cover, receiver, barrel, hand guard) except the bolt differs. All of the bolt parts have part of the bolt serial number on them and it is not a czech bolt I guess. It has a 98 stamped on the rear of the bolt. The front band that holds the sling has the same czech number as the barrel under the wood E3 Lion 38, but no serial number. The Germans modified or made this gun from two. The barrel is stamped in the same font as everything else with the receiver serial number under the wood. On the opposite side the E3 Lion 38 number differs from the receiver E lion 26.

The small magazine cover release button has an eagle and a "214" under it. Here is a pic of the stock mark. There is also another partial bird mark on the side of the stock under the right side of the receiver. Not complete. Pic of that attached too. I cannot read the letters at all. I will try to have a look with the naked eye. There is something there but faint.

Well, its definitely a German modified vz24. It appears to have a new barrel, the side swivels were removed and the stock plugged, and a stock disc was installed. Pretty common modifications. Do any of the parts have matching serial numbers?

Any chance you could take a clearer and closer photo of the German eagle stamped on the stock? Can you read any of the letters underneath it?

Also of note both the fireproof and depot inspection appear to match this recently posted gun:http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?9087-gewehr-98-1915-DWM

 

[Nklem]

Here is a better pic. I may have to dig out the DLSR. Anyway, 1 Z H? ? 5 with a circle around it? I will try to get better.

Everything has the same number stamped on it (the floor plate, plate frame, butt plate, stock, fore end cover, receiver, barrel, hand guard) except the bolt differs. All of the bolt parts have part of the bolt serial number on them and it is not a czech bolt I guess. It has a 98 stamped on the rear of the bolt. The front band that holds the sling has the same czech number as the barrel under the wood E3 Lion 38, but no serial number. The Germans modified or made this gun from two. The barrel is stamped in the same font as everything else with the receiver serial number under the wood. On the opposite side the E3 Lion 38 number differs from the receiver E lion 26.

The small magazine cover release button has an eagle and a "214" under it. Here is a pic of the stock mark. There is also another partial bird mark on the side of the stock under the right side of the receiver. Not complete. Pic of that attached too. I cannot read the letters at all. I will try to have a look with the naked eye. There is something there but faint.

 

[RyanE]

I take from your post that the serial numbers match on all the other parts except the front band. The 'E3 Lion 38' is a Czech acceptance not a serial number. Both the front band and barrel are Czech made spares from 1938. The 'E Lion 26' on the receiver indicates the rifle was originally accepted into Czech service in 1926. The Germans obviously reworked the rifle at some later date.

The mismatched bolt is from a Gew98, a WWI German rifle. Sometime after the end of the war the original matching bolt was lost and someone (perhaps your grandfather) found another one to use. A mismatched bolt is common on rifles brought home by veterans. It is unfortunate that it doesn't match but it is a nice rifle nonetheless.