Czech VZ24 Mauser Rifle from Lever Arms

All the ones from the post-war refurb program, which looks RC-ish, look to be European walnut that has been stained darker. The hand guards look to be either beech or birch (a mixed bag).

These came in through tradex originally, and were advertised as "Russian capture", like the k98k rifles that arrived around the same time from multiple importers.

I seriously doubt the Russians were the last users of these rifles. I've owned a few now and all of them had evidence of being refurbished multiple times. My last one had a bolt that had been re-numbered and then re-blued twice, the old electro-pencil numbers still faintly visible. They were clearly not re-issued after they were re-stocked either.

Some people have said Romania was the last country to have these rifles before coming here. Would be nice if Anthony would chime in and let us know definitively.
 
Last edited:
Here's the underside of the handguards I bought, if that helps the in seeing what type of wood it is.:
VZ24%20Handguards%20for%20sale10001_zpsbaylm8mh.jpg
 
Claven2 said:
Those ones look like walnut to me, but I have personally had examples with beech handguards as well.
Click to expand...

My guess too. These are for sale in the EE if anyone wants a spare.

My stock was almost the same colour inside as well, doubt they stained the inside of the stock... Found a surplus handguard that was almost the exact same colour and just oiled both pieces. The UHG that came with the rifle definitely had some dark crap on it, didn't strip it due to the arsenal repair, just using it as a spare.
 
The rifle itself, if it's like the ones I have had, should have a very thin wipe-on type finish of some sort to preserve the gun in storage, maybe shellac or lacquer a few microns thick applied hastily with a rag over a dark reddish-purple stain. Under that is a fairly light euro walnut that has been impregnated with oil, probably linseed oil.

When made these stocks were well manufactured, but if tou look at the surface, you will see they did not sand it very finely. It was left at maybe 180 grit. Original pre-war VZ stocks would have been scraped smooth at the factory.

On one rifle, I buffed the whole stock with fine steel wool and re-oiled it. It improved the look significantly. You have to be careful not to round any edges though.
 
I found my milsurps.com threads on the last couple VZ24's I've had. Once was a probable vet bringback, and the other was one of the first guns from this refurbished import with an intact Czech crest.

The Czech Crest refurb had a typical new replacement stock with a re-used beech handguard that likely dated to WW2.

Here is a pic:

DSCN3967-1.jpg

DSCN3954-1.jpg


Beech handguard:

DSCN3961-1.jpg


Thread:
http://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=39371&highlight=vz24

Here's the bringback:

Image4_zpsd31da505-1.jpg

Image_zpscba55973-1.jpg


Thread:

http://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=45052&highlight=vz24

I should never have sold the top rifle above, the refurb with the czech crest. I sold it here, I think. If anyone owns it now and is tired of it, PM me :)
 
I picked one up as well. Cleaned the bore with some patches, it came out OK. Then I shot some contact cleaner down the bore, followed with a copper brush. Now the bore is nice with very strong rifling. What a bargain. For 425 shipped to my door I received a beautiful rifle with no stock repairs and a great bore. It also came with a bayonet, pouches and cleaning kit.
 
I just picked up another one on the EE for $350, but it didn't come with the bayonet, pouches, etc. so probably I;d have been better off ordering from Lever. Oh well.
 
Trunnion said:
I picked one up as well. Cleaned the bore with some patches, it came out OK. Then I shot some contact cleaner down the bore, followed with a copper brush. Now the bore is nice with very strong rifling. What a bargain. For 425 shipped to my door I received a beautiful rifle with no stock repairs and a great bore. It also came with a bayonet, pouches and cleaning kit.
Click to expand...

Did you just order it recently?
 
Just last weekend (on the 21st) I went down to Lever to pick one of these, my first mauser, up. They only had 2 left and apparently none in the back, and now one of those is mine. And just to counter some of the anti-Lever talk I hear around here, I had a really nice experience, like I always do there. Now to get to the range..
 
Here's the ex-Lever Arms gun I picked up from the EE. The guy I got it from may not have shot it, as it was not well cleaned of grease, etc. I had a spare nice walnut HG I put on, the beech one it came with was pretty ratty with a couple poorly done repairs to it. Stock has been re-numbered, which is unusual from this batch, usually the stocks are newly fitted at refurb with only one serial number applied.

IMG_0853_zpselcasbti.jpg

IMG_0854_zpsyd1ci0eb.jpg


I haven't shot it yet.
 
Hard is an understatement. I've never seen an original personally.

For what it's worth, for actual shooting, I use a US Army Kerr "Nobuckle" sling on mine. It's really the best all round sling I've found for a VZ24.
 
Last edited:
Claven2 said:
Hard is an understatement. I've never seen an original personally.

For what it's worth, for actual shooting, I use a US Army Kerr "Nobuckle" sling on mine. It's really the best all round sling I've found for a VZ24.
Click to expand...

You have a pic with it installed? If all I can find is a repro I might as well get a newly made, updated sling.
 
The kerr slings are still made today, and have been made since WW1. They came standard issue for the M1917 rifle. E-bay is full of Kerr slings.

See here for how to mount and use one:

http://www.armscollectors.com/17sling/

Also, Whatpriceglory sells them, google their name and "kerr". They are $25 each and are well made reproductions of the WW1 variant. GREAT sling for actual use. Get the M1917 length. They make shorter versions for the M1903 and the Thompson, it's the M1917 version you want.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom