Chiang Kai Sheck rifles?

LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1

LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1

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Was out killing time and came across an old Mauser. Seller didn't even know what it was but after some goggling I figured out it might be a Chinese Made Mauser, sometimes known as a Chiang Kai Sheck rifle, or the Type 24.

Receiver featured a bow and arrow inside a gear, with Chinese markings below and a 36 for what im thinking is probably the year.

Rifle was rough with a mismatched bolt. Some light surface rust but no major pitting on exposed metal (what it looks like below the wood in unknown) wood was definitely tired with a few cracks but no sever gouges.

Had a look down the bore in both directions and it was not sewer pipe, still had refiling which looked worn but was still consistent through the bore, but was dark and dirty and hard to tell it it was pitted or just really dirty. Lands looked fine but the grooves are where I could not tell if it was dirt or pitting.

Anyone know anything about these rifles? Are they decently made? How rare are they? Even searching I could not find a whole lot about these on CGN and google was hit or miss.

Seller wanted $100, this a fair price for what I would describe as a "fair" condition?
 
I have one sitting in my basement, it was purchased by a buddy for some of the parts he needed. Never did fire it but it looked okay, not as nice as the german 98's though. Can't say if they are rare but i haven't seen them for a while, used to be lots available a few years back at gun shows. IMO $100 is a fair price, i've seen some real butt draggers of Enfields with a lot higher price tag.
 
They aren't rare but not exactly common up here either. I would grab it for 100 bucks for sure. Be aware though that almost all of them have had a very tough life with poor care. Bore condition is usually horrible. There is some debate on the strength of them as well due to the crude manufacture some exhibit. Most have fired thousands upon thousands of rounds without failure though so they have to be reasonably well made. The arrow in the gear symbol represents the 21st arsenal which began production in 1943. The 36 is the year in the Nationalist calender so add 11 for the Gregorian year it was made.

I've almost completed a project Chinese M98 that I will be doing some destructive testing on in the near future. I picked up some bare receivers, bolts, etc and made a complete action of the parts then threw a Yugo barrel with a bad bore on it. Just have to make a mounting fixture to fire the thing out of.
 
The Chinese 98s are collectible. Most of them have been beat to hell and been there. They should actually command a much higher price than they do.

I don't know enough about them but the rifles I've seen have had different crests on the receivers. I believe the first rifles China received from Germany were put together from parts. It was something I read a long time ago. Recently in the latest Rifle mag, Mike Venturino mentioned it again. His information is often questionable. Later, the Chinese started to build their own. Not sure if their manufacturing predated the Japanese invasion or not. Again, I seem to remember something about the Siamese Mausers being built in Chinese factories under Japanese supervision. It may not be true but it would definitely make sense if they had the machinery to do it.

I have had a few of them. One was actually very nice, say 80% in and out but the rest were borderline. I used a couple to make up 308 sporters and never had any issues with them. Both are still in use close to 30 years later. No set back on the receiver bolt shoulders or on the bolts. Both of the fellows that shoot these rifles load them to the nuts. One has close to 6000 rounds through it and is due for a new barrel. The owner says he won't last as long as the present barrel so let someone else worry about it. He is 76 so he may be right.
 
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