Unusual markings on milsurps!

[fugawi]

Seems a bit slow these days so I thought I'd start something...

Post your pics of milsurps rifles with seldom seen or rare unusual markings on them given their country of origin. I'm thinking WaffenAmts on SVT 40s, Finnish SA marks on Swedish M1896s, etc. I believe someone here has a Latvian Fire Brigade marked M91. Not necessarily rare but something you don't see every day.

For example a WaffenAmt code on a Polish VIS 35 is not that unusual but on the SVT 40 it is. SA marked M96s are probably not rare but I've only seen pics of two. An Amberg GEW 98 was recently posted in Milsurps.

I'll start with my own 1940 Tikka M91 with a Tsarist receiver and Czech Lion. It has Austrian marks as well but what's seldom seen is the Czech district stamp on a Finn M91.

 

[Nabs]

Here is a strange marking I have been unable to figure out. It comes from one of my Kar 98s that was used post war by the Weimar republic and the Third Reich later on. The strange marking is, what appears to be, a pair of crossed swords in a circle (semi circle ?) just below the caliber stamp. I have not seen this marking in any of my reference books.

I am guessing the marking is pre 1930 considering the receiver was more than likely polished sometime after that.

 

[fugawi]

Nabs - Could that be a proof mark considering its just below the caliber mark?

 

[fugawi]

And would you post a few more pics of that rifle. I'm very interested in GEW and KAR 98s that came from the Danzig Arsenal at that time (1920). Thx

 

[polkey]

My vz52/57 has an iraqi property mark, i have been told it's called a "jeem"

 

[Nabs]

Well Danzig wasn't making any firearms after 1918 as all the machining tools were expropriated for Poland shortly there afterwards. The 1920 is considered to be part of a government inventory count during the mid 1920s in Germany compared against firearms accumulated from the public and ex-military personnel.

It is possible it is some sort of proof mark which the meaning has been lost to history.

The carbine itself was completely rebuilt more than likely in the 1920s as the stock bears the "1920" mark. The stock also has the Weimar eagle fire proof marks on the butt stock and pistol grip right beside the Imperial German ones. It is difficult to say where this carbine was after WW1 exactly but I have a feeling it may have been retained by the army and not the police.

Every marking checks out except for the one on the receiver and my postings on more than one forum has been fruitless so far.

Here are some full shots of the carbine:

 

[fugawi]

Thanks Nabs! I have a Polish K98 coming, built at the reconstituted Danzig Factory in 1927 when it was known as P.W.K. Radom (before the more familiar F.B. Radom)

 

[svt1940]

My vz52/57 has an iraqi property mark, i have been told it's called a "jeem"

My russian sks have the same marking too but the triangle is faint.

[/IMG]
Jocelyn

 

[fugawi]

My vz52/57 has an iraqi property mark, i have been told it's called a "jeem"

Thanks polkey, never seen that before. Can you highlight it with chalk or something then post a pic again?

 

[polkey]

Thanks polkey, never seen that before. Can you highlight it with chalk or something then post a pic again?

Sorry haven't got anything white or a functioning camera at the moment, my tariq also has the same mark, which makes sence as it was made in iraq.

 

[fugawi]

No problem. Between your's and SVT40's pic we can get a good idea of what it looks like. Thanks.

Maybe someone will recognize the unknown mark on Nab's K98.

 

[Chumlee Bumsnag]

Heres my 1913 SMLE Mk III with the = sign beside it. All the markings were very poorly struck on this one. Buffdog, Smellie and others here have given me lots of info on this one.

 

[Nabs]

Does the "=" sign mean it was converted to another configuration ?

 

[Chumlee Bumsnag]

According to others here, it might be a Mk III* that had a mag restricter added and the * covered with the =. It was rebarreled in 1928. More info and pics here.
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=553906

 

[canuck98k]

I have an Enfield No2 Mk I** revolver, made at Enfield in 1943, marked, "Not English Make", and subsequently struck through.

Skennerton and Stamps say: "Not English Make"; Typical Birmingham Proof Mark as applied to foreign made small arms entering the UK."

So the little bugger was made in England, left England, returned to England, was mis-stamped, corrected, and then left England,with the proper export stamps.

This picture shows the BV BP NP crown stamps and the line below is the strike out.

The full revolver; the export stamps can be seen.

 

[Nabs]

Ha, I can imagine the armourer saying "Ahh sh!t, have to do this bugger again, they don't pay me for over time!"

 

[fugawi]

Now that's something I don't think you see every day! Thanks canuck98K. It sounds like something the CFC and the RCMP would do. Only the war would be over by the time they made up their minds.

 

[Hawkshadow]

Here's my unknown marking on my Non-Refurb 1947 Izhevsk M44. It's on the stock, and appears to be HEC4 inside a diamond. As of yet, no resources have the answer to this one, although there are other examples out there!

 

[RMXC51]

This is between the bayo cut and mag on a NON REFURBED 1951 Russian SKS. I'm told it translates to the name "Luba". Sadly I don't own it, when I went back to the store to buy, it was already gone. Probably in a stupid Tapco stock, with the bayo chopped off by now.

 

[american lockpicker]

I once had a Mosin 91/59 with NO markings other than matching serial numbers and import mark.