For one thing, it's an actual war trophy.
The Norwegians fought like madmen against the Germans for 5 years. Although some did serve in the SS for political reasons, mostly associated with membership in Vidkun Quisling's National Samlung party, the Norwegian Nazi movement, far more were bitterly opposed to them. In the end, Reichskommissar Josef Terboven took over the country at the head of an occupation government and by the end of the war, it took armed 1 German soldier to keep the lid on 8 unarmed Norwegians. By the time the war ended, Norway had done great service to the Allies through their Navy, Air Force and even Army, taking back their own extreme Northern region (Finnmark). The Norwegians had no love at all for eagles and swastikas and goose-stepping and concentration camps.
When it was all over, they expelled the Germans they didn't want to keep for war-crimes trials.... but they kept the weapons to replace some of Norway's weapons which the Germans had seized. They left the eagles and swastikas on the rifles as a form of bragging: this one WAS theirs; now it's OURS! Then they marked in the word HAER (ARMY, in Norwegian) very plainly. The WaffenAmt markings were left intact because were not political but were the Inspectors' punches from when the rifle was made; they attest to its being made properly in the first place.
Recognising the US as the leader of the nascent NATO pact, Norway converted many German rifles to handle the .30-'06 ammunition which the US gave them from their stockpiles in Europe. This is one of those rifles. The new barrel was made at the Royal Norwegian Arsenal at Kongsberg and it is GOOD. A friend was so surprised by the extreme accuracy of one of these rifles that it ended up with a 16x Leupold scope on it but otherwise was unaltered. We shot 3-round groups under 1 inch with that rifle for 5 years running...... at 325 measured yards. When my friend passed away suddenly, the rifle went to a new home where they think it is good.... but have no idea just HOW good. Some of these rifles ended up being used by the Norwegians in the demonstration Olympic sport of Ski-shooting, which now has been demilitarised, shot with .22s and renamed: Biathlon.
Your friend need not be embarrassed regarding the Nazi eagle on the rifle; it was left as a point of pride.
The RIFLE is truly a fine specimen. There never really were all that many and there are less today.
Likely they are the only full-military Mauser rifle which can keep up with, or even beat, a Swedish 96.
And that's saying a LOT.
