WOW... just WOW!

[Claven2]

First one I've EVER seen for sale. EVER. And the bolt matches too.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=80436632

 

[skeetgunner]

oh dear...!

 

[Swiend]

Can one elaborate on the significance of this rifle or am I detecting sarcastic undertones? Late model Mauser with a sporterized stock for 20G's?

 

[Dsiwy]

LOL someone screwed up bad on there bid.

 

[9mm-Suppository]

Wow im sure the asshat that sportered would porobably shoot himself if he saw that...lets see if I can track down his addy

 

[sarge]

Amazing!!!

 

[Claven2]

No sarcasm. swjXE was the last code used at Steyr Daimler Puch in May of 1945. It was only in use for a matter of days, perhaps only hours, before the Red Army over-ran the factory.

At last count there were only 5 examples known to collectors in the entire WORLD. This one surfacing makes 6.

All the ones I have seen pictures of were sporterized by the vets that brought them back. Every verifyable vet story I have heard usually centers around trading with a Russian to get the rifle. It's unlikely ANY made it to the western front to be battlefield captured as petrol had long since been exhausted in the Reich when these guns were made in Austria.

I think the reason they all seem to be sporterized is that they were probably all duffle cut to begin with.

These guns are so rare that BBOTW was written before the first one ever even surfaced.

 

[MiG25]

$20,000+ that is amazing.

 

[Swiend]

Thanks for clarifying, nice to see rarities pop up like this from time to time. So, is this like the holy grail of German Mausers?

 

[Claven2]

Thanks for clarifying, nice to see rarities pop up like this from time to time. So, is this like the holy grail of German Mausers?

Pretty much, yes. Right up there with an original Phenolic resin stocked K98k.

 

[Dukeoflawnchair]

Goes to prove that nice pictures can sell anything...

 

[220Swifty]

Wonder what kind of custom he is going to build on that action

 

[happydude]

If these are so rare, is it something that could have been faked?

 

[Claven2]

I doubt it. The seller opened the auction at $230.00

Apparently he didn't know what he had. It's all correct, correct WaA's. Proper late-war parts. Serial numbering is spot-on. If it's a fake, it's the best one I have ever seen.

 

[Sigismund]

I like this comment:

[Information added 09/18/2007 8:34:49 PM]
A letter from a helpful collector: I'm sure you puzzled by now as to why your swjXE marked rifle is getting out of hand- the final Steyr code (unknown at the time BBOTW was written) was swj XE,- they are very rare.

Basically, in case you were wondering why your k98k sporter is worth 20K+... its rare.

 

[Gibbs505]

What dose BBOTW mean?

 

[Coyote Ugly]

What dose BBOTW mean?

Back Bone(r) of the Wehrmacht by Law

It's riddled with errors and fakes, don't take it as the gospel truth! But it does have some pretty pictures in it.

 

[ian_in_vic]

The fun equivalent of finding a Picasso in the attic - " I'm gonna sell Dad's old war rifle, maybe we can paint the livingroom"

 

[Claven2]

I wouldn't say BBOTW has alot of fakes in it, but there is certainly some wrong information that was considered right 10 years ago. Since all the RC imports, some of Law's info has been proven inadequate.

Still the best reference out there to date though.

 

[Gibbs505]

Thanks!!