Bought an... interesting Mauser today

[orangeninja]

Don't forget the type of military actions taken using Yugo arms...Bosnian...Serb conflict amongst others. I'm a fan of trench art but mostly on Yugo SKS rifles. To me they add character. Recently my brother in law got an SKS with M on one side and W on the other on the grip, but on the buttstock was an LD or somthing. Probably the guys initials and unit as several bands of "soldiers" had no identifying uniforms. Of course his gun didn't have David Hasselhoff, but it DID have a sticker of the Geni from Aladin...you know, the Disney cartoon.

Also, there is an SKS in this area with a 2 headed eagle and a shield roughly carved into the stock....a Serb thing. Several guys carved various Serb Christian and Muslim markings in their stock.

Your rifle could possibly have seen some action.

 

[.45Guy]

Might I point out that there are subtle differences between Serbo-Croatian and Russian...

 

[.45Guy]

It would be "God guards" or "God protects"

 

[orangeninja]

It would be "God guards" or "God protects"

Now why would someone name their rifle God?

 

[TexAg]

Don't forget the type of military actions taken using Yugo arms...Bosnian...Serb conflict amongst others. I'm a fan of trench art but mostly on Yugo SKS rifles. To me they add character. Recently my brother in law got an SKS with M on one side and W on the other on the grip, but on the buttstock was an LD or somthing. Probably the guys initials and unit as several bands of "soldiers" had no identifying uniforms. Of course his gun didn't have David Hasselhoff, but it DID have a sticker of the Geni from Aladin...you know, the Disney cartoon.

Also, there is an SKS in this area with a 2 headed eagle and a shield roughly carved into the stock....a Serb thing. Several guys carved various Serb Christian and Muslim markings in their stock.

Your rifle could possibly have seen some action.

Dude! I saw that SKS at Military Gun Supply with the Genie! I was thinking of getting it for my brother-in-law. Well, now I will just hope for a Hasselhoff sticker!

 

[.45Guy]

Well, the second would be "čuv" perhaps " protect v. čuvati "

 

[orangeninja]

Dude! I saw that SKS at Military Gun Supply with the Genie! I was thinking of getting it for my brother-in-law. Well, now I will just hope for a Hasselhoff sticker!

Yep, that was it....it was a good deal....bluing was a little worn...though not much. No rust and minor pitting in the bore but the lands and grooves are sharp. We shot it and it turned out to be the most accurate SKS I've ever fired....including an unissued one.

 

[Dionysusigma]

Well, whatever it is, it's going in my sig line.

Thus far, we've got "God, hear me" and "God Protects." Any other ideas?

 

[Cosmoline]

The Russian translators are choking on the second word. I did a google on the phrase and it came up in a number of Russian documents. It looks like some old prayer. I should round up one of the local Orthodox priests and see if he can make heads or tails of it.

 

[Dionysusigma]

I'd much appreciate it.

This is why I refuse to get a tattoo in a foreign language I don't know--you never know what it actually says. To you, it might mean "strength, courage, honor" but it might really say "Eat at Mac's BBQ." I'd hate to have a rifle that says "My hovercraft is full of eels" or somesuch.

 

[MilsurpShooter]

Friend of a friend of a friend told me this story, wanted some Chinese lettering on his tattoo. Strength, Honor, Courage, Life. Had it for a year before someone who could read chinese stopped him on the street and told him it really read

"One Stupid American"

Looked it up later on the net and went to "talk" to the guy, guy had closed shop about 4 months earlier

He since had it covered but, god lol

 

[ewb45acp]

You owe me a keyboard!

"My hovercraft is full of eels" or somesuch.

The Tobacconist sketch was one of the best ever. Now I need to go get the tapes out of the attic and start watching.

 

[max popenker]

Ok, guys, first you must remember that it is Yugoslavian gun, so language is most probably Serb, not Russian. It uses same Cyrillic alphabet but is somewhat different.
i suppose that "БОГ ЧУВ" in Serb may be the same as Russian "Бог Жив", that is "God is alive". At least, it makes sense.

 

[Stickjockey]

Pure conjecture on my part-

possibly "god Wills it" or like phrase, along the lines of the Latin "Deus Vollt" ("God Wills It")?

 

[.45Guy]

1.
bog= the lord
bog= the almighty
bog= power
bog= davinity
bog= deity
bog= god
bog= gott





2.
čuvati fend
čuvati economize
čuvati dete sitter-in
čuvati kao dragocenost enshrine
čuvati milicijom police
čuvati mladu devojku chaperon
čuvati novac za slučaj nevolje reserve money for emergencies
čuvati od zaborava embalm
čuvati ovce shepherd
čuvati se be shy of
čuvati se keep off
čuvati se to keep from
čuvati se look about
čuvati se save up
čuvati se save oneself
čuvati se beware
čuvati se fight shy of
čuvati se da take care to
čuvati se od guard against
čuvati tajnu to keep a secret
čuvati u kovčegu enshrine
čuvati u škrinji enshrine
čuvati ulaz u masonsku ložu tile

 

[antarti]

Just got word from a Russian acquaintance, a language professor no less. Told her about where the inscription was found, said she knew very well what it said: "GOD HEARD!". Past-perfective case or somesuch of the verb "hear".

I'm waiting on a Serbian Orthodox friend (newly minted US citizen) who did some fighting down there for his translation. Will post back.

EDIT: Got a reply back. He seems to think the carving is incomplete, and should be "БОГ ЧУВА СРБЕ", which would mean "God protects Serbs". Otherwise word "ЧУВ" is not a word in Serbian at all, which leads him to believe that part of it is missing. Check your stock again.

So you may never get resolution... you are back to 2 possibles, but being that somebody from the region itself says "God Protects", that's probably more accurate.

 

[USSR]

It looks like some old prayer. I should round up one of the local Orthodox priests and see if he can make heads or tails of it.

I'm an Orthodox Christian, and it's not likely to be slavonic (the text that is used in old Orthodoxy), as hardly any of the slavic people can read or write this text.

Don

 

[Dionysusigma]

Wow, thanks. The sketch of the inscription that I posted is the complete thing, not just part of it. Two groupings of three letters each.

Well, a new question presents itself: Should I finish the inscription, or leave it as it is? I was thinking of improving the shield a bit, but am unsure. Would this ruin the value of the rifle at all? Or, is it already "marred for life" and, in a collector's opinion, worthless?

Something tells me that it should be left alone, the same way a Mosin 1891 with black paint on the stock should be left undisturbed...

 

[Kurush]

Don't touch it! Modifying it at all would ruin the authenticity. Guns with authentic trench art are considered very desirable by many collectors.

 

[Lucky]

"EDIT: Got a reply back. He seems to think the carving is incomplete, and should be "БОГ ЧУВА СРБЕ", which would mean "God protects Serbs". Otherwise word "ЧУВ" is not a word in Serbian at all, which leads him to believe that part of it is missing."

OK, no disrespect, but that's the funniest ???? ever. Lo-omg-L. Was reading with interest and fascination, then got to this part. The other jokes got me warmed up, I guess. But LOL!

Guess we know why this bloke's rifle is for sale as surplus in the USA, now don't we? Dude should have spent a little more time looking up and less time carving his rifle stock.