Interesting Rifle

[Jake in TX]

I recently came across an old Walther .22 rifle, and bought it. It has no model name or number on it. I would post pics, but I need to get a better camera.

On the receiver are:

the Walther banner
"Waffenfabrik Walther ZellaMehlis (Thur.)"
the serial number, in the 16300 range
the letter N with a crown on it
the letter B with a crown on it
the letter U with a crown on it

On the barrel are:

the word "Nitro"
the letter N with a crown on it
the letter B with a crown on it
the letter U with a crown on it
a marking of "5.4 mm"

On the bolt are:

the letter B with a crown on it
the letter U with a crown on it
no safety

The front sight is triangular, and the rear sight is adjustable from 30 - 200 (meters?). It is a single shot riffle, and the barrel is over 25" long. From this being made in the factory at Zella-Mehlis, it appears to be from before the Russians got there toward the end of WWII. It shoots very well. Any ideas from this description?

Jake in TX

 

[elrod]

I'll have to venture a guess that this is a Model UIT BV Universal, single shot .22, 25.6 in. barrel (heavy). 16 1/2 lbs. This is based upon the few details given. This model gun was discontinued in 1990, and the proof marks indicate it was manfactured after 1950. The "N" /w crown indicates a nitro powder proof, the other two most likely inspection marks. If any of these are not characteristic of your rifle, please repost.





Al

 

[Jake in TX]

I checked out some UIT BV rifles, and the stock on mine does not look like any of them. Here are some somewhat low-res shots:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/jdillipl/P1010047.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/jdillipl/P1010047.jpg

Does anybody have any ideas here? What model this really is? About when it was made?

Jake in TX

 

[Jim Watson]

Your pictures do not come up for me, but it sure sounds like you have one like ol' 20490 here. Which is definitely a pre WW II rifle. Mine is a sporter with a rather heavy barrel but slim stock. I always thought it was a Mk V Meisterbusche but it might be a home market rifle seldom seen in the English literature. A couple of us kicked one around here recently
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=299729&highlight=Walther
and
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=261811&highlight=Walther

 

[Jake in TX]

I had problems with the pics, and was editing the post. Please see the links I have now. Thank you.

Jake in TX

 

[Jim Watson]

Best I can tell, yours is very much like mine, with the same skinny bolt head; maybe identical. Referenced threads in #4 apply.

 

[Jake in TX]

Thank you, Jim. Does yours have a two stage trigger?

Jake in TX

 

[Jim Watson]

Yes., and somewhat adjustable, too, although it is probably best to just leave it alone. I got very good accuracy back when I could see the barleycorn sights. Be gentle with the plastic trigger guard. Mine aged and cracked just sitting in the rack.

 

[Jim K]

The rifle is a Sportbüchse Model V. Barrel length is 25.6", overall length 44.5". It was introduced in 1938 and was a popular and extremely accurate rifle, being used to win many small-bore championships in pre-WWII Germany.

Production of the Sportbüchse V was not resumed in Ulm after the war.

(The crown marking was done away with by the proof law of 1939 when the Nazi eagle was substituted, so the gun would have to date from before that.)

Jim

 

[Jake in TX]

Was the Sportbüchse V marked with a model name? Also, is there a tool to adjust windage? Mine has a square adjustment, but it is recessed.

Jake in TX

 

[Jim Watson]

Mine has no marking for model designation.

Mine has a screw slot for windage adjustment. A lot of European rifles used those square keys for sight adjustment. You might have to file a square drive bit as used for some wood work to fit.

 

[Jake in TX]

I'll have to manufacture a square socket for mine. Also, my trigger guard is blued steel (with a little surface rust; I have some bronze wool, and am about to try it out).

Jake in TX

 

[Jim Watson]

Well, we have a model variation here. Our Walthers have the same bolt action with the funny skinny bolt head, but you have a steel trigger guard and square key sight adjustment; while I have a plastic trigger guard and a screw head sight adjustment.

Pity we bombed the factories that made all these nice guns; and the Soviets got what remained of so many. The production and sales records would be interesting. Or even old catalogs. Hmm. I'll have to check at Cornell Publications which reprints a lot of those.

Nope. They have a reprint of the 1936 catalog for the Walther Carbine, the semi-auto/manual repeater but not the single shots.

 

[Jake in TX]

Thank you, Jim, for your help.

Jake in TX