Chinese Mauser ... Model 30 or Chinese Manufacture

Very interesting. Subscribed.

Is it 8x57?

Im saying a definite bootleg. Neat, but no way Id try shooting it!

This screams Khyber Pass copy to me. Shoot at your own risk. Definitely an interesting piece.

Mac

I will rely in my ignorance, ain't put my face close to anything made or used in that part of the world.

One does not need to do too close of an inspection to determine something just isn't right. Interesting bring back. I would think more unique than an FN.

Some of the Chinese “Volunteers” in the Korean war stormed over the Chosen Reservoir with “Chaiang Kai Chek” models of the K98 in 7.92 Maiser. During the Nationalist period the Government made boat loads of those copies. They “Fell into the hands” of the communist during and after WWII amd someone in authority in Red China figured as long as we are throwing away excess young men out on the problem penninsula we may as well throw away these old non standard to the new order rifles and ammunition.

Communist efficiency’s at work.

I suspect this rifle is from the late Warlord/early national period when Chinese gun makers tried to copy European arms and at the time the K98 was a hot item. Ian at Forgotten Weapons has a video on the pistols from those shops in that era and the markings are a hoot….much like Charlton Comics of the late ‘50’s used faux Kanji for Chinese or Japanese characters word balloons…. dang showing my age again.

-kBob

What McAR said. The meticulous - possibly from memory - and erratic manufacturer's identification on the port side of the receiver does indeed scream Khyber Pass. By hand. In a hut.

It might be shootable, but I'd tie it to a used tire and fire it with a very long string to the trigger for the initial trial.

Ian at Forgotten Weapons calls the Chinese-made handguns with this sort of bogus markings 'mystery pistols', so I think we'd be justified in calling this a mystery rifle. And I am seeing a mystery here.

Looking past the clumsy bogus stampings, actual machine tools were clearly used to make this rifle - the receiver and bolt components are too well-formed for the customary file and hacksaw methods found on handmade local one-offs.

This makes me wonder whether the rifle was factory/arsenal made in China during the warlord era and later had the original markings scrubbed for restamping to look more European (and therefore more desirable) to an individual Chinese buyer.

Scanning through my copy of Bin Shih's book (link below), one possible candidate is the Type 77 Rifle from Zhejing Iron Works, an FN Model 1930 Export Model copy. Check whether the bolt lacks a guide rib and the slot for it in the receiver bridge -- the Type 77 omitted both. Guangdong Arsenal also produced their own FN 1924/30 copy called the Type 21 in fairly large numbers. See pages 105-116:

https://www.facebook.com/ForgottenW...anese-war-aka-pre-wwii-for-/1825217830873985/

Can you post a photo of the rear sight and its markings please?

Pretty cool!

Reminde's me of the markings on my Chinese C-96 Broom handle "Wauser", or my Kyber Pass .38 'Webleve".

I need some home craft rifles now.......

caribou said:

Reminde's me of the markings on my Chinese C-96 Broom handle "Wauser", or my Kyber Pass .38 'Webleve".

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BTW, there's a licensed branch of Webley and Scott in India currently producing a version of the small frame MkIV revolver for their small domestic market: https://www.facebook.com/webleyindia

I've run across a lot of components from Chinese copies of Mauser and 1888 Commission rifles in relation to restoring some of my Turkish rifles.
The Turks primarily used Czech parts to replace the bolts and other parts that were removed and discarded by the victorious British forces, but some Chinese copies were also disassembled for parts.
I've been especially careful of parts that I suspected were Chinese.
They are usually better than the Khyber Pass stuff - but not by much... .

Dave DeLaurant said:

BTW, there's a licensed branch of Webley and Scott in India currently producing a version of the small frame MkIV revolver for their small domestic market: https://www.facebook.com/webleyindia

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Looks cool, DeLaurant!
Mine is a combination of features from Mark 2, III, iV with Buffalo horn ( I guess) grips, Odd markings and misspelled stampings, with a wild serial number to authenticate it.....LOL!! Its definitely handmade and the lockup isnt very positive.
I wish I had a picture, or was home, you'd enjoy the result that a drill, files and some know how can make such things.

The .30 C96 Wauser was an Oyster Bay import from China in the 1980's, I got for 60$.Looks like a small shop make, and it works OK.
Im dying for a 'Chaing Ki Shek' Mauser Rifle, of Chinese make like the OP has.

caribou said:

Looks cool, DeLaurant!

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The Indians are asking crazy money for this Webley .32 S&W revolver -- $2850 at the current conversion rate. The earlier Indian Ordnance Factory Webley knockoff went for around $1100. My understanding is this pricing is basically take it or leave it, due to the lack of competition for legally-available civilian firearms there.

Mine is a combination of features from Mark 2, III, iV with Buffalo horn ( I guess) grips, Odd markings and misspelled stampings, with a wild serial number to authenticate it.....LOL!! Its definitely handmade and the lockup isnt very positive.
I wish I had a picture, or was home, you'd enjoy the result that a drill, files and some know how can make such things.

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I would indeed! At one point I owned a MkI, a MkVI and two MkIVs, but now I'm down to just one IV and VI.

The .30 C96 Wauser was an Oyster Bay import from China in the 1980's, I got for 60$.Looks like a small shop make, and it works OK.
Im dying for a 'Chaing Ki Shek' Mauser Rifle, of Chinese make like the OP has.

Click to expand...

I remember that brief Oyster Bay era -- heady times for surplus!

Have you got Ian's new book Pistols of the Warlords on order? I doubled down and also ordered Arming the Dragon to go with it.