Tell me about the M95 Austro-Hungarian M95 "Stutzen" 8x56R

[Vaarok]

They're a pretty notorious run of fakes some importer made up. The stamps are cartoonishly big and shaped wrong, and the rifles they're applied to are ones that couldn't've seen Nazi issue.

If you frequent the Gunboards Steyr Forum, there's a thread about every month. About as legit as a three dollar bill.

 

[Browning]

They're a pretty notorious run of fakes some importer made up. The stamps are cartoonishly big and shaped wrong, and the rifles they're applied to are ones that couldn't've seen Nazi issue.

Vaarok: Do you know which importer?

 

[Vaarok]

GAI, in Miami FL

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=12856

 

[Browning]

Thank you. I'd rather avoid dishonest companies like that if I ever buy one.

From what I understand some of the M95 Stutzen rifles were used by the Wehrmacht, SS and the Volkssturm in WWII.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/steyrm95/index.asp

During WWII used by German police, reserve, and other non-frontline troops. When Austria adopted the German 8mm Mauser cartridge in 1940, many were redesigned for this round.

I even read about instances where it was used in some particularly fierce fighting against Polish and Russian Partisans by special Anti-Partisan troops. Supposedly those Anti-Partisan troops were originally equipped with some of the oldest weaponry out there and they just had to make do with whatever they were issued (got that tidbit of history from an article in the SGN).

Is there any way of telling if this is true of a particular rifle that you're looking at and are there any specific codes or stamp marks to look out for when hand selecting a rifle that WAS used during WWII?

 

[Vaarok]

As was said in the thread I linked, you won't find any markings other than MAYBE a small waffenampt on the wrist lug.

Most of those irregular forces did not specially mark their weapons as part of an inspection, testing, and reapproval system the way a military issuing a rifle en-masse would.

 

[Browning]

Okay, thanks.