Went to a Motorcycle Shop, Bought a Rifle - Mauser Help?

[Kramer Krazy]

I went to a buddy's bike shop last week to pick up some parts and wound up leaving with a Czech Mauser, too (the shop owner is a fellow firearms enthusiast). I don't know much about it, other than it is a Czech V24? Interestingly, there are absolutely no importer markings on the rifle, at all. It has some decent bluing, nice bore, and has matching numbers for the barrel and receiver. There used to be a crest on the top of the receiver, but, at one time, it was partially ground/worn off, and I assume this is where the date of manutfacture used to be. Since there is bluing over this crest area, I'm assuming it was refinished at one time, possibly an arsenal refin?I can't find any other distinguishing markings on the rifle. Anyway, for $60, I figured I couldn't go wrong. Without the date on the receiver, anyone know how to date this rifle?

 

[LeadPumper]

Czech please...

Ahhh... A VZ-24 Mauser. Nice rifle, I got one from Aim last Christmas.

More info here: http://www.surplusrifle.com/brnovz24/index.asp

and here: http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Gorge/4653/vz24.htm

and a CZ milsurp forum: http://p102.ezboard.com/fparallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforumsfrm6

I believe you have a Russian capture, CZ manufactured, Romanian contract rifle there.

Here's mine after it was cleaned up:




-LeadPumper

 

[ball3006]

You did good.....

60 bucks is cheap for a Czech 24. chris3

 

[cracked butt]

Nice rifle and good price. I bet it will be a great shooter.

 

[AH-1]

you did good on that one .
once I went gun shopping and bought a new triumph
pete

 

[Kramer Krazy]

The Rest of the Story

When I went to the bike shop, I saw the gun on the counter and mentioned how I'd been looking at those for a while and just couldn't bring myself to buy a Mauser, despite several I'd been passing at $89, because I had two Mosin-Nagants, already, and I found them to be fairly similar. A little while later, I asked about a military friend of ours who used to hang out at the shop, also, who had been sent overseas.

Ken liked the old Yamaha two-stroke, street bikes and had sold two of them to the shop owner. I was looking at one of them when asking about Ken. Turns out, Ken had made it through being stationed in Iraq and was restationed to Germany. While in Germany, he had bought a Buell to ride around while he was there. In Jan or Feb, he was hit head-on by a truck and didn't survive (RIP - Ken). He left behind a wife and two small children.......

It turned out that this rifle used to belong to Ken and the shop owner hadn't had the heart to shoot it. He asked me if I wanted it, and I told him I did, so.....I walked out of there with it for probably the same price he had given Ken for it before he left for Iraq.......We're sure going to miss Ken.....he was a lot of fun to be around....funny as anyone I've known.

 

[Terrierman]

Well God Bless Ken and the family who misses him. Think of him when you shoot the rifle and he will live on. That's the best any of us can hope for, that others will think well of us when we are gone. Thank you for letting us know the rest of the story.

 

[Hugo]

Where can one buy one of these Czech Mausers?