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Unknown Rifle 7.9mm BNP help appreciated

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10 comments

  • Hawk Carse
    Grenade collector? Gracious.

    The BNP etc. is British proof marking so it was at some time functional in England before being deactivated.

    A few years ago, Turkey sold thousands of obsolete Mauser rifles into the Western world, you might have one of them. But there were other Eastern countries that used Mauser rifles and I doubt I can tell the difference between Turkish and Persian markings, for example.

    Do not depend too heavily on the certificate, I am sure there are a lot of people that don't know that other armies besides Germany's that used Mauser rifles.
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  • corsaboy87
    Yeah grenades are my thing. Thanks for the info i will get pics up soon.
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  • rufe-snow
    Here is a link with photos of the various Turkish Mausers.

    http://www.turkmauser.com/models.aspx


    All the Turk Mausers I have seen in the States had their marking intact.

    The only Mausers that have had their markings removed are the one used in the various early Arab-Isreali wars. The UN had a embargo on arms shipments to the combatants. This caused Countries such as Czechoslovakia & Yugoslavia to supply rifles with manufacturers markings removed.
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  • corsaboy87
    http://s845.photobucket.com/albums/ab12/corsaboy87/

    heres some pics
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  • Hawk Carse
    Sight graduations look more like Persian than Turkish.
    At least that is what I think after squinting hard at the picture on:
    http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=137138331

    Either would originally have had a national crest and I don't know why it would have been removed for sale in England.

    Maybe somebody can provide an idea of whether it might have been seized by Germans occupying Czechoslovakia before it could be shipped to Iran.
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  • nononsense
    corsaboy87,

    Welcome to the Gunbroker Forums!

    Great photographs and thank you for providing them.

    The Crown over BNP is from the Birmingham Proofhouse:

    Birmingham House: Crown over "BP" on barrel and a crown over "BV" on barrel, slide, and receiver.

    You will also find a variation of the Nitro Proof mark. A arm holding a scepter over a circle with NP in it. This mark is from the London house. The Birmingham house has a crown over the BNP mark.

    7.9mm is the cartridge reference to the 8mm Mauser cartridge or what is commonly called the 8x57.

    The 2.244 is a confirming reference to the length of the unloaded cartridge case.

    18 tons is the operating pressure as established by the proof.

    If the bolt is truly marked as '7/15' with the slash, this is the probable manufacturing date of release.

    The crest has been ground off from the front ring as is noticeable in the second photograph. There is a step. This has been done by various countries in order to 'sanitize' a firearm for export to other countries. We find this to be prevalent here in the U.S. by some so-called gunmakers who feel the need to remove any extraneous markings, especially if the markings are a reference to an older military action.

    Best.
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  • corsaboy87
    Thanks for the replies after looking at the persian rifle pics in above link the sight is very similiar.
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  • corsaboy87
    www.aliparsa.com/brno/crest.jpg

    This looks helpul maybe it is finally identified
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  • p3skyking
    I believe you have an Iranian made copy of the Czech VZ33. If the bolt knob is hollow, that will comfirm it. Fun little gun.
    The largest bayonet is a 98/05 German WWI bayo. Can't tell what the other is.
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  • corsaboy87
    hi no the bolt knob is solid im afraid.
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