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I NEED HELP WITH THE ID OF THIS RIFLE

4K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  nmckenzie 
#1 ·
I NEED HELP WITH A GUN I FOUND IN MY DADS CLOSET
THE ONLY MARKINGS ON THE RIFLE ARE LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE GUN
she
007x57
x69369
THERE IS A T INSIDE OF A CIRCLE
 
#2 ·
7 X 57 was a popular caliber in Europe in the late 1800's and early 1900's, so you're probaly looking at some kind of a Mauser rifle. Post some pictures of the rifle so we can get a better feel for what it is. The description is fairly vague.

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European Mausers were exported to many South American countries and in the middle east as well, so it could be almost anything.
 
#4 ·
Wow, I thought I'd seen them all, but that's one I've never seen before. We have some real experts around here that know way more than me, they'll be along shortly to identify it.

Is it a bolt action or a semi-auto.? With that box mag, I'm guessing semi..
 
#5 · (Edited)
Looks like a Mauser model 1893 or 1904 I think if it's bolt action. A picture of the entire rifle from the left and right sides would help for sure to know what it is. too bad someone painted black paint on it. I'd restore it anyway if the bore is good but stripping that paint off would be a real pain.

Without being able to clearly identify it there is no way of assigning a probable value to it. However, in the condition it is in the value will not be high.

The bayonet is unusual since I don't know of any specific models that had a folding bayonet. However, these were made from the late 1800's up until 1935 in 7x57 caliber and were in use by pretty much all South American countries so mods may have been done anywhere by any armory.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Those are not very complete pictures, but from what I see it looks like it might be Czech. A few were imported back in the 1980s, and it was a very rare caliber (7.62X45 Czech Short M52). As I recall, some outfits sold an adapter for them to fire standard 7.62X39. That adapter (as I recall) was a chamber adapter. The Chech semi auto carbines had a 10 or 15 round detachable mag.

Not seeing it really well, I don't think it is a 7mm Mauser (7X57). I can be wrong, and it won't be the first time if I am. That stock and side folding bayonet tells me it is post WW2 era.
 
#8 ·
OK - the bayonet identifies the rifle as a Czech VZ-52 if it's semi-auto. 7x57 is not a caliber the VZ-52 was made for though. The VZ-24 was made in 7x57. That bayonet pic though is specifically the VZ-52 bayonet as is the entire shape of the fore end of the rifle.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Then it is the Czech VZ-52. I didn't know of any of them made for 7X57 since they were made for 7.62 x 45. However, they very well could have made them for the south american market since that was a cartridge much in use there. That 007 with the crossed swords followed by 57 may NOT be the caliber marking either.

Take the magazine out, go to a gun shop and (if they have any), try loading a 7.62x45 cartridge - if that fits basically perfectly then it isn't made for 7x57 which is a longer cartridge.
 
#11 ·
I suspect the original 7.62x45 mag box would be too short for the 7x57 round. If anything, the 007 and 57 probably represent serial number and year of manufacture. These rifles were all over the place in Cuba and Central/South America from the '60s onward, as was the ammo. Take a look at any photos snapped of Cuban military formations in Havana, or the Bay of Pigs, and you'll see lots of these rifles, as well as the Czech Sa23 series SMGs.
 
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