hi, have a question that I am hoping someone here might be able to answer.
I purchased a used rifle today at a local pawn shop, the shop had it tagged as a Western Field. However, there are absolutlely no brand or model markings on the receiver or barrel. Here is all I know about the gun after inspecting it at home (after I bought it):
1. It is a large ring, standard length mauser action with the thumb cutout and stripper clip slot but no rear charging hump.
2. It has a 20" barrel that has only two markings on it. On the side it is stamped "30-06 Cal." and on the top center just in front of the receiver ring is what resembles a lower case b with what resembles a backwards C encircling it halfway.
3. The only marks anyhere on the receiver are the serial number, an indexing mark top dead center on the front of the receiver ring, and a few small marks on the bottom that appear to be proof marks, as there is no apparent order or organization to them. One of these is the Z in side a circle like a Czech marking.
4. This same z-in-a-circle appears on the trigger assembly (which is two-stage), the bolt, and the magazine follower.
5. The floorplate is not hinged, and the magazine is of standard military m98 mauser length. Floorplate is polished and blued.
6. It has a left side two-position safety, beuhler style for a scope.
7. It is drilled and tapped and also has irons on the barrel.
8. It was (is) in a terribly ugly plain-jane stock of some type of light grained hardwood with a ventilated recoil pad, definitely of american styling, but the stock is inletted very well.
9. The serial number is stamped on the left side of the receiver, electro-pencilled on the bottom of the bolt, and does not appear on the barrel.

That's about all I can see that might help with identification. Any guesses?
Thanks!
Jeremy

Have you pulled the action from the stock?

I had an FN commercial that wasn't marked as such above the wood line.

Yeah, I pulled it. Nothing under there but the circle-Z proof mark and a couple of other individual markings on the bottom of the receiver. Nothing that resembles an FN marking as far as I can tell...
I'm really stumped about this one. I don't expect it to be worth a lot, I bought it for a shooter, but would sure like to know what it is! Thanks for the help!
Jeremy

Hey Jeremy-

Congrats on the recent Pawn-Shop-Purchase!

She sounds like a Pound-Puppy... so ugly ya' cain't help but to take her home and love her!

You got me curious... and rather than go to the house and deal with the Power Outage... I decided to stay in the warm office a while longer and do a Google search for:

"czech mauser image z circle 30-06"

On this page... http://www.collectiblefirearms.com/RiflesMauser.html ... there was some cool eye-candy when I did a "Find" for

"Z in the circle"

Looks like she could come from: Czechoslovakia, Poland, ??

Another search for "Western Field rifle Wards 30-06" brought up even more gems, inc:

One fellow was so bold as to offer that "Sears rifles were assembled in the US on FN actions, but the Monkey Wards Western Field rifles were made in Germany."

-Don't know if this helps: http://www.hoosiergunworks.com...cross_reference.html

I will be interested to hear what is learned about the new mystery baby, inc date / place of manufacture.


"Ain't no 'Woops Babies' in God's eyes"

Hawkeye, good to hear from you again!
Well, after talking with dad (Arkie55) last night, and looking it over again, I am now leaning towards it being a sporter job (perhaps a reworked vz-24?) by an anonymous gunsmith some years ago. The metal work is quite nice, the stock is inletted well, it's just an ugly finish on the stock (although stripping and refininshing it might help that). Apparently if this is right, then whoever did it scrubbed the crest and charging hump off, polished the receiver up very well, and rust blued the whole thing. I'll keep searching, but that may very well be the answer to my mystery.
Hmmm, now, if it will jsut shoot...
And, yeah, I'm a sucker for old, mistreated mausers. Kindof fun to take em home, give them a bath, and see what's underneath all those accumulated years of crud!

the Z might be for ZASTAVA, check it out ...paul

Thanks for the lead Paul, I'll check it out!
Jeremy

I'm sure that she is a dandy, regardless of her biography. Do keep us in the loop as theories develop.

Here was an interesting history: http://www.zastava-arms.co.yu/english/zastava.htm

I've got a soft-spot for Mauser's and ol' military arms from various locales, too. [OK, truth be told... anything old and anything that shoots is fun.]

Please let us know how she does on the range.

Someone took a monkey wards barrel off a one those rifles and put it on a military Czech action. Sounds like you got the left overs.

Finally got to the range with it, still dont know what it is, but it shoots little bitty groups with both 150 and 180 grain factory fodder. Looking forward to working up handloads to see what it will really do.
Thanks to all for your help!
Jeremy

As Alan Jackson sang in his #1 hit in 1996; "...it's alright to be little bitty."

re:

quote:

still dont know what it is, but it shoots little bitty groups

Jeremy-- I guess that truism works for groupings from Mystery Mausers and in many things in life. Congrats on the new shooter!

"Little Bitty"
Written by Tom T. Hall; Performed by Alan Jackson

"Have a little love on a little honeymoon
You got a little dish and you got a little spoon
A little bitty house and a little bitty yard
Little bitty dog and a little bitty car

Well, it's alright to be little bitty
Little hometown or a big old city
Might as well share, might as well smile
Life goes on for a little bitty while

A little bitty baby in a little bitty gown
It'll grow up in a little bitty town
Big yellow bus and little bitty books
It all started with a little bitty look

Well, it's alright to be little bitty
Little hometown or a big old city
Might as well share, might as well smile
Life goes on for a little bitty while

You know you got a job and a little bitty check
Six pack of beer and television set
Little bitty world goes around and around
Little bit of silence and a little bit of sound

A good ole boy and a pretty little girl
Start all over in a little bitty world
A little bitty plan and a little bitty dream
It's all part of a little bitty scheme

Well, it's alright to be little bitty
Little hometown or a big old city
Might as well share, might as well smile
Life goes on for a little bitty while"

More on the concept of Little Bitty:

"Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." Paul wrote this to his friends in Thessaloniki... [I Thes 4:9-12]