Help Identifying Mauser Rifle

[Thanatos2203]

Recently inherited this rifle from my grandfather and had shot it a couple of times with him. I know its a 7x57 and its obviously a Mauser style action but that is about the extent of my knowledge. The bolt handle design and set trigger seem to indicate a European sporter design. Looking to the experts for help here. There are no obvious markings on the exterior of the gun that I could locate. Thank you in advance for your help!

[freonr22]

tag

[ironhorse1]

There should be markings but you will have to pull the action out of the stock.

irh

[Thanatos2203]

After disassembling these are the only three marks I could find.

[TRAP55]

It's Mauser 98, I would lean towards a GEW 98. Work/stock looks to be old world in style. Receiver is wiped clean of ID markings, so like ironhorse said, if there is any, they'll be under the wood.
I'm curious about the trigger guard. Appears to be two small "wings" on the bottom?
Can you post a better pic of that, muzzle end of the stock, buttplate, dbl set triggers out of the stock, and any markings underneath?
Don't shoot it until that wrist crack is repaired, and the action properly bedded.

[TRAP55]

I was typing while you were posting. Letters/numbers on the receiver bottom flat are QC stamps for various machining processes. Nothing on the barrel?
I've seen that stamp on the mag follower before, but I'm drawing a compete blank on it.

[Thanatos2203]

Here is the set trigger:





The trigger guard wings are just a side view of this:



Muzzle end of the stock was definitely chopped at some point in the past and cracked on both sides to the front sling loop.



And lastly here is the butt plate. I could get the top screw out but the bottom one is in there tight and I am afraid of stripping/damaging it if I crank too hard on it. Therefore, I am unable to see what is underneath it.

[870classic]

I believe Trapp55 is correct.
Looks like an Oberndorf 98 (Large Ring) sporting mauser from the 19teens, originally constructed with a mannlicher (full length) stock.
I had a similar one years ago in 7x57 and with a different barrel contour and rear sights. But the rest of the rifle is identical, including the double set trigger mechanism.

870classic

[SVT-40]

No markings on the barrel is unusual. It should have caliber markings.

[Thanatos2203]

No markings on the barrel is unusual. It should have caliber markings.

I don't disagree with you, but the barrel is surprisingly devoid of any markings.

[rdfact]

After disassembling these are the only three marks I could find.

Kind of resembles a US flaming bomb stamp (upside down) ?

[edgerly779]

Cigarette rifle post ww2. Look up definition.

[Thanatos2203]

Cigarette rifle post ww2. Look up definition.

Interesting, I was not familiar with the concept. Seems like a likely answer as I am not finding anything else with this combination of parts. Didn't think I had some great piece of history but I am intrigued by the idea that it might be one of a kind (even if thrown together).

[edgerly779]

I have one made in 1947 by someone in Hamburg. It has double set triggers real nice bluing and nice montecarlo stock with schnabel f0rend. 8mm. Beautiful. firearm. At end of ww2 there were a lot of armorers and gunsmiths out of work so they set up a cottage industry sporterzing mausers. Some as cheap as a few cartons of cigarettes and some chocalate. mine was brought back by fried of my dads in 1949.

[pitfighter]

Quick note -

A lot of these "cigarette" rifles were assembled on rifles that were re-chambered away from the military 7,92x57 (8mm Mauser) - for legal reasons in Germany at that time (mid-war, or post war), blah blah, military cartridge not allowed etc.,

(There are an INCREDIBLE number of commercial variations on the 8mm Mauser, whoda thunk it.)

Point being, slug it first to make sure you have the right ammo in it before blasting a Mauser 8mm round through it, the head spacing, may not be dangerous per se, but you could end up with a split case, or the spent brass jammed (expanded) in the breech -

Hmm - don't need to ask how I know, or I why I did a week or so's frantic research on it!

Nice looking rifle.