Bouncing of the SGT_Lord's thread about the German Depot 91/30, here is another German modified captured or picked up rifle. This one is a pretty rare bird. First of all finding a crested Romanian contract VZ-24 is very difficult, they were almost all scrubbed of the King Carol crest post war by the Romanians.

This rifles is also interesting, in that it went through a Romanian refurb sometime between when it was built circa 1939 or 40, and when the German picked it up, as the stock is a replacement, and the number on the but lacks the letter suffix which is typical of Romanian re-works.

The best guess is the German picked this up sometime in the 43-44 timeframe, perhaps after the Romanians collapsed like a paper bag outside of Stalingrad, or some other time the Romanians were on the run. The Germans picked it up, and it went back to one of the Czech plants, likely Brunn I based on the parts used and markings, for another refurb. At this time the Germans blued the matching bolt, and numbered the front band (note difference in font, no serif's on bottom of 1's). They also re-barreled it, and plugged the wrist swivel hole, and added the takedown disc. Note the German proofs on an old stock Czech VZ barrel (the E is a Czech marking used on barrels).

This is another I wish could talk, since it must have seen some action with all the ownership changes. It is not import marked, and all matching, and probably one of the coolest pieces in my collection....

Attached File


Attached File


Attached File


Attached File


Attached File

More pics

Attached File


Attached File


Attached File


Attached File


Attached File

More pics

Attached File


Attached File


Attached File


Attached File


Attached File

More pics...

Attached File


Attached File


Attached File


Attached File


Attached File

Last few, plus my little Panzer Grenadier holding it...

Attached File


Attached File


Attached File


Attached File

I love those VZ-24's  They are great guns.  Very well made.  The Waffen Stamps on that one, I am sure up the value quite a bit.

Yep I love me some VZ's too!!!!

You should show off more of your collection!  

If guys are interested in seeing them, I could post more...

You show me yours and Ill show you mine lol

Very nice

In to learn more about Mausers. I see them but don't know enough to be a buyer.

Love the crest, I've never seen one in person.

Oh, yeah.  I have had a Romanian with just a hint of the edge left from the grinding-off.  That is one amazing Mauser.  Most of the Romanian contract Mausers can only be identified by the R in the serial number.  So by all means, post more.

Very Cool. I would love to see similar posts on interesting rifles in your collection.

That's a really cool VZ-24 OP, I've only seen one other with a intact crest and the German proofs make it far more interesting. I wonder if the barrel is a German replacement? Its also interesting that the German proofs are below the wood line, someone faking those stamps would have defiantly put them where they could be seen without removing the hand guard. I'm going to have to dig out a couple more of my captured and then recaptured Mosins and do a post on them.

Thanks guys, like I said it is one of the coolest, scarcest guns in the collection, and I lucked into at my favorite little pawn shop (I have gotten a bunch of nice guns form them!)...

The barrel...yes, you can say its a German replacement...the best everyone can figure on it (posted on another forum with some guys in Europe who are real students of the Czech guns who chmed in)...it was refurbed one time by trhe Romanians, as the stock is a replacement, and the number stamp is typical of a Romanian re-work with no letter suffix added, the original stock would have had the complete s/n.

Once the Germans acquired it it went back to the Brunn I Czech factory (of course now under German control, and cranking out dot marked 98k's) for another re-work.

German re-works of VZ-24's show a myriad of combinations of work. In this case, it was re-barreled with a German inspected NOS VZ barrel. The "E" is the give away there, no one knows exactly what the "E" represents, but it is thought to be the mark of the blank supplier, this is a Czech mark. The barrel was inspected and proofed by the Germans when it was replaced.

The sight leaf is actually a VZ-23 sight leaf pointed out by the style of the numbering, and the lack of a slot at the top for disassembly, so they were just using NOS parts that were laying around at the BRNO factory.

The front band is numbered, typical of German re-works, in the typical German time period BRNO font...again, note the 1's have no serif on the bottom, versus all the other 1's stamped with serif's. Also the bolt was blyed during re-work, VZ and Romanian contract bolts were in the white. The Germans typically blued the bolts during re-works, like on your 91/30. One of the reasons Mitchells Mausers are such jokes,,,,they all have in the white pimp shined bolts, and no German WWII production guns had in the white bolts, and they blued any in the white bolts during re-furb.

Stock, kind of a middle of the road conversion...the wrist swivel was removed and plugged, the bolt disassembly disc was added to the butt. Sometimes they cut the normal German sling slot in it, but they didn't do that here. Sometimes they would remove the extra sling swivel on the rear band, but not here, they left it.

It certainly tells quite a story, and probably very well traveled.

I will dog out some more of my favorites and do some posts....I may be picking up an actual 1924 dated VZ-24 soon, which may be interesting. Of course I have an actual G24(t) which was the full German version of the VZ-24...produced before they switched production to 98k's in 1942...

Nice