Romanian Vz.24 Sniper - Split Rings mount

While sometimes the Romanian Vz.24 snipers with the single bracket mount turn up (well, in the US without mounts, in Europe complete with mounts), the second variant with the split type rings is much more uncommon and not really documented. Therefore I decided I would share with you pictures of the gap I had filled in my collection with now owning this variant too. I nevertheless hope to later replace it with one which also has matching numbers rings, but for the moment I'm happy with at least finally having one of them!

Is anyone here able based on the serial to tell me when this rifle was being made? I always had wondered whether this type of mount predates the bracket mount, or if it was made post those.

Anyway, enjoy the pictures and looking forward to comments.

PS: in case someone was wondering, the goofy marking left of the XR serial prefix is a CIP firing proof.

Do not know much about these other than they are Rare as was mentioned . This is the 2nd complete one have seen , there was one that sold years back at the Julia Auction that was from Bruce Stern Collection and if my memory serves me correctly it was a fully matching Rifle and in great cond. as well .

Thanks for share pics .

Some US members had asked me in the past upon how the scope rings look like since they are to be found with the bases in the US, but nearly no pictures exist of the scope rings and their bottom design. The single slanted pivot pin at the rear is also something unique to this mount.

Thanks to a fellow member of the Romanian "Asociatia Nationala a Colectionarilor de Arme" (roughly "Romanian Arms Collector Association") I was kindly provided pictures of two pages of a period that is said to date to 1944 and treat "portable weapons". This document shows in various images the Vz.24 with the split rings mount in actual usage. I also learnt that the split type rings mount is said to predate the bracket type mount. By 10th May 1944 a total of 1810 rifles with scopes have been delivered, of those 351 went to Div. 3 Infanterie, 344 to Div. 4 Infanterie, 324 to Div. 8 Infanterie, 335 to Div. 21 Infanterie, 351 to Div. 1 Garda and 105 to Div. 18 Munte (or Nunte?). The total order was for 7000 rifles with scopes.

Overall I also learnt that Cpt engineer Septilici prototyped 2 scopes based on the Soviet design. A larger 6x scope, and the one with the smaller magnification, that also went into production. The whole design and manufacture was done at IOR; as far as I understood this also included the mount and the bases. The rifles were milled by Arsenalul, then completed and test fired.

When looking at the pictures, note the bolts all are polished bright.

Very interesting information Thanks for posting it up Georg .

Do they show what the 6x scope looks like or any description . I am curious if the 6x tube is same as 4x only
with more magnification ????

Rifle was made as plain Vz24 in november or december 1941 in slovakian plant Povazska Bystrica. Possible they bent the bolt down in Arsenalul when is matching, or the bolt is a later replacement.

Really interesting add to the study of this rifle , thanks Georg! About the following question :" ...and 105 to Div. 18 Munte (or Nunte?)..." the word is for sure Munte , that means mountain . Part of the romanian territory is mountain and a part of the army was probably dedicated to this kind of enviroment.

Great update Georg. The scopes for the rifles are rare as hens teeth here in the US. Would love to see a 6x vs the 4.5.

Dave Roberts said:

Do they show what the 6x scope looks like or any description . I am curious if the 6x tube is same as 4x only
with more magnification ????

Click to expand...

I specifically asked about the 6x scope - it seems that at least ONE prototype was made (and most possibly the only one ever made). If it had survived or not is unknown.

The normal scope as to be found with these rifles is BTW a 4.5 power scope, so more than just 4x.

AndyB said:

Rifle was made as plain Vz24 in november or december 1941 in slovakian plant Povazska Bystrica. Possible they bent the bolt down in Arsenalul when is matching, or the bolt is a later replacement.

Click to expand...

Missed to address this .. I'm absolutely no Vz.24 expert, hence forgive me my question: did you indicate to say that this rifle originally was manufactured with a STRAIGHT bolt handle? If that is the case, knowing the rifles were milled to take the scope bases may have included bending of the bolt handle.

alund said:

Great update Georg. The scopes for the rifles are rare as hens teeth here in the US. Would love to see a 6x vs the 4.5.

Click to expand...

I'm one of the weird guys who loves to pull old threads, to keep the information together in one place where it should be. Also, finally being able to tell for sure these Romanian sniper rifles are all WWII period is something cool for actually (kind of) being able to tell these rifles were (once again: kind of) German WWII sniper rifles.

Yes the rifles were delivered in normal VZ24 configuration, there is no report that ZB sent any sniper rifles, so when the bolt is origin should be on handle marked with XR.6844 serial to receiver, when is not so the bolt is replacement. Same as there is no visible picture of right side here but on romanian manual fig.20 was added a recess into buttstock similar to Kar98k where the bolt handle lean to side, this is not period when delivered. Same as there was a romanian crest or date on area where are now the mounts.

Just to be very clear - normal Vz.24 configuration means straight bolt handle too? Were the bolts from factory in the white or blued?

For whatever reason when doing the pictures from the starting post, back then I did not picture the right side of the rifle. This one does have bolt cutout in the stock, as do all my other Romanian Vz.24 sniper rifles.

The bolt was not blued. Vz24 is with straight handle. Romanian Vz24 had no cutout as the handle of bolt was straight.