Absolut
Senior Member
Recently visited a local gun store which is fully focused on hunting rifles, with some sporting rifles too. Usually when there checking through the stuff they put aside for not knowing anything on it, not having the time to sell, or stuff to scrap. Well, this time among the stuff planned to scrap (at best, kill for parts such as extractor, etc.) I pulled a Steyr VG5! Condition rather poor with rust pittings all over, but at least the markings were readable under the rust (they only bothered to (incorrectly, therefore blank) clean the portion of the barrel where the serial is located). After having spoken turned out this was a very recent barn find where it must had been sitting since 1945. Needless to say I took it home with me and saved it from being scrapped!
Well, cleaned it today, though it isn't and will never be nice again, it turned out pretty good for what I started with. Actually the blueing of the metal under the stock was very nice and fully intact.
What is very interesting about this rifle is not only the very high serial it has (87xx; matching barrel and bolt, just to have it said), but also the fact that the straight handle bolt has a super large milled flat portion which would had been sufficient for three times the serial number on it. Also, the slab stock is very interesting for obviously being converted to use the normal K98k trigger guard - note the enlarged milling at the front trigger guard screw - makes it obvious the bottom of the stock was originally not intended for the K98k trigger guard but the washer for the front action screw. I compared with the rifles in Weaver's "Desperate Measures", the slab stock rifle in there with the K98k trigger guard also has this washer milling. The stock btw is not MR marked behind the trigger guard, as shown.
It came as shown without magazine floorplate. No idea if went missing, or never got fitted. Maybe if I find an unnumbered one that is as rust pitted as the magazine guard I'll fit it. Stock on the left side must had seen some moisture. Also the stock has a crack and the sling swivel at front has been removed. Barrel btw is surprisingly nice for the outer condition, not mint, but nice.
Well, cleaned it today, though it isn't and will never be nice again, it turned out pretty good for what I started with. Actually the blueing of the metal under the stock was very nice and fully intact.
What is very interesting about this rifle is not only the very high serial it has (87xx; matching barrel and bolt, just to have it said), but also the fact that the straight handle bolt has a super large milled flat portion which would had been sufficient for three times the serial number on it. Also, the slab stock is very interesting for obviously being converted to use the normal K98k trigger guard - note the enlarged milling at the front trigger guard screw - makes it obvious the bottom of the stock was originally not intended for the K98k trigger guard but the washer for the front action screw. I compared with the rifles in Weaver's "Desperate Measures", the slab stock rifle in there with the K98k trigger guard also has this washer milling. The stock btw is not MR marked behind the trigger guard, as shown.
It came as shown without magazine floorplate. No idea if went missing, or never got fitted. Maybe if I find an unnumbered one that is as rust pitted as the magazine guard I'll fit it. Stock on the left side must had seen some moisture. Also the stock has a crack and the sling swivel at front has been removed. Barrel btw is surprisingly nice for the outer condition, not mint, but nice.
