Bnz43 Single Rune SS Double Claw 2702

[Mike2994]

Thanks to a good friend and fellow forum member I was able to get a scope for my new bnz43 coded SSDC.

This rifle came out of an auction house in IL near the MO border. It is a matching (sans scope) bnz43 single rune SSZZA2 Double Claw with a Sauer diverted stock and Gusen bolt.

After speaking to the son of the vet (who consigned this rifle) I was able to find out a bit about vet who returned the rifle. Here is what he had to say:

Corporal Dean Bunch of the 3rd infantry recon captured the rifle from a Waffen SS Colonel’s tent (along with what the family believed to be a Stradivarius violin). Dean was said to have hated the SS and this colonel even more so, having to be warned not to kill him and referring to him as arrogant. The son could not remember where the rifle was captured, believing it was either in Austria or in Belgium.

During the war Dean was awarded a bronze star (with two additional bronze star citations) and several other citations for excellent service.

Post war Dean remained in the reserves and went home to open a gas station along with helping with the family farm until he was called up for service again. Luckily he was able to obtain a hardship differal due to having a wife and several children.

Dean used the rifle to hunt with and never remembered there being a scope paired with it. The rifle almost burned in a fire at the family farm along with the violin but luckily the rifle was at his son’s house by chance.

Photos:

 

[biggymu]

Wonderful looking rig! They pair nicely.

 

[Mike2994]

 

[Hercules]

Rifle looks great Mike. Looks great next to mine. One of the most iconic sniper rifles of the war I think. Glad we found a scope that would work with it.

 

[mdarnell19]

Nice rifle Mike! Glad you were able to get it. It cleaned up nice.

 

[Absolut]

I saw the auction. It went very reasonable priced. Glad to see it among a forum member! Maybe one day the matching scope will turn up

Edit: is it a duffle cut rifle? Since it has his initials in the barrel channel.

 

[Mike2994]

I saw the auction. It went very reasonable priced. Glad to see it among a forum member! Maybe one day the matching scope will turn up

Edit: is it a duffle cut rifle? Since it has his initials in the barrel channel.

Thank you Georg! I was very happy with the price, expecting to have to pay a substantial amount more for it. I think the lack of stock photos, scope, and the good-will from a couple members/friends were what caused the price to be a bit suppressed.

I would really like to see a matching scope turn up for this one, it would not surprise me if the matching scope remains in your neck of the woods.

Rifle is not duffle cut, I really didn’t make it clear from photos but the vets initials were carved in the upper handguard. I was told the rifle was disassembled and shipped home to the vets dad.

 

[Dave Roberts]

Nice addition to your growing collection Mike . There are a large number of just SSDC scopes in circulation . I know of at least 40 or more in these collections of friends , the majority that I mention are in European collections . IMO there are more Scopes in Europe than here in the USA . Wish you luck on finding the matching optic .

 

[Mike2994]

Nice addition to your growing collection Mike . There are a large number of just SSDC scopes in circulation . I know of at least 40 or more in these collections of friends , the majority that I mention are in European collections . IMO there are more Scopes in Europe than here in the USA . Wish you luck on finding the matching optic .

Thank you Dave!

There seems to be more surviving SSDC scopes than rifles, do you have any idea the reasoning why a disproportionate amount of scopes survived but rifles did not? It seems like the inverse occurred with single claws.

 

[Thorne]

Awesome pairing!

Always a treat to see SSDCs' getting posted.

 

[Absolut]

Thank you Dave!

There seems to be more surviving SSDC scopes than rifles, do you have any idea the reasoning why a disproportionate amount of scopes survived but rifles did not? It seems like the inverse occurred with single claws.

Because it is super easy to remove a scope from clamped SC rings, but super tough to remove soldered rings from an anyway odd scope with central elevation ring where you can‘t this simply scrub markings and reuse it.

 

[Mike2994]

Because it is super easy to remove a scope from clamped SC rings, but super tough to remove soldered rings from an anyway odd scope with central elevation ring where you can‘t this simply scrub markings and reuse it.

I appreciate the info Georg! I did not consider the post war application/usage of scopes when thinking of the survival rate.

 

[Dave Roberts]

Thank you Dave!

There seems to be more surviving SSDC scopes than rifles, do you have any idea the reasoning why a disproportionate amount of scopes survived but rifles did not? It seems like the inverse occurred with single claws.

Georg has a good point , but I think its also because very few SSDC made into circulation , in fact there is only one known period photo showing a SSDC in use . I would bet the vast majority of these SSDC never saw the light of day . I would also bet there were many unfinished SSDC rifles and Scope at Brunn when the War ended .

 

[Absolut]

Georg has a good point , but I think its also because very few SSDC made into circulation , in fact there is only one known period photo showing a SSDC in use . I would bet the vast majority of these SSDC never saw the light of day . I would also bet there were many unfinished SSDC rifles and Scope at Brunn when the War ended .

... total production of 5000 SSDC anyway isn't much. Interestingly it seems many turned up close to former sniper training courses places in Tyrolia and Salzburg.

I appreciate the info Georg! I did not consider the post war application/usage of scopes when thinking of the survival rate.

That might be an European thing, when war was over not much money around. So everything had to be reused. And if you could take a WWII scope instead of having no scope, then why not.