Romanian Vz.24 Sniper - Bracket Type mount

[Absolut]

While I recently had posted pictures of my Romanian Vz.24 Split Rings mount sniper rifle (see http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?36938-Romanian-Vz-24-Sniper-Split-Rings-mount) I noticed that I had never posted pictures of one of these with the Single Scope Mount Bracket Type sniper rifles. These are those of which WWII period pictures exist showing them in usage.

Therefore I decided to take the time and picture one of my Romanian Vz.24 Sniper rifles (yes, they aren't that uncommon over here and I have a few of them) for reference here. Notice that the scope bracket is both serialized to match the rifle, as well as the scope serial number. Scope has been produced by I.O.R. in Romania, a company that nowadays still makes scopes. The similarity to the Russian scopes is quite obvious.

Since these sniper rifles were used by Germans (or Allied of Germans) I consider them German WWII sniper rifles. Especially since they are a Mauser action too.

 

[vaughn99]

Hello,

Another nice example how is the bolt serialed on this example?

Thanks
Vaughn

 

[sniper40]

Your rifle is not a Romanian contract. It has a Czechoslovak Army acceptance mark from 1938!

 

[Absolut]

The obvious acceptance from 1938 doesn't change anything on the fact that it was equipped with a scope and issued as a sniper rifle by Romania during WWII and therefore is a Romanian Vz.24 Sniper Rifle. I never called it "Romanian Contract" either as your post suggested, therefore I would kindly request you to specify where exactly you see anything wrong in what I've written.

Vaughn, will need to check the acceptance markings on this bolt. I've seen others which came with a German K98k bolt which were polished and have had the German number removed, I therefore assume Romania overhauled a lot of them post WWII and replaced them with whatever was at hand.

 

[sniper40]

This rifle was taken over by the Czechoslovak army in 1938. Why would the Wehrmacht hand over a used weapon? Production vz.24 for Romania continued until 1940 !!
All rifles for Romania must have R. Example FR xxxx
Where does your rifle have the Romanian Army military acceptance mark?
I am sorry for my bad English.

 

[Absolut]

This particular rifle is equipped with ROMANIAN scope bases, ROMANIAN scope mount and a ROMANIAN scope. Therefore it is a ROMANIAN sniper rifle, of course on basis of a CZECH rifle. I did not say anything upon how, where and when the rifle got to Romania, I only called it a Romanian Vz.24 sniper rifle, what it in fact is.

I wouldn't consider it this impossible that Germany during WWII sent Czech Vz.24 rifles to Romania as war aid, but there are others who are more knowledgeable than I am.

 

[vaughn99]

Hello,

The reason I ask, most rifles I see the bolts are mismatched, or just a k98 bolt thrown in or straight bolt handle bolts, except the very few super nice one like yours. Mine is not so nice but the bolt is a bent VZ-24 bolt and serialed to the gun and have been looking for years to see if the font on my bolt is from the factory or did some one as these were imported years ago HELPED it to be matching. I found only 1 other example with a matching bolt that pics were posted and it did match my rifle bolt handle font and just wanted to verify it better with more examples as 1 is not enough. Please see the pics I posted of the serials of course serials are only on Rec, Bolt and Stock. I did find a scope but is berried in a box and have not put the 2 together its one the highest serials I have found in the 7200 serial range and it came out of Greece.

Later
Vaughn

 

[WpnsMan]

Here is my matching bolt example,

 

[Absolut]

Vaughn, just checked four Romanian Vz.24 sniper rifles for you. You could basically find all, K98k bolt with removed serial or Vz.24 with removed serial (seems to once have had a serial similar to the post above mine).

It seems to me that for whatever reason the sniper rifles without scopes and mounts went to the US, those were also the rifles which were never reworked. On the counterpart, those that turn up from Germany are all complete with its matching numbers mounts and scopes, come with scope carrying pouches and most are of a very nice finish, which sometimes is an arsenal overhaul job. I suspect Romania did rework the complete sniper rifles and gave up on those which had missing or damaged scopes and kept them as donor rifles, and when they were sold, they were separated.

 

[sniper40]

The rifles were sent to Romania as infantry = straight handle end. In Romania were chosen the good shooting. The assembly was added and the handle of the breech was bent. Therefore, the numbers and letters are wide. I am sorry for my bad English.

 

[Danziger]

The rifles were sent to Romania as infantry = straight handle end. In Romania were chosen the good shooting. The assembly was added and the handle of the breech was bent. Therefore, the numbers and letters are wide. I am sorry for my bad English.

Do stock in vz 24 sniper versions always have concave cutout for bent bolt? Or there are also regular stock without cutout.

 

[AndyB]

D5 in reality is a slovakian made rifle, for CS Army 1938, which was sent in 1939 to Romania as first contract, offcoarse all rifles had a normal not bent bolt.

 

[Danziger]

But I was wondering what about stocks, cause some have cutout and other not

 

[AndyB]

Made a cutout is not problem, but the buttstock were delivered in normal Vz24 condition, no one had a bent bolt, the E24606 was bented by romanians by rework to sniper configuration.

 

[Danziger]

Ok to sum up, so if I see a VZ 24 with a bent bolt m-m to rifle, with IOR scope match to rings and base but with regular vz 24 stock It is still a correct example of vz 24 sniper

 

[AndyB]

I personally dont know how romanian used or refurbished VZ24 to their sniper versions, question remains who realised it?, one refurbishment workshop or various?, the method was identical by all? Normally the romanian Vz24 rifles were delivered matching with straight bolt handles , wout cutouts in buttstocks from CS.

 

[Danziger]

Ok thank you very much for info

 

[moconfed]

A bit OT, but spotted these reproductions online recently.

 

[thrawnformbi]

Vaughn, heres an example I owned. The rifle was incomplete and I added the original scope and bracket.

It has similar font to your bolt serial. If I remember correctly none of the Centurion auction guns had matching bolts. Typical ground polished bolt and overhauled rifle. Caps, scope cases all the kit etc. I think they were from the German lot and imported by a division of Anschütz USA as I understand it. Some of those Centurion guns had unnumbered brackets and bases as well.

 

[thrawnformbi]

A bit OT, but spotted these reproductions online recently.

I bought a handful of these from the original maker before he passed away from Covid. They're pretty good but require some fitting. Also those stainless cheesehead screws he used really ruin the look. I marked the underside with REPRO on all of the ones I built up.