A 98/22 and some questions

[Scoupe]

Picked up a Czech 98/22 this weekend. Don't know the going rate, but was in the same price range as Turks around here.
Done a little research and it seems this one was probably made for Turkey. This rifle is barely marked it seems. Photo shows crest, left receiver ring has the ser. number (E63**) No acceptance marks, etc., just the serial. Bolt is un-numbered as well. Solid, round handle bolt, no checkering, One small mark on the flats where handle meets bolt. Maybe a crown with something under it. Safety lever has one of a crown with a stylized "R" under it - maybe. MY eyes don't see little stuff as good as they used to.

Sight is marked in Arabic? Farsi? graduations.

http://www.planetkc.com/scoupe/9822crest.jpg
http://www.planetkc.com/scoupe/9822rsight.jpg

Any other insights? I kinda doubt it's Persian, but hoped someone would recognize the sight at least.

I'm into it pretty cheap and it's a candidate for some wood restoration, providing it's not some rare bird.

Overall, even without my C&R license (yet), it sure was fun to go to gunshows, bring home two rifles (the other is an M44 posted with the Mosins) and a boatload of ammo for around 2 bills. :D

[Schuetzenman]

Well I've never heard of Bruno werks supplying any rifles to the Turks but they definitely did the Persian / Iranians. The rear sight looks like a Persian Mauser rear sight as I recollect. I don't own one but a buddy of mine has 3 that he got through me at my store.

[Richard Simmons]

Not too clear on my screen but that looks like Farsi to me. Any similar marks on the stock anywhere?

[Scoupe]

Okie Dokie,

Did some more poking around on the web this am. Here is the link to an article that claims Czechs made rifles for the Turks (sold some and made some expressly for). Paragraph 5 seems to describe the example I have (and mine is indeed stamped by Navy arms).

http://www.conknet.com/mrj/Czech/Czech.htm


Not knowing what either Farsi or Arabic numbers look like, I went hunting for a picture. Turns out they look the same to me.

http://www.ignatius.edu/Turner/arabic/anumbers.htm
http://www.ask-group.co.uk/publish/farsialph.htm

I looked a little further back on the page with the Czech markings and found an interesting site dedicated to Czech firearms. If you haven't seen this one, it's not bad at all.

http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Base/4417/czmain.htm

He also has a page similar to the "SKS project" where he's compiling data on Czech Mauser markings. I started to fill it out, but need to educate myself a little more on things like Lange sights, and how to check to reverse side of a stock ring before I can give him the info he wants.

Anyway, I still don't know whether this is a good "restore" candidate yet. Most likely is, as I've found no indication that these are rare, maybe a tad unusual, not rare.

Oh, and no, the stock appears unmarked as well. A little dinged up, one 4" gouge eminating from a stock cross bolt, and tons of crud soaked into the wood. Oh yeah, one other curious thing, the handguard has a metal clip behind the rear sight that clips onto the barrel.

[Schuetzenman]

The Lange sight looks like a rollercoaster track. In other words it's curved and tall in the back but low at the front by where it pivots. Not a straight slope or steps as the newer style rear sights are.

[Scoupe]

Thanks Schuetzenman,

It's a Lange. :)

[Richard Simmons]

The handguard on my 98/29 Persian is the same way. I thought I would break something the first time I removed it.