rifle with no english markings-perhaps arabic?

[hammer67]

New to site and just trying to get back into shooting. So my father recently passed away and I was inventorying his guns. He has a rifle that my mom inherited from her uncle years ago. It is a bolt action rifle with no English language markings. In fact, I do not even know the origin of the markings. Perhaps Arabic? Old Turk? It has engraved picture on the stock of what looks like a deer, and on the hinged fore plate what looks like pronghorn. Oh, and I found a box of rifle ammo for either 8mm or 9mm Mauser and another one that I can't recall (at moms so can't get now), which my dad never had so perhaps one of those is the cartridge? Any help would be appreciated. Or direction to site to try.

 

[Bertfish]

Looks like a Mauser action; definitely a sporterized military rifle. Looks Egyptian to me. Can we see a better picture of the crest on the top of the receiver? I see a piece of it in the first picture.

 

[hammer67]

thanks for the quick reply. unfortunately I did not get a picture of that. I just noticed it on that photo a little bit ago and was wishing I could get picture of it. Mom not too good with technology but maybe I can get a niece to send me picture of it. The gun is 4 hours away from me.

 

[mvee]

It might be a Persian mauser

 

[Jimbob2.0]

Sporterized Persan. That's Farsi. Not sure what it started as, most likely a 98/29 or a 49. Someone who can read Farsi could tell you if its listed as BRNO or Tehran. If the bolt handle hasn't been "turned" its likely a 98/29 if it is factory it would be a 49 as its a round ball grip. My guess given the front sight is right and they usually got replaced not moved, that its a Model 49 made in Tehran.

A lot of them got sporterized. The bottom gun in the photo is what it should look like.

Neat craftsmanship.

 

[C&RTactical]

Yep, Sporterized Persian Mauser

 

[j_h_smith]

It might be a Persian mauser

+1

That's what I think!

 

[hammer67]

funny I thought perhaps Farsi also. I actually was at Home Depot today for something and was looking for a guy that works there that speaks Farsi. If you ever noticed they have a board in Home Depot that lists the languages that employees speak and I just happen to know that one guy speaks Farsi. But I couldn't find him today. I couldn't find the "letters" in the first photo in Farsi alphabet. But looks like they are numbers! Looks like 30789-33.

So you guys are saying the action and barrel were removed and put into a different stock? So I assume this gun is not worth much in that condition, correct?

How do I determine the caliber?

 

[iH8DemLibz]

funny I thought perhaps Farsi also. I actually was at Home Depot today for something and was looking for a guy that works there that speaks Farsi. If you ever noticed they have a board in Home Depot that lists the languages that employees speak and I just happen to know that one guy speaks Farsi. But I couldn't find him today. I couldn't find the "letters" in the first photo in Farsi alphabet. But looks like they are numbers! Looks like 30789-33.

So you guys are saying the action and barrel were removed and put into a different stock? So I assume this gun is not worth much in that condition, correct?

How do I determine the caliber?

Pull the upper hand guard and see if numbers like this are stamped there.

Sometimes you have to pull the action to find these numbers on the bottom of the barrel.

7.92 is 7.92mm. Rounded up to 8mm Mauser. Several of my Turks have the caliber stamped on the barrel just in front of the receiver ring.


PS: Just noticed your rifle has no hand guard. If the stamp is not on top, look at the wood line. Sometimes it splits the numbers in two.

 

[montoya32]

Looks Arabic for sure. There is even a picture of the owner's girlfriend on the stock. lol

 

[Biggfoot44]

Back in the '50s or '60s when your Uncle built that/ commisioned gunsmith , he put a fair amount of coin into it. I nobody called it out yet, notice the Williams or Lyman reciever (aka peep) sight. The stock appears based upon that of the M70 Winchester, and plain grade walnut. And looks as if Unc got some use from it.

Modern tastes favor original mil spec configuration, butif the workmanship of the sporterization is up to snuff, it is a decent example og a mid century Sporter.

Origonal cal was presumably 7.92x57, aka 8x57, aka 8mm Mauser. But in those days was semi-common to rechamber to 8mm-06 , and occasionally to 8mmPMM.

 

[sig63]

100% it's a Persian mauser carbine (please stop saying it's arabic). Second pic is of the left side of the receiver and partially shows a lion/sword/sunrise crest, and reads: "karabin nemuNehemiah 1328 sakht eslihah-e sazi artesh" and translates to "model 1328 Carbine made by the Army atsenal." Persian year 1328 equates to 1949.
These were built in Iran, based on the Czech 1924 version of the 98 Mauser. The original caliber was 8mm Mauser, but so many sporterized versions were made into .30-06 and other cartridges that I wouldn't shoot it until it is heads paced and checked by a competent gunsmith, to ensure safety and confirm caliber (should be stamped on the top of the breach/barrel area).

 

[nmyers]

You can determine the caliber by taking it to a gunsmith, who will make a "chamber cast" out of Cerrosafe. He will measure the cast & determine exactly what the caliber is.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

The OP's barrel is original to the rifle.

It has all the military steps in it. Along with the military front sight.

If it were re-barreled, it would be a civilian barrel with one, continuous, taper.

Dollars to donuts says it's chambered in 7.92x57/8mm Mauser.

 

[dbledoc]

The letters and numbers are Arabic script. The language is Farsi.
My parents native language is Arabic and i speak and write it fluently.

 

[hammer67]

thanks all. OP here. I'm betting it is 8mm Mauser. Remember I found a box of ammo that was either 8 or 9mm Mauser and I think it probably was 8mm. I got confused because if you look at the script it has a character that looks like a 9 "which in fact it is in Farsi" so I think I was then thinking well that is probably caliber and that box of ammo was probably 9. But looks like that 9 character is part of a serial number.

I don't think my mom's uncle even hunted. He was a local tax collector so I wouldn't be surprised if it was given to him to cover someone's taxes! I'll have to ask my mom if she knows if he hunted.

yes, the center of the writing does indeed say 1328 which converts to 1949. Thanks for that. I wasn't aware of differences in Persian calendar.

The bolt action seems very sloppy, loose. I have read how revered the Mauser actions are. Is that looseness normal? I am talking when you unlock bolt and start to slide it back, it wiggles a lot and therefore doesn't slide forward and back smoothly.

 

[ken792]

The bolt action seems very sloppy, loose. I have read how revered the Mauser actions are. Is that looseness normal? I am talking when you unlock bolt and start to slide it back, it wiggles a lot and therefore doesn't slide forward and back smoothly.

It's a military rifle action, meant to be reliable with mud and dirt. They do lock up tight though.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

It's a military rifle action, meant to be reliable with mud and dirt. They do lock up tight though.

^^^What he said.^^^

Perfectly normal.

 

[Doco Overboard]

Make sure it has not had a 3006 chamber reamer run into it making it a 8mm06. just like sig63 said. When rifles of that sort were sported, 8mm was not readily available and the practice was common. Just because you have some ammo does not make it so until you have verified the chamber. Like you have already indicated, someone may have used it for payment and already had a bad experience. A fair amount of bolt play is normal in a Mauser action and it looks like there is enough drop at the comb to miss the striker.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

Make sure it has not had a 3006 chamber reamer run into it making it a 8mm06. just like sig63 said. When rifles of that sort were sported, 8mm was not readily available and the practice was common. Just because you have some ammo does not make it so until you have verified the chamber. Like you have already indicated, someone may have used it for payment and already had a bad experience. A fair amount of bolt play is normal in a Mauser action and it looks like there is enough drop at the comb to miss the striker.

Not being argumentative here.

Would trying to chamber a standard 30-06 rule out whether it's 8mm-06?

If an 8mm-06 is just a necked up 30-06, then a standard 30-06 case would chamber. The neck and the bullet would be smaller, but the case and length would be identical.

If a 30-06 won't chamber, then it means the chamber is still short and in 8mm Mauser.