Went over to the wet side with my wife two weeks ago for a couple of days and I found this fairly scarce Mauser lurking in a shop south of Seattle.
This is a post-WWII Fabrique Nationale Mauser, or Model 1950 (collectors term) but known in the Belgian military as the Modele 1924 (confusing, I know). Anyhow, it's an FN Mauser contract for the home country. Only 24,000 were made. Belgium ordered these bolt action Mausers because they needed more arms quickly and they were less expensive than the FN-49 that the Belgians were then ordering to slowly rebuild and modernize their army. The Belgians commitment to participate in the UN response to the Korean conflict necessitated a more rapid rearmament, hence the Mausers. Both the FN-49 and the FN Mauser were chambered in .30-06 as the de facto cartridge of the US allies immediately after WWII and to utilize the free/cheap surplus US ammunition.
This Mauser comes with two different years and two different crests, for three variations (yes, that violates the matrix rules). L for King Leopold III who abdicated in favor of his son King Baudoin in 1951 (but actually stepping aside after a transition period in July 1952). So L 1952 is the rarest, L 1951 next, and B 1952 is the most common. Mine is the "common" variation accounting for perhaps 50-65% of the total production.
They were Parkerized then painted with hard black paint, as was FN practice on small arms post-war. This one has obviously worn extensively with little black paint remaining (you can see it on the rear sight slider). The marks near the front sight were from sighting in at the refurbishment facility on two occasions. The heel repair is another sign that it went through a refurb facility. Anyhow, enjoy!
Inspector Charles Daenen denoted by the S* served from 1952-1968