SKS-FILES FORUM
General Milsurp Weapons => Milsurp Rifles & Carbines => Mauser (non-German) => Topic started by: Phosphorus32 on February 05, 2021, 12:05:59 PM
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As most of you are aware, RTI (Royal Tiger Imports, aka IO Inc.) imported a large number of diverse firearms from Ethiopia in 2019-20. I haven't bought anything directly from them in this batch of imports, since most of what I've seen posted on forums has been over-rated regarding condition (decent bores are rare) and over-priced.
This Czech produced, Ethiopian contract Vz98N popped up on the Gunboards WTS sub-forum a couple of weeks ago for a C-note less than RTI was asking for even their luck-of-the-draw non-matching offerings. It is one of the RTI imports, but at least I was looking at pictures of the rifle that I would receive, so I knew what I was getting. It's matching (only the receiver and bolt were numbered on these guns), with a good bore that has some pitting but cleaned up well and has deep sharp lands and grooves. The biggest flaw with this one is that it has been over-cleaned. Apparently, Uli hired locals to clean the dung, dust and dirt off of these and perhaps they were fond of using wire wheels; the barrel bands look burnished, not bluing worn down to "in the white".
The Vz98N (Vz, Vzor: pattern. N, Němec: German) is identical to a German K98k in all of the key parameters, and in fact this one has a barrel and receiver with Eagle 63 inspection marks, but post-war Czech Lion proof marks. They fitted these with the late war style cupped butt plate with a bolt takedown hole in lieu of the early war standard takedown disc (grommet) in the buttstock. The Mauser Oberndorf designed stamped one-piece winter triggerguard and floorplate was never implemented during WWII but it was used by the Czechs. The Czechoslovakians post-WWII needed cash, and they were willing to sell (clandestinely) to anyone, even if the recipient country was embargoed by the West (Ethiopia and Israel). This included Israel, Ethiopia, Iran, East Pakistan (latter-day Bangladesh), etc. The Ethiopians had a long-standing relationship with the Czechs post-WWII, purchasing small arms and even setting up an ammo factory in Ethiopia.
Punch Line: Of course the unique feature of this rifle that shows the Ethiopian origins is the "St. George slaying the dragon" stock disc that was a symbol of Emperor Haile Selassie's regime. I found a North African languages expert at the University of Washington and paid a modest fee for a translation. It's in a classical Ethiopic language (and script) known as Gəʿəz. Full translation below.
Gəʿəz: ቀዳማዊ ፡ ኃይለ ፡ ሥላሴ ፡ ንጉሠ ፡ ነገሥት ፡ ዘኢትዮጵያ ፡፡
Transliteration: qadāmāwī ḫayla šəllāse nəguša nagašt zaʾityoppyā
Meaning: first power-of the-trinity king-of kings of-Ethiopia
Translation: Haile Selassie I, the Emperor of Ethiopia
(https://i.ibb.co/sK7S4W4/00-stock-disc.jpg) (https://ibb.co/JvZLT3T)
(https://i.ibb.co/MSZHVmC/01-right-full.jpg) (https://ibb.co/fFqWpsx)
(https://i.ibb.co/CQsqkJs/02-right.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Xtk9hyk)
(https://i.ibb.co/q04NQCM/03-right.jpg) (https://ibb.co/5YzrHkW)
(https://i.ibb.co/6FmBttn/04-right.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ZxVmggL)
(https://i.ibb.co/jZnPtyk/05-right.jpg) (https://ibb.co/tPVTRqp)
(https://i.ibb.co/514XthJ/06-left-full.jpg) (https://ibb.co/XWLfNxG)
(https://i.ibb.co/xhhfpXG/07-left.jpg) (https://ibb.co/mJJXLbt)
(https://i.ibb.co/zZ9ry02/08-left.jpg) (https://ibb.co/2dVyDfM)
(https://i.ibb.co/tq2pJnF/09-left.jpg) (https://ibb.co/R36TDtd)
(https://i.ibb.co/8dKdy1x/10-left.jpg) (https://ibb.co/yYfYzHk)
(https://i.ibb.co/BCPGNC3/11-receiver-ring-swp.jpg) (https://ibb.co/sVPCHVR)
(https://i.ibb.co/6nPSYy8/12-SN-receiver.jpg) (https://ibb.co/1vqNZ0M)
(https://i.ibb.co/8ccQG1Y/13-SN-bolt.jpg) (https://ibb.co/WttR7mV)
(https://i.ibb.co/x5s1651/14-trigger-guard.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PCYcgCc)
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Very cool! This is probably among the more interesting stuff they brought over. I was tempted to buy them from RTI, but their reputation and price had me pause.
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Nice find, Jon!! Looks like a laminated stock. On the Mausers (and other rifles) they were always my favorites thumb1.
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I like the look, nice rifle.
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Gotta go along with the crowd on this one.
That's a pretty cool shooting iron. Love that stock medallion.
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Send it to me, get it out of the rain. thumb1 interesting trigger guard. And it's Czech to boot. drool2
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very cool! your going to need a bigger safe.
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very cool! your going to need a bigger safe.
Safe? It sounds like Phosphorus32 can arm a battalion or two with his amazing arsenal! thumb1
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Thanks guys!
Cz, I was tempted to buy from RTI when I first heard they were going to offer the FN contract Ethiopians back in the Fall of 2019, but when they finally listed them in early 2020 the prices were $1200-2000 for sight unseen rifles, so nope.
Bacarnal, yup, one of the red resorcinol glue laminates. I like them too.
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RTI is a bit of a hit or a miss. I feel like a lot of new collectors get into the allure of the low prices for some of the models and they don't really know what they're getting into.
It's like the people that were complaining about the Chinese SKS imports even though functionally they were great
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Crazy I was just looking at those. You have a nice example. Enabler extraordinaire!
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Crazy I was just looking at those. You have a nice example. Enabler extraordinaire!
Thanks! I am happy with it. Nice to be able to see it before purchasing.
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Enabler extraordinaire!
I know. I was looking at those too. Very tempting, these are kind of unique, but I've taken enough gambles from RTI to know better. There was one on GB for sale but I sadly let it go.
GM is considered to be an enabler in chief here, but 32P has taken over. GM needs to up his game ;) 32P just enabled me to get an expensive M1 carbine. My bank account did not like that a bit.
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Yea... FrF2 comes to mind lol.
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Enabler extraordinaire!
I know. I was looking at those too. Very tempting, these are kind of unique, but I've taken enough gambles from RTI to know better. There was one on GB for sale but I sadly let it go.
I've come out okay on some British and French bayonets from them. Glad I didn't have to gamble with them directly on one of their rifles!
32P just enabled me to get an expensive M1 carbine. My bank account did not like that a bit.
You're welcome! thumb1 :) rofl