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General Milsurp Weapons => Milsurp Rifles & Carbines => Mauser (non-German) => Topic started by: firstchoice on October 16, 2017, 06:14:14 AM

Title: Non-Matching Bolts on Czech Mausers. Is it a Problem?
Post by: firstchoice on October 16, 2017, 06:14:14 AM
  Many years ago when I had a little money and I also had my C&R License, I bought what I thought were nice specimens of Czech 8mm Mausers. They were in very nice condition, but this was at the beginning of my collecting days. I didn't know about the importance of "all matching", those pesky "important little details", when it comes to collecting for value.

  As far as the non-matching issue went, it was only the Bolt that was non-matching. What is with these milsurp Mausers that so many came in with non-matching Bolts? Overall, the rifles don't appear to be all that used, whereas needing replacement of the Bolt. Anyone have a theory on this? A couple guys have told me that during the Cold War, the Soviet satelite countries would pull the Bolts out of the rifles and store them elsewhere in an effort to "demill" the firearm for Small Arms Reduction Treaty compliance.

  Anyway, how much does that alter the value of the rifle? I'll post a couple pics for each one to give everybody a chance to "grade them", (or maybe 2-3 each to help better).
I think I have the slings and cleaning rods for all of them.

  I also have a Yugo M48A that looks new, (stock and bluing), but has a dang non-matching Bolt. I have not fired a single round through any of them since I bought them. I've ordered a set of GO-NO GO Gauges for 8mm to check head space, to be safe. I already have them for the 7.62x39 and the 7.62x54r.

  Just like to get some opinions from you guys that know these things. I'll get the pics taken and posted within the next couple of days. 

 firstchoice
Title: Re: Non-Matching Bolts on Czech Mausers. Is it a Problem?
Post by: newchi on October 16, 2017, 09:51:18 AM
When troops were captured or surrendered, they, or their captors often removed the bolt and threw it away.  I dont know if they did this when you see those piles of equipment beside the road, drop your gun here, throw your pouches there, in photos of lines of surrendering troops.

There are lots of metal detecting youtube channels where finding bolts is a common occurrence, i think i posted one somewhere here.

I heard that stored separately story too, cant remember what country they were said it was now though.
 
Title: Re: Non-Matching Bolts on Czech Mausers. Is it a Problem?
Post by: Greasemonkey on October 16, 2017, 10:45:35 AM
Most with mismatched bolts could have been war reparations or field captures.. Russia was a big 're"-user of Mausers. They would refurb them, numbers didn't matter to them, function mattered. They would scrub them, pop the capture screws out, peen almost any and all German marks, and sometime blue the bolt as well.

For a shooter, numbers don't matter, it can still be a deadly accurate 8x57mm rifle, numbers matter in resale and to number counting collectors. As far as headspace on 8mm Mausers, the older Turkish and Spanish seemed to have the most problems.. The Turks used really hot ammo in older designs, that puts a whoopin on older designed bolt lugs, the Spaniards had what most deem questionable metallurgy.. I have not had an issue with either makers. The Turks also, were notorious for an everything matches, but the bolt, in my years I have seen 2 Turkish Mausers that "every" number matched. Yugoslavian Mausers and most Romanian contract rifles, they are like Chinese SKSs, there are tons of them on the market, even if it's matching they usually don't quite carry the premium that say a Cz, J. P. Sauer, or a W.z.29 branded Mauser does.

This is especially true with a Cz, lay a Vz.24 and a Romanian contract Vz.24 side by side, in the same exact condition. They are the same exact rifle by all accounts, but typically, the Czech used rifle will sell for more.
Title: Re: Non-Matching Bolts on Czech Mausers. Is it a Problem?
Post by: Phosphorus32 on October 16, 2017, 11:49:14 AM
I don't think I've ever seen a VZ-24 (Czech or Romanian contract) with a matching bolt, but I'm sure there are some out there. The Russians and Eastern Bloc (post-war) didn't care much about matching numbers. Not a problem in my mind.
Title: Re: Non-Matching Bolts on Czech Mausers. Is it a Problem?
Post by: Greasemonkey on October 16, 2017, 12:21:24 PM
I don't think I've ever seen a VZ-24 (Czech or Romanian contract) with a matching bolt, but I'm sure there are some out there. The Russians and Eastern Bloc (post-war) didn't care much about matching numbers. Not a problem in my mind.

There is at least one out there, this one is stamped...  :)
Hey...it's a Cz..  drool2 thumb1


(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/hn9d422dipri5il/SAM_0509.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/wv2bfv6glsmzxmj/SAM_0514.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/sxp4ckgsudfcvxu/SAM_0510.JPG?dl=0)

My Russian? scrubbed peened refurbed Vz.24..old crappy picture...but the bolt was electropencil force matched.

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/2gur4otfkijmh51/SAM_0256_zps3c119e49.jpg?dl=0)
Title: Re: Non-Matching Bolts on Czech Mausers. Is it a Problem?
Post by: Phosphorus32 on October 16, 2017, 09:06:07 PM
I don't think I've ever seen a VZ-24 (Czech or Romanian contract) with a matching bolt, but I'm sure there are some out there. The Russians and Eastern Bloc (post-war) didn't care much about matching numbers. Not a problem in my mind.

There is at least one out there, this one is stamped...  :)
Hey...it's a Cz..  drool2 thumb1


(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/hn9d422dipri5il/SAM_0509.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/wv2bfv6glsmzxmj/SAM_0514.JPG?dl=0)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/sxp4ckgsudfcvxu/SAM_0510.JPG?dl=0)

Yup, that's a beauty  thumb1