From the December 1999 issue, pages 331 - 337. 

BY MARION MERICLE

In this article I am going to point out the marks - address, crest, and date - on the receiver ring top and the model-address on the left receiver rail of Czech made Mauser rifles. I could not have written this article without the help of Joe Steen, who sent me two letters on this subject, in May 1996. Thanks Joe. There seems to be some controversy on the order of issue of Czech rifle markings. I am going to take a shot at how I think the order of issue should be listed.

Now marking (#ONE): In Olson's book a short history of the Brno Arms works is on pages 199-200. 1 will call Olson's book reference (O). To quote the book "on Feb. 1, 1919 it was reorganized and given the name Czechoslovak State Armament Works, Brno." The first Mausers made at Brno were GEW 98's, with Lange rear sights, 42,000 rifles assembled with German parts. They were later sold to Turkey after the Czech. military got newer modern rifles and later Navy Arms imported them for us. Only the receiver ring was marked in three lines: 1: CS. ST. 2: Zbrojovka 3: Brno. Translation: 1: "C" Czech. "S" Slovakia" ST." state 2: arms factory 3.- Brno (the city in Czechoslovakia that the plant was in). (Czechoslovakian state arms factory Brno) This mark can be seen in Handbook of Military Rifle Marks, page 13, illustration #1. I will call this book reference (H) (No marks are on the left rail.) (They also had a branch plant in the city of Bystrica, in Slovakia, that made some of the rifles.) (The rifles are not marked for the different plants of manufacture.) The rifles other than the GEW98's I know marked like this are the early 98-22 rifles used by the Czech. military and later, when they got more new modern rifles, sold to Turkey, China and other countries. (Navy arms imported them also.)

Now I will try to clear up a little controversy on these 98-22 rifles. Some people think these early 98-22 rifles were not used by the Czech. military but the proof is on page 58, middle illustration, in Ball's book as anybody can see, the "E23" Czech. army acceptance mark. I am going to call Ball's book reference (B) and, as we know, Ball's book is mixed up in some places but also is a good reference overall. In (B), page 242, second picture on left, is the receiver ring marking and the correct western numbered rear sight slide is on page 243 of (B), left middle picture. The Turks re-worked, swapped many parts on their many types of Mausers as I have had the early 98-22 with the Turkish Arabic numbers on the rear sight slide and vice versa. In short, the Turks did not change from the Arabic to the western alphabet (numbers) until 1928, long after these "E23" (1923) made rifles.

Now marking (TWO). The receiver ring is marked in three lines: 1: CS. Zavody na 2: Vyrobu Zbrani 3: Brno. Translation: 1: "C" Czech, "S" Slovakia, "Zavody" factory, "na" for 2: Manufacture (of) Arms 3: Brno. (Czechoslovakian factory for manufacture of arms Brno) (Nothing on left rail.) This mark can be seen in (H) on page 13, illustration #4. This marking was used on VZ-23, 98-22, and early VZ-24 rifles. (B), page 59, middle illus., shows "E23" Czech. army mark on their 98-22 rifles. (Navy arms imported these rifles also.)

Now marking (THREE). The receiver ring is marked in three lines: 1. Ceskoslovenska, 2. Zbrovka,. 3. Brno. Translation 1. Czechoslovakian, 2. Arms factory, 3. Brno. (Czechoslovakian Arms Factory Brno) (B), page 13, illus. # 5. Usually "VZ.24" is on the left rail. (H), illus. 7, page 7. These marking are found on Czech. army (military.) rifles (VZ-24's) and export rifles like the Brazil VZ-24 on pages 30-31 in (B). It was also used on later 98-22 rifles, exported (made) for Turkey, as new rifles with no "E23" on the left side of the receiver ring. (Reference (B), page 242, bottom picture.) Turkish Arabic numbers are on the rear sight slide. (Navy arms imported these rifles from Turkey also.) As I said, the sight slides could be swapped by the Turks. (Nothing on the side rail as no 98-22's are marked 98-22.)

Now marking (FOUR). On the left receiver rail in two lines 1. Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka, A.S., Brno, 2. VZ.24. Translation: 1. Czechoslovakian Arms Factory "A.S." LTD (inc.) Brno, 2. type (model)-1924 (Czechoslovakian Arms Factory Inc. Brno, Model 1924. (H), page 13, illus. #3. These are the most common marked Czech. Mauser's. Usually a crest like the Czech. lion crest on Czech military issue rifles ((H), illus. #6, page 13) or the crest of the country purchasing the rifles are on the receiver ring. Some rifles of this fourth type marked rifles only have a date on the receiver ring top, like 1937 China, Japan and 1938-1939-1940 Rumania. However on my Guatemalan rifle, the VZ-24 is not on the side rail. ((B), page 137, left middle picture.

The (FIFTH) marking now. In two lines on the side rail 1. Fabrica Checoslovaca De Armas, 2. S.A. Brno. Translation 1. Factory Czechoslovakia of Arms, 2. "S.A." LTD (Inc.) Brno. (Factory Czechoslovakia of Arms, Inc., Brno) ((H), page 13, illus. #9) As you can see, this marking (address and co. name) is in Spanish as on my Colombian VZ.24 and other South American Mausers. ((B), page 54, picture left top. (The Colombian crest is on the receiver ring, (B), page 54, right top. illus.)

Coming up the (SIXTH) marking. In two lines on the left rail 1. Cs. Zbrojovka AKC. SPOL.V Brne 2: VZ.33. Translation 1. Czech. "S." Slovakia, arms factory, "AKC. SPOL." LTD (Inc.) "V" at "Brne" Brno, 2: VZ.33 type (model) 1933. (Czechoslovakian Arms Factory, Inc., at Brno Model 1933). ((H), page 13, illus. #10) This is not an army (military) rifle but is a police (financial guards) arm. It. has the Czech. lion on the receiver. ring. I guess you noticed Brno was spelled differently in this marking (Brne.) I will quote from Joe Steen's letter to me to explain it. "The form "Brne " is hard to explain because it's a grammatical variation that occurs when Brno is used in certain situations. V Brne means at Brno and it's because of the preposition V meaning that the spelling of the word changes." I noticed "AKC. SPOL." is the "A." "S." in the other markings, spelled out longer. Two other Czech. made Mauser's I know of have this marking. In the August 1995 "Karabiner Collector's Network" was an article by Robert Jensen that had a Steyr (BNZ) rework of a standard lion crest, large ring, VZ.24 that had this 6th marking with, of course, VZ.24 below the marking, instead of VZ.33. This is the only one like this I have ever seen. The second rifle is my model 1932 Peruvian (Brno) Brne Mauser. The rifle has the same address with modelo 1932 (model 1932), not VZ.33, on the left rail below the address. It has the Peruvian crest on the receiver ring. ((H), page 40, illus. #3, Peru) (This short rifle has a small ring action, like the VZ.33.) The gun can be seen in: "Guns of the World" by Hans Tanner (out of print) on pages 235, top picture, page 272 picture #21, and page 274, picture #9; also in (O), page 179, top picture.

Now the (SEVENTH) type of marking. In one line on the rail Zbrojovka Brno, A.S. VZ.24. (Arms Factory Brno Inc. Model 1924). This is mark #4 without the word Ceskoslovenska. ((H), page 13, illus. #13) It was used after the Nazi's took over Czechoslovakia as they did not like the word Czechoslovakia. It was used on rifles made for the Nazi's and on export rifles sold to their ally Rumania.

Now to the (EIGHTH) marking. In one line on the side rail Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka A.S. Brno. (Czechoslovakian Arms Factory, Inc., Brno) This is marking #4 without the "VZ.24" because the rifles were not VZ.24's. ((O), page 128, bottom picture) Most had the large stamped one piece trigger guard floorplate and some did not. This was used on 98K German re- worked rifles after WWII. Some had the German model-code and date on the receiver ring and some are blank. I heard that the Bolivian series, B-50, is marked the same way. This is the story of the eighth main Czech. Mauser rifle markings.

Now I will describe some other Czech. Mauser rifle markings. The 98-29 long rifle, the 1930 carbine and the VZ.24 made for Iran (Persia) are marked on the left rail in "Farsi" (modified Arabic). ((H), page 30, Iran, illus. #3 and #5) Translation: gun factory of Brno and year of manufacture. The plant at Brno made for the Germans during WWII the G.33/40. Translation "G" Gewehr (rifle), "33" based on VZ.33, "40" adopted in 1940. This mountain carbine (a modified VZ.33) was made from 1940 to 1942, with code 945 in 1940 and 1941 and code dot in 1941 and 1942. After this they made the regular 98K under code dot in 1943, 1944, and 1945. They also made in 1945 98Ks with code SWP. The other Brno plant, in Bystrica, made in WWII for the Germans the G.24(t). Translation "G" Gewehr (rifle), "24" based on the VZ.24, (t) for Czechoslovakia which starts with a "T" in German. The rifle is a cross between a VZ.24 and a 98K, as it has features of both rifles. The rifles were made in 1941 and 1942 with code dou. The regular 98K was made with code dou in 1942, 1943, 1944 and 1945. The last Brno code marked rifles are 98K rifles made at Brno for East Germany. They are marked with the code tgf (1950) on top of the receiver ring.

This long article is finished, finally, three years after I started it. As usual, if any members have any comments or questions let us know.

NOTE I am going to do my part so that the "M.R.J." doesn't go the way of the recent "K.C.N." and other military newsletters. I hope everyone else will join in and do their part. Thanks