[8x57mauser]

I had posted this a couple years back when I originally bought it. The lighting outside finally was just right today for some pictures so I did some detailed ones which certainly are much better than the old cellphone ones I had posted. bnz 44, SS contract, bolt m/m vet bring back. Picked it up at a local swap meet for under $200 Bore is mint, just an overall great piece and one of my favorite finds (second only to my Type 2 Arisaka paratrooper rifle find) Interesting in that while the rifle is serial 115, both bands are 116 it appears to be a factory error. Still has its original Steyr sight hood, I pretty much received it fresh form the closet condition including lint, dust and spider webs.

 

[8x57mauser]

 

[Apache c-10]

Very nice rifle, I've got one just like it. Like the pics.

 

[Banner]

Really nice rifle and in great condition! Bolt looks like Gustloff and could be for anything from a 337 1940 to a bcd 42.

 

[8x57mauser]

Really nice rifle and in great condition! Bolt looks like Gustloff and could be for anything from a 337 1940 to a bcd 42.

i believe when I had originally posted the rifle we figured the bolt to be much later than that as it has a guide rib still but round gas holes probably in the early bcd4 range. But yes it is a gustloff bolt.

 

[Maximus Slade]

Nice find!! I wish I had that bolt!

 

[8x57mauser]

Nice find!! I wish I had that bolt!

if you can find a self matching Steyr bolt, preferably with. I letter suffix I'll trade you.

 

[Banner]

Sorry, couldn't tell the bolt body has round ports in the pic, but I do see the rougher machining on the lug. Interesting, all the later and round port Gustloff bolt bodies I've ever seen were just Astrawerks 'l'-marked, if this one has round ports and has e/749+e/1+Astrawerks 'l' waffs it will be the first I've seen.

Have two self-matching Steyr bolts, one an e/623 probably for a 660 or bnz 41. The other an 'f'-block round-port all e/77's. Don't need a round-port Gustloff though, other makers/years yes.

 

[8x57mauser]

Sorry, couldn't tell the bolt body has round ports in the pic, but I do see the rougher machining on the lug. Interesting, all the later and round port Gustloff bolt bodies I've ever seen were just Astrawerks 'l'-marked, if this one has round ports and has e/749+e/1+Astrawerks 'l' waffs it will be the first I've seen.

I meant to take pictures of the bolt while I had the rifle out but I forgot. The bolt itself does have some rougher machined parts, also has an e/1 stamped on the bottom of the left locking lug which suggests to me that it didn't originally pass inspection due to an issue with the lug it was corrected and reinspected so it also could have been an earlier bolt that got rejected and reused/finished later on. It's an odd bolt that's for sure, doesn't really fit in with any of my other matching gustloff rifles. Like you said all the late gustloff bolts with round holes I have also show just the "l" stamp. Though I don't have any other gustloff bolts that have round holes but still retain the guide rib.

 

[Banner]

I meant to take pictures of the bolt while I had the rifle out but I forgot. The bolt itself does have some rougher machined parts, also has an e/1 stamped on the bottom of the left locking lug which suggests to me that it didn't originally pass inspection due to an issue with the lug it was corrected and reinspected so it also could have been an earlier bolt that got rejected and reused/finished later on.

Plausable, and certainly makes it a bit unique as well with it's combo of the earlier triple proofs and round ports...

Strange though, not my area of expertise but I was of the mind that round ports didn't come about until late '44 or '45 so would make it too late to be originally used on a bcd 4 in 'b'-block, and I don't believe there was a 'b'-suffix bcd 45. I would think it wouldn't likely have been serial-numbered to a rifle until actually used. How did it collect the triple proofs if it hadn't had the gas ports drilled yet?

 

[Maximus Slade]

if you can find a self matching Steyr bolt, preferably with. I letter suffix I'll trade you.

Well, I do have a matching BNZ bolt, it is O suffix. Unfortunately, It has a matching receiver.

 

[Banner]

Sn#-ing seems surprisingly neat and orderly for a "round-port period" bolt assy too. Maybe it wasn't used on a bcd at all, maybe something else that used letter suffix sn's in this late period. Dunno, it's a curious odd-duck for sure...

 

[8x57mauser]

Sn#-ing seems surprisingly neat and orderly for a "round-port period" bolt assy too. Maybe it wasn't used on a bcd at all, maybe something else that used letter suffix sn's in this late period. Dunno, it's a curious odd-duck for sure...

its an odd one for sure anything is possible with later production stuff. I think I might have detailed pictures of the proofing on the bolt on my laptop, I'll check tonight. I think most of the other proofs are e/221 which would actually seem to go along with your original 42 estimate if I remember correctly so it may actually be a late 42 bolt, either used in later production or or just had issues in production and had to be reproofed.

 

[armenjs]

Legit--Did you see the bnz 43 sold by our friend "GB" at GB. A week back. Nice one.