The following summary is posted to invite corrections and additions:
No prefix block: 10,000 VZ98 long rifles (with Lange sight), produced in 1923, VZ23 Short bayonet (250mm blade).
A, B, C, D blocks: 40,000 VZ98/22 long rifles produced in 1923, VZ23 Short bayonet.
E block: 10,000 VZ98/22 long rifles made for Turkey in 1927, VZ23 Short bayonet
D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L blocks: 80,000 VZ23 short rifles produced in 1923, VZ23 Long bayonet (400mm blade). Both D block VZ98/22 and VZ23 rifles are reported, suggesting the changeover between models may have occurred midway through the D block. I block was skipped.
M block: 10,000 VZ23a short rifles produced in 1924 with removable rear sight bed, VZ24 bayonet (300mm blade). My M block VZ23a rifle has a removable rear sight bed. The type bayonet information comes from the three Czech websites but I have a VZ24 bayonet marked E(lion)24. Made in 1924, the lion is in a circle like the 1923 rifles and bayonets.
N, O, P, R blocks: 40,000 VZ24 short rifles produced in 1924. VZ24 bayonet (300mm blade). Q block was skipped. First VZ24 rifles.
S, T, U, V, X, Y, Z blocks: 70,000 VZ24 short rifles produced in 1924-1925. W block was skipped. S block VZ24 rifle reported marked E(lion)24. My X block VZ24 rifle is marked E(lion)25.
Somewhere around here, the change occurred to interchangeable parts with few numbered parts. Andy said, "I believe in late 1925 was changed to 90% of changeability".
The Q and W blocks were skipped because those letters do not exist in the Czech alphabet. The I block was skipped, possibly because of the similarity to the number 1.
The second series of VZ24 serial numbers were xxxxA, xxxxB, xxxxC, xxxxD1, xxxxE1, etc. If it were xxxxA through xxxxZ and xxxxA1 through xxxxZ1, that would be a lot of rifles for 1926. Andy reports a D1 suffix rifle. We know from the website that both 5005A and 1140K1 are marked E(lion)26. 3966U1 is marked E(lion)27. That would mean if 1926 production were 5005A-9999Z and 0001A1-1140K1 would be at least 335,136 rifles.
VZ24 serial numbers ran:
Brno:
Nxxxx through Zxxxx
xxxxA through xxxxC
xxxxD1 through xxxxZ1
xxxxA2 through xxxxZ2
xxxxA3 through xxxxZ3
xxxxA4 through xxxxZ4
Považská Bysterica:
A5xxxx through H5xxxx
In January 1926 Yugoslavia bought 42,000 VZ24 rifles. In 1929 Yugoslavia bought 50,000 more VZ24 for an overall total of 92,000 VZ24 rifles.
In 1937-38 there was also a no prefix series, a C prefix, D, E, and P. I have a Japanese VZ24 P61600 and a Chinese VZ24 P49939 (bolt P17616). Of this grouping, the P series was by far the largest. A P67008 has been reported. These were intended for export but some were taken for the Czech Army and so marked. They were later sold to Romania along with other unused VZ24 rifles in the Czech Army inventory. Japanese rifles have been reported with a C prefix marked on the stock only (they would originally have been in the no prefix series).
from:
http://www.fronta.cz/fotogalerie/cs-opa ... uska-vz-23
hranicari.webgarden.cz/cz-vz-24
http://www.guns-info.cz/modules.php?nam ... e&sid=1336
http://rml1708.com/MyCzechWebpage/czmaim.htm
Serbian and Yugoslav Mauser Rifles by Branko Bogdanovic
John Wall (Sada and Franek)
AndyB in Slovakia (Sada and Franek)
A large quantity of unused Czechoslovak Army VZ24 rifles was sold to Romania in the first Romanian contract around 1939-1940. Used Czechoslovak Army VZ24 rifles were taken by Germany.
Romanian second contract, 1940: ARxxxx, BRxxxx, CRxxxx . . . YRxxxx. 25,000 per block. No QR or WR blocks. It seems that most, if not all, of the AR-YR Romanian contract rifles were made in 1940.
A. I have a BR bayonet in a CR scabbard, both dated Slovak 1940. There are far too many Slovak marked bayonets mixed in with Romanian contract bayonets for them to have been Romanian bayonets taken for Slovak use. They have to have first been Slovak accepted in 1940 and later taken for use with Romanian second contract rifles - and serial matched with those rifles. Added August 17, 2020: I discovered that there were no VZ24 rifles made on a Slovakian Army contract. Those few rifles seen with a Slovak firing proof were made at Považská Bystrica, Slovakia for small outfits like industrial guards. At that time Slovakia was made an independent country, thus they no longer used the Czech lion firing proof. This also shows that bayonets were made for Slovakia but the rifles were never made, which explains why the Slovak accepted bayonets were put into the Romanian second contract in 1940.
B. King Michael replaced King Carol on September 6, 1940. The King Michael crest replaced the King Carol crest on the rifles late in the AR-YR series. My King Michael crest VZ24 is a TR block. The crests would not have changed before King Michael took over.
Facts A and B bracket the second Romanian contract within 1940 or nearly so. A small number may have overlapped into 1939 and/or 1941.
The following was posted by ryg on August 19, 2020:
Romanian 2nd contract started out with 1939 year crests and went on to King Carol crests. The Romanian 3rd contract (signed April 19, 1940) started out with King Carol crests, then King Mihai, then 1940 year crests. The Romanians requested the use of 1940 after King Carol was restored. 1940 have been seen on early letter series 3rd contract for an unknown reason. Have never seen a YR or XR series with any indication there was a crest, but maybe that's just me. Those two series were made in 1941.
Pušky a bodáky vz.24
ve výzbroji československé, rumunské a německé armády
by Jan Šmíd
Regards,
Bill
~~~
August 17, 2020
Per request, here are the crests:
1. VZ98/22 (and I suppose also VZ98): (E block s/n VZ98/22 rifles, all sold new to Turkey, had the ==BRNO== crest)
2. VZ23 and VZ23a: (also most Spanish Civil War VZ24 rifles, 1935 accepted)
3. VZ24 through mid 1933: (last s/n known 5892 D3) (known as ==BRNO== crest) (photo also has Iraqi jeem marking)
4. VZ24 mid 1933 through end of production 1938: (first s/n known 4033 V3) (known as lion crest) (some of the last 1938 production were accepted 1939)
Early Czechoslovak Mausers
VZ98, VZ98/22, VZ23, VZ23a, and early VZ24 Rifle Production
(My Best Guess June 7, 2013)
VZ98, VZ98/22, VZ23, VZ23a, and early VZ24 Rifle Production
(My Best Guess June 7, 2013)
No prefix block: 10,000 VZ98 long rifles (with Lange sight), produced in 1923, VZ23 Short bayonet (250mm blade).
A, B, C, D blocks: 40,000 VZ98/22 long rifles produced in 1923, VZ23 Short bayonet.
E block: 10,000 VZ98/22 long rifles made for Turkey in 1927, VZ23 Short bayonet
D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L blocks: 80,000 VZ23 short rifles produced in 1923, VZ23 Long bayonet (400mm blade). Both D block VZ98/22 and VZ23 rifles are reported, suggesting the changeover between models may have occurred midway through the D block. I block was skipped.
M block: 10,000 VZ23a short rifles produced in 1924 with removable rear sight bed, VZ24 bayonet (300mm blade). My M block VZ23a rifle has a removable rear sight bed. The type bayonet information comes from the three Czech websites but I have a VZ24 bayonet marked E(lion)24. Made in 1924, the lion is in a circle like the 1923 rifles and bayonets.
N, O, P, R blocks: 40,000 VZ24 short rifles produced in 1924. VZ24 bayonet (300mm blade). Q block was skipped. First VZ24 rifles.
S, T, U, V, X, Y, Z blocks: 70,000 VZ24 short rifles produced in 1924-1925. W block was skipped. S block VZ24 rifle reported marked E(lion)24. My X block VZ24 rifle is marked E(lion)25.
Somewhere around here, the change occurred to interchangeable parts with few numbered parts. Andy said, "I believe in late 1925 was changed to 90% of changeability".
The Q and W blocks were skipped because those letters do not exist in the Czech alphabet. The I block was skipped, possibly because of the similarity to the number 1.
The second series of VZ24 serial numbers were xxxxA, xxxxB, xxxxC, xxxxD1, xxxxE1, etc. If it were xxxxA through xxxxZ and xxxxA1 through xxxxZ1, that would be a lot of rifles for 1926. Andy reports a D1 suffix rifle. We know from the website that both 5005A and 1140K1 are marked E(lion)26. 3966U1 is marked E(lion)27. That would mean if 1926 production were 5005A-9999Z and 0001A1-1140K1 would be at least 335,136 rifles.
VZ24 serial numbers ran:
Brno:
Nxxxx through Zxxxx
xxxxA through xxxxC
xxxxD1 through xxxxZ1
xxxxA2 through xxxxZ2
xxxxA3 through xxxxZ3
xxxxA4 through xxxxZ4
Považská Bysterica:
A5xxxx through H5xxxx
In January 1926 Yugoslavia bought 42,000 VZ24 rifles. In 1929 Yugoslavia bought 50,000 more VZ24 for an overall total of 92,000 VZ24 rifles.
In 1937-38 there was also a no prefix series, a C prefix, D, E, and P. I have a Japanese VZ24 P61600 and a Chinese VZ24 P49939 (bolt P17616). Of this grouping, the P series was by far the largest. A P67008 has been reported. These were intended for export but some were taken for the Czech Army and so marked. They were later sold to Romania along with other unused VZ24 rifles in the Czech Army inventory. Japanese rifles have been reported with a C prefix marked on the stock only (they would originally have been in the no prefix series).
from:
http://www.fronta.cz/fotogalerie/cs-opa ... uska-vz-23
hranicari.webgarden.cz/cz-vz-24
http://www.guns-info.cz/modules.php?nam ... e&sid=1336
http://rml1708.com/MyCzechWebpage/czmaim.htm
Serbian and Yugoslav Mauser Rifles by Branko Bogdanovic
John Wall (Sada and Franek)
AndyB in Slovakia (Sada and Franek)
VZ24 Romanian Contract Dates
A large quantity of unused Czechoslovak Army VZ24 rifles was sold to Romania in the first Romanian contract around 1939-1940. Used Czechoslovak Army VZ24 rifles were taken by Germany.
Romanian second contract, 1940: ARxxxx, BRxxxx, CRxxxx . . . YRxxxx. 25,000 per block. No QR or WR blocks. It seems that most, if not all, of the AR-YR Romanian contract rifles were made in 1940.
A. I have a BR bayonet in a CR scabbard, both dated Slovak 1940. There are far too many Slovak marked bayonets mixed in with Romanian contract bayonets for them to have been Romanian bayonets taken for Slovak use. They have to have first been Slovak accepted in 1940 and later taken for use with Romanian second contract rifles - and serial matched with those rifles. Added August 17, 2020: I discovered that there were no VZ24 rifles made on a Slovakian Army contract. Those few rifles seen with a Slovak firing proof were made at Považská Bystrica, Slovakia for small outfits like industrial guards. At that time Slovakia was made an independent country, thus they no longer used the Czech lion firing proof. This also shows that bayonets were made for Slovakia but the rifles were never made, which explains why the Slovak accepted bayonets were put into the Romanian second contract in 1940.
B. King Michael replaced King Carol on September 6, 1940. The King Michael crest replaced the King Carol crest on the rifles late in the AR-YR series. My King Michael crest VZ24 is a TR block. The crests would not have changed before King Michael took over.
Facts A and B bracket the second Romanian contract within 1940 or nearly so. A small number may have overlapped into 1939 and/or 1941.
The following was posted by ryg on August 19, 2020:
Romanian 2nd contract started out with 1939 year crests and went on to King Carol crests. The Romanian 3rd contract (signed April 19, 1940) started out with King Carol crests, then King Mihai, then 1940 year crests. The Romanians requested the use of 1940 after King Carol was restored. 1940 have been seen on early letter series 3rd contract for an unknown reason. Have never seen a YR or XR series with any indication there was a crest, but maybe that's just me. Those two series were made in 1941.
Pušky a bodáky vz.24
ve výzbroji československé, rumunské a německé armády
by Jan Šmíd
Regards,
Bill
~~~
August 17, 2020
Per request, here are the crests:
1. VZ98/22 (and I suppose also VZ98): (E block s/n VZ98/22 rifles, all sold new to Turkey, had the ==BRNO== crest)
2. VZ23 and VZ23a: (also most Spanish Civil War VZ24 rifles, 1935 accepted)
3. VZ24 through mid 1933: (last s/n known 5892 D3) (known as ==BRNO== crest) (photo also has Iraqi jeem marking)
4. VZ24 mid 1933 through end of production 1938: (first s/n known 4033 V3) (known as lion crest) (some of the last 1938 production were accepted 1939)