[DanielR]

Tac,

I don't think the coat of arms represent the maker or his town/region/state. If it isn't just for decoration, it is most likely related to the initial owner of the gun. Secondly, if Joe is correct and the gun was produced for export, the engraving may have been applied later at the place of sale.

 

[DanielR]

[...] Czechoslovakia, perhaps Bohemia or Moravia. [...]

As export destination, possible. However, the longer I look at this gun, the more it appears of Germanic origin to me. I have seen period rifles of very similar appearance (lock and stock) from Frankfurt, Regensburg and Suhl makers, some half stock but others with full stock. Judging from the fairly plain stock of this rife, it was more likely a utility hunting rifle rather than an elaborate show piece.

BTW, the present peep sight seems to be a later addition, the original used to sit in the square socket a bit further up on the tang. Since it is missing there is no way telling whether it looked Swiss or not. Besides, most of the target peep sights in the German, Austrian and Swiss area of the time were to some extend similar in appearance. And since this is more of a hunting rifle, the missing peep sight was probably one of those smaller hunting peep sights (hence the fairly small socket) and not one of those sophisticated target peep sights of the period.