My grandfather gave me this rifle, and told me it was made as a Belgian army sniper rifle pre-WWII, but I'm not so sure. I know it's a Mauser-type gun, produced in Liege, Belgium. It has been sporterized from an earlier gun (evidenced by the the fact that the Belgian proof mark was half-covered by the stock) and has an absolutely gorgeous finish to it. It accepts 7x57 (7mm Mauser) ammunition, and has a five-round internal magazine. The finish of the weapon is incredibly good, as it sat in the old man's attic for ten years before he gave it to me, and shows no signs of rusting. My grandfather and my father both used it in the sixties and seventies in Alaska on various game, and while the stock has a few scratches, it's still in great shape despite all the mistreatment and use it has seen.
The guys at the gun shop thought it might have been made in the 1930's as a Belgian army sniper rifle and sporterized after the war. It sounds about right to me, but they didn't tell me how much it was worth, just offered to buy it.
Basic info:
--caliber: 7x57mm
--Belgian proof mark, but it doesn't seem to fit with the rifle: it's the "ELG" in an oval, with a crown and a star, which I thought was only applied to blackpowder guns...
--Probably a sporterized army rifle
--has the initials "JH" or something close to that on it in ornate letters as a maker's mark
--serial number is also in very ornate lettering
--Dunno if this helps, but the finish of the metal looks almost red under certain lights (not rust)
--Shoots extremely well, but is very loud
--classic Mauser bolt-action
Anyway, if there is anything else I can tell you about the gun that would help you identify it, please let me know. I could use some help with identifying how much this gun is worth, and I'd really like to know more of the history behind it.
Thanks!
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guys i just couldn't help it after 2 weeks
