The South Carolina Military Museum hosted us once again yesterday.  We used our time to disassemble a pair of WWII staples and will be working these images into articles in the future.  In the meantime we wanted to remind everyone you can find more images at our Flickr gallery and if you find yourself near Columbia, SC please visit our friends at the South Carolina Military Museum.

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All right, I admit it, we have a love of Interwar thrift here at C&Rsenal.  While the Polish and Belgian guns were curious, the Yugoslavians may win the gold medal in odd rifle conversions.

We’ve touched on the dizzying mix of small arms in Yugoslavia before.  Chief among these was the Austro-Hungarian Steyr-Mannlicher Model 1895 straight-pull.  The new nation decided to unify on a single rifle and cartridge by 1928. If you have not read about the Mauser Model 1924 now would be the time to take a moment before proceeding.  As M1924 production proceeded, the Steyr-Mannlicher was phased out from front line service.  The handy carbines stayed on with the Gendarmerie but the long rifles began to stack up in storage.  So, like many other nations faced with the European crises of the late 1930′s, Yugoslavian officials sought to turn WWI leftovers into reserve arms based on their standard pattern rifle.

Steyr-Mannlicher M1895 long rifles were converted to emulate the operation of and share ammunition with the Mauser Model 1924.  The M1895 was chambered in 8x50mm rimmed and utilized an en-bloc clip fed magazine.  The M1924 was chambered in 7.92x57mm rimless and used a staggered, fixed magazine fed from stripper clips.  This represented a supreme design challenge.  The Military Technical Institute at Kragujevac (BT3) was already at full capacity and so a commercial concern, Yakov Poshinger Arms and Ammunition Factory (FOMU), was contracted to meet the task.  The conversion process ran from 1938 to 1939 and an estimated 120,000 were completed.  It appears that only long rifle stocks were used, although we have read that carbine actions were included as well.  We have also observed both early and late M1895 cocking pieces, so all previous bolt components were apparently acceptable.

Changes were as follows:

• Kragujevac provided a new barrel from the same production as the M1924.
• Mauser rear sights replaced the Mannlicher originals. 
• The original M1895 bolt head was shortened and the bolt face adjusted to fit 7.92x57mm.
• An extractor groove was cut around the bolt head and a new extractor appropriate to 7.92x57mm installed.
• Concerns over the increased pressure of the new cartridge prompted FOMU to drill out the lubrication holes in the bolt. (or add them if not present before)
• The forward guide lug at the back of the bolt body was ground off.
• A permanent metal clip, emulating the en-bloc, was fixed inside the magazine.
• The clip ejection hole at the bottom of the magazine well was fitted with a steel cover and welded shut.
• The follower was reshaped and lengthened for the 7.92x57mm spizter cartridge.
• The ejector groove was milled deeper and a taller ejector installed for the narrower cartridge.
• The M1895 en-bloc clip retainer became superfluous and was ground off.  The release button was left inoperable.
• An opening was ground in the receiver to act as a charger guide.
• Additional metal was ground from the left wall of the receiver to aid in stripping rounds from a charger clip.
• Long M1895 stocks were cut back.  Original barrel bands, stacking hooks, and bayonet lugs were kept.
• A new handguard, copied from the M1924, was fitted.
• An “M” or “/24″ marking was added behind the receiver’s M95 marking.
• The bolt head, handle, barrel, magazine, magazine spring housing, and stock were serialed together.
• Proof firing was conducted.  Successful rifles received a marking on the bolt, barrel and receiver in the form of a crown over “T” stamp.

Two variations of the rifle exist; one with bottom slings for infantry and one with both side and bottom slings for cavalry.  The resulting M95M rifles now functioned much like the standard service Mausers.  Five-round clips could be stripped into the magazine or it could be topped off with loose ammunition.  Sighting was shared between the M95M and the M1924, ballistics too.  The only real difference was in the straight-pull action.

Mannlicher M1895 bayonets were adapted for the new muzzle diameter and later BT3 produced a direct copy as well.  Collectors have also encountered Mauser Model 1899C and Gew.88/16 bayonets modified for use.  Later BT3 produced a modified M1924 bayonet to bring the rifle further into the standard pattern.

From the start the M95M rifles were expected to be issued to non-frontline troops.  So they saw use with transport, artillery, couriers, etc.  They were also put to use in target and drill training.  With the complete invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941, the M95M saw combat in the short defense of the nation.  As German, Italian, and Hungarian troops moved through the country they captured these arms and repurposed them for their own police and rear echelon troops.  Additional rifles remained in the borders of the newly Independent State of Croatia.

Confusion still remains with the M95/24 vs. M95M designation.  All M95/24 appear to be in the cavalry arrangement but are otherwise identical to M95M. Some old stories suggest production in Belgium or Bulgaria, but neither is true.  So far, no two serials overlap between the rifles and ALL are marked with Yugoslavian proofs, so they were likely converted in the same batches with the difference being something of a final step.  Some believe the M95/24 was produced specifically to be sold to Greece, but conclusive evidence is lacking.  This theory seems to come from the fact that Germany captured these rifles in both Yugoslavia and later Greece.  In Yugoslavia they designated the rifles as Karabiner M505(j).  In Greece they differentiated between the M95M and M95/24 as the Karabiner M505(g) and Karabiner 494(g) respectively.  Some cite this as proof the M95/24 was only issued to Greek troops but there are signs that M95/24 rifles from Yugoslavia were just recorded along with the M95M under the designation M505(j).  Further evidence from Greek small arms records show fewer than 5,000 Mannlicher 8x57mm rifles in inventory before the fall.  This small number partnered with a complete lack of Greek inspection marks seems to break up the idea that the M95/24 was intended for them at the start.  It is more likely that these arms were smuggled in during the fall of Yugoslavia.   The true reason for the difference in model names is still unknown to us.

Believe it or not, the M95M rifle is a surprisingly strong shooter.  Our example was accurate, robust, and more pleasant than the M95/30 carbine in 8x56mmR.  While the magazine is the biggest change on the rifle, FOMU did a great job of reinforcing any potential weaknesses.  The rifle feeds cleanly and reliably assuming the internal clip is settled in correctly.  Feeding from a stripper clip works but does feel a bit odd with a tendency to leave the last round rattling loose.  Definitely a unique experience but not a bad one overall.

We encourage anyone to seek out one of these strange guns with their truly unique history.  Collectors should be aware, however,  that these rifles are often found damaged.  Many internal clips have been lost to the curious and often the extractors are quick to follow.  Shooters tend to try to single load these rifles and it forces the extractor over the cartridge rim roughly, causing it to snap.  Replacements for either are very hard to find so please make sure of both the clip and extractor before a purchase.

If you have any further questions or comments about this article please comment in our forum by clicking this sentence.

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Our friend and photographer Nicholas Gore has created a short article on how he achieved the lighting from our recent shoot at the South Carolina Military Museum.  Definitely worth a read.

Product Photography with a Band: Photographing the BAR

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The tale of the Shanxi Warlord Yan Xishan is incredible.  His attempts to develop a neutral province with a truly modern military force may have ultimately failed, but they did see him govern from 1912 through the warlord period, unification, revolts, the Japanese invasion, and ultimately retreating from the Chinese Civil War.  This is a story about one of his guns.

From the beginning, Yan Xishan was a modernizer and invested proudly in his arsenal in the capital of the Shanxi Province.  In various maneuvers to effect or hide production the arsenal changed names repeatedly.  We will just call it the Taiyuan Arsenal for simplicity’s sake.  The bulk of the arsenal was established in 1920 with Yan importing machinery and hiring foreign and domestic staff to upgrade an existing machine works plant.  Tooling mostly came from Germany and the staff were Chinese technicians trained in the United States, Shanxi, and Hanyang.  Around 1930 the arsenal was equipped with 15,000 staff members and 3,800 pieces of machinery.  Munitions and mortars were early products but expansion brought about copies of the U.S. Thompson SMG, German C96 “Broomhandle” in .45acp, ZB-26 LMGs, and even a 6.5mm Chauchat.

Our particular interests fall on rifle production.  Yan Xishan’s training in Japan impressed on him just how far a country could develop militarily in a short period.  He was determined to take the best available arms from other nations.  Quite wisely, he selected the strongest standard issue bolt action rifle ever made: The Type 38 Arisaka.

The Type 38 deserves an article all its own in fine detail but we should cover some basics.  It was a complete redesign and overhaul of the Japanese Type 30 and Type 35 rifles under Major Kijiro Nambu.  His work, along with features from the previous rifles produced an elegant and robust military rifle.  The Type 38 features a Mauser-like bolt head, extractor, and flush 5-round staggered magazine.  Locking was upgraded with shallow, long lugs that provide a large locking surface and extreme strength.  The interior of the bolt is unique to the Arisaka.  Designed to use a minimum number of parts, the cock-on-close action features a mushroom cap-like safety at the rear of the bolt that can be worked easily with the heel of a hand, requiring no fine manipulation by gloved or injured fingers.  This component additionally acts as a shield against escaping gas from a ruptured case and, along with relief holes bored in the receiver and channels permitted around the forward lugs, further protects the shooter.  The safety knob also holds the firing pin spring captive, pressing it into the hollow firing pin body.  The trigger interacts with a seer that features a stud designed to fit a recess in the bolt.  If the bolt is not in battery, the seer cannot rock and therefore the rifle cannot fire out of battery.  The rear of the receiver features a solid metal shape behind the bolt handle when closed.  This is an additional locking point and its rounded shape helps leverage the bolt down during the cocking phase of operation.  Early rifles featured a long rear sight with a battle sight set for 300 meters and an adjustable rear ladder from 400 to 2,400 meters.

Taiyuan Arsenal’s copy is so accurate a duplicate of the earliest version of the Type 38 that it is believed to be made on Japanese equipment sold to the warlord.  Some minor variations appear but most components (like barrels and threaded screws) share exact characteristics with rifles phased out of production in 1919.  Plenty of time for surplus sale.

Whatever the rifle was called in Shanxi, its present name as the “6-5 Infantry Rifle” is taken from collector circles.  It is a translation of the vertically arranged characters on the top of the receiver “六五 步槍.” Early series rifles will feature three additional characters. “造晋” crosses the top; meaning “Made in Jin.” The old Kingdom of Jin character was used as something of a formal name for Shanxi Province.  The third character, “田” appears before early serial numbers and most likely stands for the inspector.

Other differences from the Type 38 are invisible to the naked eye, except that Taiyuan did not copy the two-piece Japanese stock.  Perhaps because they had harder wood available, they did not bother with the extra dovetail work.  They were all cut for dust covers but we have not found an example with one still attached.  Taiyuan also produced copies of the Type 30 bayonet but no markings have been noted.  It is likely they represent some of the entirely unmarked Type 30 bayonets noted in the market.

Production numbers are estimated just over 100,000 and an American Intelligence Report in 1930 would project a manufacturing duration of at least four years.  Chinese sources cite from 1929 through 1930.  With such conflict the dates get somewhat speculative, centered on 1930.  We would bet on production from 1929 through 1933-34 with Yan’s exile explaining the change in markings. While Chinese firearm quality is usually somewhat suspect, Taiyuan seems to have made a quality product.  Certainly, the Type 38 action is overbuilt for the 6.5mm cartridge.  A qualified gunsmith should be consulted before firing any C&R, but we cannot see a historical reason not to shoot your 6-5 Rifle.

The story of the 6-5 Rifle’s service life is really the somewhat shortened story of Yan Xishan, who ruled over the Shanxi Province from 1911 until the Northern Expedition.  He joined with Chiang Kai Shek in 1927 and was acknowledged as the governor of Shanxi.  In 1929 he allied with Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, and Wang Jingwei in a revolt to establish a single government in northern China.  Despite early successes their efforts did fail and Yan Xishan fled to Manchuria.

Yan learned of the plan to invade Manchuria and publicly showed an interest in collaboration while privately despising the Japanese motives.  Meanwhile, the Shanxi province’s leadership had collapsed from in-fighting at a time when their modernized arsenal and army would have made an excellent buffer against a Japanese Manchuria.  Prompting from Zhang Xueliang, the “Young Marshall” and fear of a Japanese-controlled Shanxi forced Chiang Kai Shek to allow Yan Xishan to quietly reassume control of his province in 1931.

Manchuria did fall to Japan later in 1931 and Shanxi immediately began supplying guerrilla forces resisting the occupation.  Yan Xishan also leveraged China’s lack of a response to the invasion as a pretext to expel Kuomintang officials and police from the province.  He was effectively independent again.  He also sent his army to occupy Suiyuan after hearing reports it was the next goal for Japanese puppet forces.

In 1936 Yan was forced to turn his attention towards Communists recruiting in his province and fought a bloody conflict which wasn’t won until Chiang Kai Shek’s forces intervened to help.  During this same period, Japanese-backed Manchurian troops invaded Suiyuan and established the puppet government of Mengjiang. All of this was tiring, but in July of 1937 the Japanese invaded Beijing.

Realizing the real threat of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) invasion, Yan made a pre-emptive strike into the Mengjiang territory and scattered Mongolian and Manchurian puppet troops.  The IJA pushed back in force and drove the Shanxi forces out before pressing on towards their capitol in Taiyuan.  Realizing that defeat was a matter of time for his forces alone, Yan invited the Communist Eighth Route Army to enter the province.  They harassed the rear of the IJA while he held Taiyuan, until November of 1937.

There is much more to this story and we recommend you read it.  However, the Chinese supply of 6.5mm ammunition was lost and the Arisaka were replaced with Mausers. As an epilogue they likely saw service with puppet forces and rebels before many fell into the People’s Militias post war, some even being converted to 7.62x39mm.

They may not win any beauty contests but the 6-5 Rifles recall conflicts rarely discussed in the Western Hemisphere and help display the tangled mess of shifting alliances and factions in the Chinese wars.  So if you’ve ever wanted to purchase a rifle that has “been there” you couldn’t do much better.

If you have any further questions or comments about this article please comment in our forum by clicking this sentence.

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(167 Photos)

The post Images Added from the South Carolina Military Museum Shoot appeared first on C&Rsenal.

Just a quick note to say thank you to the South Carolina Military Museum for allowing us access to their historical armaments.  We spent a full day in their company photographing an amazing variety of small arms from WWI and WWII.  It will take us quite some time to edit all of these and post them but I can certainly say we have more than enough material for new articles to come.

I’d also like to especially thank Nicholas Gore for being available so quickly.  He brought his best gear to provide our readers with images like this Japanese Type 96.

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The post Updated: Quick and Dirty Guide to Carcano Rifles appeared first on C&Rsenal.

The United States of America entered WWII with a manufacturing capacity untouched by the wars raging in Europe and the Far East.  Without saboteurs at their back or bombers overhead, US arms industry was able to spend valuable time and resources on alternative weapons of war.  One of these projects ultimately ended the fight in the Pacific with two huge blasts, but a lesser-known operation attempted to undermine the Nazi’s with 1,000,000 armed civilians.

Despite a crushing defeat at the hands of both the Soviets and the Germans, Polish resistance remained the highest in occupied Europe.  When the Americans became involved in the war, the Polish military attaché quickly requested any means to arm the civilian population for insurgency.  This request was handed to the US Army’s Joint Psychological Warfare Committee (J.P.W.C.) in March of 1942.

J.P.W.C. saw an opportunity to demoralize and drain resources from the Axis armies by threatening occupying forces.  It also sought to embolden the occupied peoples by giving them the comfort of knowing they could shoot back.  Expectations were that an armed populace would deter the Germans from their usual methods such as reprisal killings for acts of sabotage.  They immediately decided on the manufacture of a huge quantity (5 to 10 million) of inexpensive, high-caliber handguns to be distributed as widely as possible.

Army Ordnance provided rudimentary plans for a small, single-shot, .45ACP pistol.  Cutting edge manufacturing of the day involved forming inexpensive stamped steel shaped and welded quickly and inexpensively.  Barrel rifling has long been and remains a major factor in machine time and was thus omitted entirely.  Inland in Dayton, Ohio received the rough designs and made a fair number of changes in order to optimize the pistol.  Production was moved to Guide Lamp of Anderson, Indiana because Inland was buried under M1 carbine production.

Since the project was a secret, the new gun was referred to as a Flare Projector, or FP-45.  Despite its simplicity as a weapon, the FP-45 was composed of 23 separate parts and all of them were renamed to avoid identification as a pistol.  The barrel became a “tube” and the trigger a “yoke” and on and on.  Components were produced individually and assembled with simple spot welding and riveting. Each pistol was test fired once with some being selected to be fired up to 50 times to check manufacturing quality.The first production model did not last long as test firings revealed a problem with the cocking knob rotating out of alignment and failing to strike home.  A guide pin was added to the top of the cocking knob and a matching hole drilled into the breech block in order to prevent the rotation when cocked.  The second model also failed, as the strong recoil would crack the cocking knob around the guide pin.  The third and final model was strengthened by casting a single, U-shaped firing pin/guide rod in a zinc cocking knob.  This, unfortunately, did cut into the sight picture on the pistol.  As you can see from our example, a little bend on the guide rod was enough to block out the rear sight entirely.  The only other variation is that one oil hole on the right hand grip was eliminated later in production.

1,000,000 were produced by June 17th 1942, at which point production stopped.  These were packaged in cardboard with 10 rounds each along with a wooden dowel and pictorial instructions meant to allow the guns to be dropped anywhere on Earth without translation.  The box was glued shut and sealed in wax to allow for storage and transportation.  Additional evidence has suggested that some pistols were simply wrapped in paper and stored in crates of 50 units, although these are not confirmed by any government records, they have been witnessed coming back as souvenirs from theater operations.

FP-45 pistols take  a bit of labor to fire. To ready the gun, pull back the cocking knob and rotate it in order to access the breech.  Lift up the breech block and load a single round of .45ACP and drop the block back down.  Rotate the cocking piece back into position.  The pistol is now armed and ready to fire.  Pulling the trigger will discharge the weapon but there is no extraction.  Instead you must ready the breech again and drive out the spent casing with an included wooden dowel before reloading.  Accuracy is extremely poor and the .45ACP cartridge leaves the gun around a leisurely 750fps.  This leads to tumbling and severe wound trauma.  At 5.6″ long and only 1 pound unloaded the FP-45 was extremely easy to conceal and could be smuggled nearly anywhere.  This definitely supports the mission statement of a single shot, instant kill weapon that could strike fear into occupying forces.

Service life, or the lack thereof, for the FP-45 may well reveal some of the distinct differences in thought between the USA and Britain in the 1940′s.  As an independent nation, the US sought to arm local populations and encourage revolution in nearly any form.  The J.P.W.C wanted to sow chaos behind enemy lines and convert civilians into combatants.  As a colonial giant, Britain wasn’t always happy to arm native peoples.  Initial offers for FP-45 pistols included 25 rounds per pistol, the SOE requested only 10 be packaged and that they be left separate from the pistol.  When told that 1,000,000 were available and that production could easily quintuple this number, the British said the current run was double anything they would ever need in the European theater.  They also debated the merits of taking up valuable aircraft flight time and fuel with these popguns.  By the time London had decided to fully  support local resistance groups (especially in the Balkans) production of inexpensive submachine guns and supplies of US carbines had displaced any need for the single-shot FP-45.  In the end Britain only accepted 500,000 of the pistols in July of 1942 and it is unclear if they ever left storage.  Certainly there is no account of their being distributed.

With 500,000 spare pistols the US Army started offering the wares to their officers and other organizations.  General MacArthur took 8,000 pistols for use in Australia and New Caledonia and requested 42,000 more be held in reserve storage for his use.  2,000 were later taken from storage to be issued in Guadalcanal and Tulagi.  These were sometimes found by soldiers and, because of the FP-45′s secret nature, confused with Japanese-issued arms of crude construction.  Australia’s intelligence forces also dipped into the reserve from time to time to arm native guerrillas on occupied islands.

450,000 remained to be issued.  The newly founded Office of Strategic Services (forerunner of the CIA) wasn’t one to waste and readily took the remainder.  100,000 were shipped to India in 1943 and offered up to Chinese forces resisting the Japanese by S.A.C.O. 

The Philippine Commonwealth Army apparently received a fair number of pistols and account for the broad majority of GI encounters with the FP-45.  Many were apparently on hand for issue to local guerrillas and post-war peace keepers.  There are stories of sealed boxes of the pistols being given out as souvenirs to departing soldiers in 1946.  These most likely came from MacArthur’s reserve as locals thought they were made in Australia and took to calling them ‘kangaroo pistols.’

Smaller batches of the FP-45 were offered up in the O.S.S special weapons available to field operatives.  This is where the gun got it’s infamous name.  The Weapons Catalog listed the FP-45 as the “Liberator (Woolworth Gun).”  The exact origin of the name ‘Liberator’ isn’t known but represents an obvious choice given the weapon’s nature.  Woolworth was the Wal-Mart of the day and a nickname given to inexpensive (often poorer quality) items.  The Liberator Pistol moniker stuck, carried over to collecting circles, and has remained affixed to the FP-45 ever since.  Some were procured for operations in Greece and Macedonia but any other records of their distribution were probably lost in the haphazard and classified operations of the O.S.S.  A great majority were most likely melted down or otherwise destroyed after the war.

Overall the FP-45 “Liberator Pistol” was an incredible idea.  Simple and cheap, 1,000,000 were turned out within one month for only $2.10 for each complete kit.  They were concealable, reliable, and powerful.  Their inherently short lifespan, inaccuracy, and slow follow up may seem like weaknesses, but viewed from a foreign power’s military agenda these were bonuses.  Axis captured weapons were likely to just be destroyed, as they served almost no use for a professional military force.  The guns could threaten individual occupiers but wouldn’t go far on a standard battlefield.  I’m certain that many Europeans would have found use or at least comfort in the tin toy .45 pocket pistols.  While it is unfortunate the project never reached the scope of the original expectations, these now rare little guns represent the best of what the US brought to the fight: Imagination, Ingenuity, Self-Determination, and overwhelming Production.

If you have any further questions or comments about this article please comment in our forum by clicking this sentence.

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Japan was the poster child for limited resources and sustained its empire with the resources of the conquered.  Luckily joining the Axis powers gave the Imperial Navy another source for small arms from their Italian allies.

Before we start on the rifle, please join us for just a moment as we set the political scene and point out how an unexpected turn of events spawned an unusual weapon.  Anti-Comintern Pact is most immediately recognized as the ink and paper start of the Axis Powers of WWII.  What many don’t know is that the original intent was to give Germany a way to support both its traditional ally China and Hitler’s new friends in Japan.  The hope in Japan is that this would subordinate China and open opportunities for further exploitation. The Kuomintang wisely declined any interest but the pact went on to seal Germany, Japan, and later Italy.

Following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937, the Imperial Army began a full invasion of mainland China and quickly strained Japanese manufacturing to the limit.  Every other outpost and the whole of the Navy were given second priority with regards to military production.  Luckily, Italy joined the Anti-Comintern Pact later that same year and the Imperial Navy wasted little time in approaching their new ally with an offer to purchase rifles for their own men.  A delegation was sent to Italy to oversee the design and production of a rifle comparable to the Arisaka Type 38 in the 6.5x50mmSR cartridge.  Ultimately, existing manufacturing was turned to producing an Italian arm with Japanese fittings.  A contract was begun in 1938 and completed in 1939.

What was provided, in very simple terms, was a Carcano made to look just like an Arisaka.  A standard Carcano M1891 receiver and bolt were mated to a standard twist rifled barrel chambered for 6.5x50mmSR.  Japanese five round staggered fixed magazines were replicated on the new rifle.  The stock was an Italian duplication of the Japanese two-piece, semi-pistol grip Type 38 design.  Unfortunately it appears Italian hard wood was used as the stock is much heavier than any Arisaka stock we’ve encountered.  Duplications of the Type 38 rear sights appeared graduated from 400 to 2,400 meters.  Barrel bands, bayonet lugs, and cleaning rods also followed the same Japanese patterns, if not exactly identical.  Two lengths of stock appear to have been made with one larger by a full inch through the shoulder, making for a somewhat awkward rifle for the small stature soldiers of the time.  The Japanese designated the rifle the イ式 (“i shiki”) or “Type I” after the first phonetic sound in “Italia.”  Type 30 bayonets were provided back home in Japan.

Initially Fabricca d’Armi Regia Esercito Terni (“Terni”) began with barrel production but several other manufacturers became involved in completion.  Fabricca d’Armi Regia Esercito of Gardone V.T. (“Gardone“), Fabricca d’Armi P. Berreta (also of Gardone V.T.), and Fabricca Nazionale d’Armi Brescia (“FNA-Brescia“) all assembled and Type I rifles.  Serial prefixes were applied by 9,999 rifle blocks and ran from letters A through L with an estimated production near 130,000.  It is known that Japanese inspectors gave final approval but some sources say each of the three assembling factories had inspectors while others say all inspections occurred in Gardone V.T.

One of the reasons Type I rifles tend to go unnoticed is that they very rarely have any visible distinguishing markings above the stock line.  Generally, unobservant collectors mark them off as Italian Carcano or Japanese Arisaka variant rifles and assume they have been scrubbed or otherwise mistreated.  Rifles prefixed A-F were assembled at the Gardone arsenal, G-J at FNA-Brescia, and J-L at Beretta.  If you dismantle your Type I rifle you should be able to find a simple two or three character initial on the underside of the receiver and barrel.  When present these will represent your assembling factory.  Unfortunately, we haven’t had the occasion to confirm all the manufacturer markings.  Our example has a PB for P. Beretta.  If you have the occasion to take apart a Type I of your own, please let us know in the comment what markings you encounter!

From the start, the Type I was seen as a second standard weapon and was given over to training cadets, Naval Guards, and many went straight to storage.  Despite lives lived mostly in lockers and boats, the Type I rifles did find their way to the front lines on occasion.  Naval Guard units would be dispatched to defend shore installations and, because of U.S. island hopping, quickly become entangled as standard infantry units.  This was noted especially at Kwajalein Atoll.  Most Type I rifles, however, appear to have come from storage on the Japanese mainland post war.

I sincerely doubt many troops would be happy to lug around the exceedingly heavy and awkward Type I rifle.  However, Japanese soldiers did enjoy sniping from concealed positions with the Type 38 due to its long barrel and light cartridge giving very little away.  The Type I shared these same characteristics and the added weight could only assist with follow-up shots.  While much maligned, the Carcano action is still hearty and reliable and certainly matches other split bridges like the man Steyr-produced Mannlicher military rifles still in service at that time.

Overall the Type I was a serviceable firearm, certainly more robust than some of the other hybrids we have seen.  As a collectible it can really serve to remind us of the truly global nature of the second world war.  These rifles can be pretty common in the United States collectors market and are often sold for reasonable prices even today.  So if you have the slightest curiosity after reading all of this just keep an eye open and I’m sure you’ll find one to look over yourself.  Don’t forget to tell us what markings you find under the stock!

If you have any further questions or comments about this article please comment in our forum by clicking this sentence.

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Germany’s advance across Europe in WWII created a demand for small arms far beyond its domestic capacity.  In addition to capturing equipment from defeated powers, Germany took control of factories in order to rearm.  The G24(t) represents a transition of Czechoslovakian production from their native vz.24 to the Kar98K.

We’ve discussed the history of Czechoslovakia in brief before and certainly will again, so let’s skip to the specifics.  Following the Anchluss in 1938, Adolf Hitler turned his attentions on the Sudetenland, a region consisting of the Sudetes mountains and beyond ringing the western sides of Czechoslovakia as its border met Germany and Austria.  In 1939 Germany invaded properly and broke the country into the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and the puppet state Slovak Republic.  Former Czechoslovakian arms and equipment production was quickly turned to arm the Wehrmacht as resources were secured. Czechoslovakia’s factory in Považská Bystrica  was engaged in manufacturing the Mauser model 98 descendant vz.24 rifle for domestic and export sales at the time of the invasion.  Germany allowed  the plant to complete its standing order for fellow Axis power Romania.  With the completion of the Romanian vz.24 contract, Bystrica was finally put to work for the German soldier.  In a nod to efficiency, surplus vz.24 components were put to assembly in a slightly modified format.  Initially the only changes were the inclusion of  bolt take-town washers and German-style sling cutouts in the stocks.  Eventually cupped butt plates and laminate stocks appeared as parts were used up.

These ‘adjusted’ vz.24 rifles were designated the Gewehr 24 Tschechoslowakei, meaning Military Rifle Model 24 Czechoslovakian.  They display this as G24(t) on their receiver wall and a “dou” code marking for the Povaszka Bystrica plant over the two digit year of production on their receiver ring.  The first few series of rifles bore WaA607 code markings on solid stocks with flat butt plates.  About the time laminate stocks appeared, the WaAA80 replaced WaA607.  It seems by 1942 the flat butt plates dried up and cupped plates were fitted. Roughly 255,000 were produced from 1941 through 1942 before parts were exhausted and production of the standard Kar98K took over.

G24(t) rifles were chambered for 7.92x57mm Mauser and load their five round capacity, staggered, integral magazines from chargers.  Their tangent rear sights are adjustable to 2000 meters.  The action is a standard Mauser Model 98 rotating bolt and all G24(t) feature straight bolt handles.  Original stocks could be either solid wood or laminate, flat butt plate or cupped, all will have the cut through the stock for the German sling but some may still have Czechoslovakian style sling swivels remaining.

Service life for the G24(t) is hard to nail down.  Currently we have not found a reputable source detailing the issue and use of the G24(t) rifle in the German army.  Many have speculated SS use but we have not found mention of a single rifle that does not display the prominent H of the Heer.  Given their strict interpretation of what constitutes a primary arm, the G24(t) was most likely given to second line units.  Several rifles have also been found marked with the double cross over the Carpathians property mark of the Slovak Republic.  Given Považská Bystrica’s location it is likely these rifles never left the country but were donated by Germany to bolster its puppet ally.

Shooting the G24(t) is just the same as firing a standard vz.24.  None of the changes for the Germans really represent a detectable change in the rifle outside of lugging it around all day with a slightly different sling.  Czechoslovakian Mauser production quality was outstanding and all arms produced by its factory pre or post occupation provide smooth operation and accurate shooting.  They are sturdy and reliable beyond compare and the G24(t) is no exception.

This rifle does stand out, however, in the unique history it reveals.  Its transitional nature reminds the collector both of Germany’s aggression towards and odd respect for its neighbor.  Clearly, the Wehrmacht took what it wanted from Czechoslovakian industry but yielded to the quality of their arms.  Instead of immediately switching to supervised Kar98K production, they used components from before the invasion to assemble Germanized weapons.  This wasn’t just thrift and cheapness.  This was an acknowledgement of the quality of the parts on hand.  Compare this to the occupation of Yugoslavia, where Germany did steal weapons from the battlefields and armories, but left much of the industry and overproduction components in mothballs.

Regardless, the G24(t) is an extremely uncommon German rifle to happen across and if you have the occasion there are few rifles that reflect so well the scramble for reliable armament in the expanding conflict of WWII.  Those that already own their own should take the time to dust them off, oil them, and display them in order to share their story.

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