Milsurp After Hours

Remember when these thing were coming in by the boat load at cheap prices? The Turks all looked about the same.... because they were made to look the same in the 1930's but they were really several models going back to at least 1893 that were all factory remodeled beginning before WWII started to look nearly all the same as possible.

The recognizable Turk attributes included a pistol grip stock, a plain muzzle cap that allowed for a bayonet barrel ring with a bottom hook attachment that didn't enclose the cleaning rod, a standard German military 8x57mm caliber and all the same intermediate rifle length.

However they all didn't start out the same, nor even end up that way beyond surface looks. The 1893 had a straight stock and had a cutoff like the early Enfields. It had a horn top spring controlled bolt stop that lowered the magazine follower so the bolt face wouldn't hit it. They were also very much a copy of a 1893 Spanish Mauser. Later when refurbished in the 1930's the stock was changed and the cutoff removed in such a way the only evidence is a slot in the side of the bolt carriage. And.... one important difference couldn't be hidden. The bolt cocked on going forward..like the Enfield rather than upon opening.
The 1903 model was more like the standard German issue G98. It had the pistol grip and the bolt cocked on opening. The sights were flat rather than the roller coaster and the bayonet lug was set up like the 93 in hooking under the nose cap and not enclosing the cleaning rod, unlike it's German cousin. This is the model that became the general form produced when all models were made to look the same as much as possible. It was also the pattern that was most standard during the 40's , 50's and afterward and last duty in military training camps.

After the Turk revolution 1922 they needed something to rearm with and went with a Czech Mauser made by Brno. This rifle was pretty much like the 1903 with the exception that it took the German style bayonet mount. The bayonet enclosed the cleaning rod. It was called a 98/22.

The group photo shows top, 1893, then 1903, then Czech 98/22, then 1938.

While I'm on the subject. A lot of old Turk Ammo came into the country about the same time. Bandoleers came with seven pockets of two five round clips on stripper clips. As I remember ...they were about $4.75 per 70 round bandoleer.....delivered free....from Century. This was in a space of time from about 1998 to 2000...give or take a year starting or ending.

The age of the ammo varied. I've got some from late 30's to early 40's. The one I picked at random for example is 1940 dated. I still have somewhere between 600 and 800 rounds. Don't remember from the last time I did an ammo count.

This is a great post.

I don't own a Turk Mauser but am sure going to take a closer look when I see them at gun shows.

And the stock on that top rifle look wonderful

-ArchFluffy

If you see one at a gun show...and I haven't been seeing them recently,strangely enough, that when they were flooding the country you could buy examples like mine, in good select condition for $50. No shipping cost and a bayonet and a leather multi pocket ammo pouch was included as well at no extra charge. If you felt really adventurous you could buy them four for a hundred with maybe some missing parts or cracked stocks.

I never ventured into the four for guns, although there were reports of them being all there for the most part....just whatever came off the stack from Century Arms.