"Sanitized" Spanish M43's

[kcw]

I have two Spanish M43's which are in like new condition and identical to each other, I've seen several other's which look identical at gun shows through the years. All of these rifles have no makers marks/crests on the receiver rings. All have a dark park finish on the barrel/receivers, everything else is blued.. I can't tell if the receivers were "scrubbed" and refinished or if they were never stamped to begin with. Several years ago a dealer told me that these rifles were from a lot which intended as military aid that the Spanish didn't really want to talk about. Anyone know the history on this batch of M43's?

[kcw]

I should add that the bolts are serialed to the receivers, but the numbers on the floorplates are msimatched. That would seem to indicate that they are rebuilts. The wood on all I've seen looks new and are all stained/olied the same shade of color.

[spanner1751]

I don't know about the Spanish M43 rifles, but I know that there were some Yugoslav M48 rifles without crests designated M48BO.

http://milsurpshooter.net/topic/37579/M48bo-1st-model

[kcw]

I don't know about the Spanish M43 rifles, but I know that there were some Yugoslav M48 rifles without crests designated M48BO.

http://milsurpshooter.net/topic/37579/M48bo-1st-model

Well that's interesting. Sort of looks like "somebody" was on a buying spree in the both Spain & Yugoslavia. I don't think it's just coincidence that two near identical rifle models are produced without makers' marks. Then only to the have the finshed productions apparently go undelivered (I've never found any of the Spanish rifles in used condition), or at least unused. Makes me wonder if somebody was up to "no good" and then suddenly "lost interest" in the project. Who would have wanted a significant supply of unmarked, 98K type 8mm Mausers in the early to mid 50's? Did the intended buyer specifiy the lack of markings, or was it that the "suppliers" didn't want their names on it?

[musculus]

Does the SN have an "OT" or "OT-5" in it?

THIS is a (my) sanitized/export YUGO rifle. I'm not sure (assuming it is really a Spanish rifle to begin with) why Generalissimo Franco would have wanted to get into the 3rd World revolutionary forces supply chain. I suspect it was just made up this way by the manufacturer.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/archive/index.php/t-568.html (MORE info.)

http://fototime.com/B6406B2A527D171/standard.jpg

http://fototime.com/C227086617E2B7C/standard.jpg

[kcw]

I'm fairly certain that mine's an M43. It has the M43 stock with the dual sets of sling fittings and the adaptor to take the M93 bayonet, I don't know of another 98 mauser variation with those features. No import stamp (pre 68', I bought it in 79'). When where the first M48's actually produced? I'm wondering if these rifles may have been intended as part of the clandestine Israeli arms procurement process? All sorts of stuff went on during that era. Just a four digit serial #, but here's a curious thing; just above the wood on the left side of the receiver ring it reads "cal 7.92", followed by several small ,boxed inspector stamps. The word "cal" is in a lower case script font. I find it strange that "cal"(caliber?) would be used with a mm round designation.

[mike24d20]

Rifles could of been headed for the middle east. They still used a lot of bolt action weapons back then.