Unusual mauser id.

[GBEAR1]

I have an unusual Mauser rifle. It is a carbine. It was made by FN in Belgium. No crest on receiver. 30 06 cal. All matching numbers. What is unusual about it is that the barrel is threaded at the muzzle probably for a muzzle brake of some kind. The front sight is set back a few inches from where the muzzle is threaded. It looks just like a Dutch police carbine except for the threaded muzzle. I have been looking everywhere for pictures of other guns like this but have not found any. Any ideas on this one? Thanks in advance.

[Liam]

Threaded for device used when firing wooden/practice ammo possibly (like the Swedes used). Have seen photos of FN carbines in service in Morocco that carry no national emblem. Just getting the ball rolling…

[dave]

I second both above, blank firing devise broke up the wooden bullets so they would not go far. Wood bullets used so blanks would feed thru magazine. Blank reciever FN 1950 carbines in .30 were sold to Morocco, not known to be used by any other countries.
Wooden bullet blanks used by many Europen countries, including Gemany in WW11. German one (and perhaps others) bullets were hollow so gas burst them on exit of barrel.

[kcw]

As to having no crest, that's not unusual with mausers newly made or re-arsenaled in the early post WWII period of the "cold war". Those guns were intended for export sales, commonly in violation of treaties, in clandestine support of the bush wars that were springing up around the globe at the time. New production, such as the FN's 06' product may never have had a national crest stamped on the receiver, and rebuilt guns were "scrubbed" of whatever crest was on them, and refinished. That being said, the guns commonly do retain proof and inspection marks of the national arsenals where they were manufactured. Even though experienced persons could quickly ID the national origin of most rifles, the lack of a national crest apparently entitled the supplier nation to wrap themselves in a cover of "plausible deniability", proof marks unique to that nation's government arsenals not withstanding.

[dave]

I can think of only two which were made new w/o crest or country ID. The Yugo BO (w/o markings) many of which went to Egept and the ones under discussion. Not saying there were not others. Many others were scrubbed of royal crest due to communist take overs and left blank (or commuist crest added) but remained in the countries. Romania comes to mind. It is known that Morrocan were unmarked, most I have seen are ex. to new condition. If some were sold 'under cover' there would be no way to proof it. Isreal did capture many of the Yugo BO's from Egpet, and sold them to US surplus importers. I had one I purchased back in the late 50's early 60's.

[kcw]

Another would be a certain lot of Spanish M43's. An order of them was done up with apparently new, un-crested receivers (absolutely no evidence under the parked finish that anything was scrubbed off). Bolt-barrel-receiver numbers match. New wood, all other hardware new or arsenal refinished to new. I've seen a few of these at gun shows, all obviously built under the same spec., but never issued. I've yet to see a single specimen that had any indication that it was issued, so apparently the delivery fell through.

[dave]

Ah, yes the Spanish stuff, also many scrubbed rifles sent there during civil war by several countries. I do not collect Spanish and so never even look at them at shows.

[ismith]

Threaded muzzle is for a grenade launcher, or combo device of the type used on FN Fals. I have one in 7.62x51 with the grenade launcher.
http://s739.photobucket.com/user/madisonvalleywapiti/media/20150308_185433%201.jpg.html

[n64atlas]

Here are a couple of Wood bullet rounds:
http://www.jouster.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30743&stc=1

[mauserdad]

AS far as the blank receiver Spanish M43's I know some of them were sold commercially. I have one with West German markings. They were supposedly sold in U.S. Military Exchanges to our GI's. in West Germany. HTH