Mauser Model 24 King Peter II

SimonGirty · May 24, 2015, 11:36 AM

I have a "war prize" Model 1924, Kingdom of Yugoslavia 8 mm Mauser with matching serial numbers on stock and receiver but not on bolt. The stock bears the cypher for Peter II and serial number puts manufacture in 1939 at Zastava. So I understand Serbia made the rifles for the military, stamped with crest and cypher. However, the stock is also stamped with the Wehrmacht eagle crest and the bolt is a 4 digit number starting with "C" and a "T" stamp without the crown making it a later part. Since the rifle was obtained from the enemy by US soldier it must not have been a partisan weapon. Why would it have the Nazi insignia? Since the bolt travels a little too far back, catching on the magazine insert, I wonder it it is not the bolt from a K98k. Any comments or suggestions as to origin?

James K · May 24, 2015, 08:59 PM

AFAIK, all rifles made at Kragujevac were the FN Model 24 type with the intermediate length receiver, since that is the only rifle they could make on the Belgian machinery they had. A K.98k bolt won't fit the FN Model 24 (or the Yugo models 24/47, 24/52 or 48). A German marked Yugo rifle would be possible, but the Germans rarely issued those because the parts wouldn't interchange with those of the standard K.98k.

Jim

Jimro · May 25, 2015, 04:49 PM

The bolt catching on the magazine insert when fully cycled back is a feature, not a bug.

It was the tactical "empty magazine hold open" option of its day, letting the guy who just emptied his magazine know it was time for another five round stripper clip (which is why there is the thumb cut on the left side of the receiver, and a stripper clip hump and guides on the rear action bridge).

You can get rid of that by filing down the left rear corner if you have a milled follower.

Jimro

RJay · May 25, 2015, 06:42 PM

" obtained from the enemy " Why do you think that? because the vet said so

or did he have authorization papers to bring it home ( bring back papers ) ? I find it highly doubtful it was personally obtained from an enemy solider. In that part of the world at that time you had partisans fighting the Muslims and Germans, another group fighting the Christians, Muslims and Roman Catholics, another group were nothing more than bandits, another group fighting Tito's group and all of them fighting and killing each other. A very confusing war, even the allies didn't know who to support and finally settled on Tito. Sorry to say the rifle was probably obtained from a trade or picked up from a pile of weapons that were turned in to be destroyed. Bring back papers are only that, legal permission to ship or carry a war souvenir home.
They have absolutly nothing to do with how the weapon obtained.

6i

James K · May 25, 2015, 09:25 PM

And that doesn't include the thousands of souvenir weapons that were seized in hand-to-hand combat with enemies like Interarms and Golden State.

Jim

eastbank · May 26, 2015, 03:15 AM

i have a japanese t-99 my uncle brought home from the phillipines that a navy man smuggled aboard ship and was given to my uncle(army) when they sailed for america. i wish it had papers as its a complete rifle in very good condition. eastbank.

Slamfire · May 26, 2015, 07:27 PM

Without pictures it is hard to know if your have a rebuilt Yugo, which thousands were imported into the US, or a pre war original.

I don't recall seeing a rebuild with the pre War crest, but, does not mean it did not happen. I saw many rebuild Yugo's, serial numbers were stamped on stocks, and you could find old serial numbers.

When the first wave of Yugo's came in, I went to the gun shop to look at them. There was one original pre war M24 and I don't know its history. What made this rifle different was that it had not gone through a rebuild, was almost new, and the stock was cut underneath the upper band, something that was done by GI's to make them fit into a duffle bag.

My impressions of Yugo Mauser quality were initially based on examinations of the communist era rebuilds, which were, to say, a bit rough. The pre War Yugo is in terms of fit and finish, equal to any quality made military rifle. It is comparable to any German, Austrian rifle. It shows excellent fit and machine work.

May 24, 2015, 11:36 AM	#1
SimonGirty Junior Member Join Date: May 24, 2015 Posts: 1	Mauser Model 24 King Peter II I have a "war prize" Model 1924, Kingdom of Yugoslavia 8 mm Mauser with matching serial numbers on stock and receiver but not on bolt. The stock bears the cypher for Peter II and serial number puts manufacture in 1939 at Zastava. So I understand Serbia made the rifles for the military, stamped with crest and cypher. However, the stock is also stamped with the Wehrmacht eagle crest and the bolt is a 4 digit number starting with "C" and a "T" stamp without the crown making it a later part. Since the rifle was obtained from the enemy by US soldier it must not have been a partisan weapon. Why would it have the Nazi insignia? Since the bolt travels a little too far back, catching on the magazine insert, I wonder it it is not the bolt from a K98k. Any comments or suggestions as to origin?

May 25, 2015, 04:49 PM	#3
Jimro Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2006 Posts: 7,097	The bolt catching on the magazine insert when fully cycled back is a feature, not a bug. It was the tactical "empty magazine hold open" option of its day, letting the guy who just emptied his magazine know it was time for another five round stripper clip (which is why there is the thumb cut on the left side of the receiver, and a stripper clip hump and guides on the rear action bridge). You can get rid of that by filing down the left rear corner if you have a milled follower. Jimro __________________ Machine guns are awesome until you have to carry one.

May 25, 2015, 06:42 PM	#4
RJay Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2005 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,936	" obtained from the enemy " Why do you think that? because the vet said so or did he have authorization papers to bring it home ( bring back papers ) ? I find it highly doubtful it was personally obtained from an enemy solider. In that part of the world at that time you had partisans fighting the Muslims and Germans, another group fighting the Christians, Muslims and Roman Catholics, another group were nothing more than bandits, another group fighting Tito's group and all of them fighting and killing each other. A very confusing war, even the allies didn't know who to support and finally settled on Tito. Sorry to say the rifle was probably obtained from a trade or picked up from a pile of weapons that were turned in to be destroyed. Bring back papers are only that, legal permission to ship or carry a war souvenir home. They have absolutly nothing to do with how the weapon obtained. 6i __________________ Ron James Last edited by RJay; May 25, 2015 at 06:51 PM.

May 26, 2015, 07:27 PM	#7
Slamfire Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2007 Posts: 5,261	Without pictures it is hard to know if your have a rebuilt Yugo, which thousands were imported into the US, or a pre war original. I don't recall seeing a rebuild with the pre War crest, but, does not mean it did not happen. I saw many rebuild Yugo's, serial numbers were stamped on stocks, and you could find old serial numbers. When the first wave of Yugo's came in, I went to the gun shop to look at them. There was one original pre war M24 and I don't know its history. What made this rifle different was that it had not gone through a rebuild, was almost new, and the stock was cut underneath the upper band, something that was done by GI's to make them fit into a duffle bag. My impressions of Yugo Mauser quality were initially based on examinations of the communist era rebuilds, which were, to say, a bit rough. The pre War Yugo is in terms of fit and finish, equal to any quality made military rifle. It is comparable to any German, Austrian rifle. It shows excellent fit and machine work. __________________ If I'm not shooting, I'm reloading.

May 24, 2015, 08:59 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	AFAIK, all rifles made at Kragujevac were the FN Model 24 type with the intermediate length receiver, since that is the only rifle they could make on the Belgian machinery they had. A K.98k bolt won't fit the FN Model 24 (or the Yugo models 24/47, 24/52 or 48). A German marked Yugo rifle would be possible, but the Germans rarely issued those because the parts wouldn't interchange with those of the standard K.98k. Jim

May 25, 2015, 09:25 PM	#5
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	And that doesn't include the thousands of souvenir weapons that were seized in hand-to-hand combat with enemies like Interarms and Golden State. Jim

May 26, 2015, 03:15 AM	#6
eastbank Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2008 Location: pa. Posts: 2,450	i have a japanese t-99 my uncle brought home from the phillipines that a navy man smuggled aboard ship and was given to my uncle(army) when they sailed for america. i wish it had papers as its a complete rifle in very good condition. eastbank.