VZ-24 Czech Mauser

[roser61]

I am looking for information on a VZ-24 Mauzer my dad brought home from the war. The rifle was aquired in the Phillipines after McArthur retook the island. My father's company came in afterward as the occupation forces and he and a friend snuck in a building under guard where a lot of captured enemy guns were stored and grabbed two VZ-24s and two 6.5mm Jap rifles. These were brought home after the war and I inherited them. I never understood how the Czech rifles ended up in the Phillipines! The serial number on one of these rifles is P8259. Maybe someone has an answer?

[James K]

One source says that VZ-24 rifles dated 1937 with "P" serial numbers were sold to the Chinese, who used the Mauser 98 in 7.9x57 as their standard rifle. The Japanese captured enough of them to equip five Japanese army divisions (their divisions were smaller than U.S. divisions). The Japanese Navy also reportedly captured a ship carrying some of them to China, and issued them to Navy forces. So the Japanese definitely did have and use VZ-24 rifles and other Mauser 98 type rifles, some of which had been made in China.

Jim

[roser61]

That sure explains the story my father told me of how he aquired them in the Phillipines. I never thought about the apparent descrepancy until after he died and then it was too late to ask him. Thanks again Jim, you have shed some light on a subject about which I was in the dark.:)