[DmBarch]

Notice the Israeli counter-sniper is using a Mauser 98 bolt action rifle. Thousands of ex-German rifles later went to the Jewish state, and there was a post-war contract with FN in Belgium for some also. These were converted in the mid-50's to the new .30 cal NATO round, 7.62 X 51. Most of these ended up being surplused to the US sporting market - I have two. They are beat-up and ugly but still a prize to me. The standard war arm of the Jews' worst enemy, still used as a shield for Isreal.

[archy]

Notice the Israeli counter-sniper is using a Mauser 98 bolt action rifle. Thousands of ex-German rifles later went to the Jewish state, and there was a post-war contract with FN in Belgium for some also. These were converted in the mid-50's to the new .30 cal NATO round, 7.62 X 51. Most of these ended up being surplused to the US sporting market - I have two. They are beat-up and ugly but still a prize to me. The standard war arm of the Jews' worst enemy, still used as a shield for Isreal.

Oh yes. The story of Israeli arms procurement in the early days of the State is a fascinating one, and includes France and Czechoslovokia, as well as a few other less well-known sources. That was well before my time, but I have been priviged to have met and known some of the players.

But your *beat-up and ugly* rifles can still do now what they did then, and deserve better condition than beat-up. Let me know if they require anything to be in the best of condition and fully servicable; a good supply of the parts for the old boltguns is still available, both in Israel and here. And you now have access to an Israeli armourer as well.

I presume yours are in the more recent 7,62x51mm NATO cartridge chambering? Nothing wrong with it, but the older 7,92 Mauser load is better for longer range work by at least 200 meters more, particularly if the 200-grain boattail bullets are used, as the Serbs and Croats found out during the 1991 unpleasantness in Sarajevo. The old Mausers in their original chambering, as used by the Serbs, were quite capable of handling the Croat SVD Draganov rifles out to 1000 meters and beyond, particularly with decent sighting equipment fitted.

-archy-/-