Turk Mauser Model 38/46 Short Rifle

[DoggyDaddy]

Picked this up from Falls City Firearms Friday on my way back from Knob Creek (Thanks Rick!). It's a Turk K.Kale model 38/46 short rifle. I had never seen one of these before. I have a model 38 (also K.Kale) long rifle, but I really like this short configuration. It's the same size as a K98, and at first I assumed it was cobbled together from other rifles like so many Turks were, but this one was actually manufactured new at Kirikkale. From what I can tell, they only made about 15,000 of these rifles. It has a lacquer/varnish finish on the stock, and it was on all the metal as well. I was going to strip down the stock and put an oil finish on it, but after doing some more research, I think the lacquer finish may be correct. I did however clean it off the metal (it was flaking off in many places anyway).

Here it is after breaking it down to see what I was dealing with...

As you can see, there was a lot of "gunk" all over once I got the stock off...

After a little brake cleaner and a brass brush, it started cleaning up pretty good...

And after putting it back together...

 

[Miller Tyme]

Very cool DD, never seen one before.

but the least Rick could have done is clean it up for you !

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Thanks MT! Well, he made me a good deal, so I didn't mind a little cleanup. Honestly though, I spent less than an hour on it. Brake cleaner is a wonderful thing! Now I just need to get her to the range. Bore looks pretty good, with strong rifling, so it should be a good shooter.

 

[johntheplinker]

Very nice DD! I'm glad it went to a good home!

 

[mkgr22]

Thanks MT! Well, he made me a good deal, so I didn't mind a little cleanup. Honestly though, I spent less than an hour on it. Brake cleaner is a wonderful thing! Now I just need to get her to the range. Bore looks pretty good, with strong rifling, so it should be a good shooter.

Use heavy bullets with the shorter barrel, Jim. They give the best results.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Use heavy bullets with the shorter barrel, Jim. They give the best results.

Good to know, thanks Mike! Most of my stuff (other than the Romanian) is 196 grain anyhow, so should be good to go.

 

[indy1919a4]

Gosh its a whole new rifle... when you took it apart you can see it had a hard life... You must have been the 1st person to totally clean it since the 1940s rebuilds...

Was the barrel gunk hard to get off, I.E could you have easily removed it with say an oily rag??????

Was the Gunk just dried crap or was it old Varnish???????

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Gosh its a whole new rifle... when you took it apart you can see it had a hard life... You must have been the 1st person to totally clean it since the 1940s rebuilds...

Was the barrel gunk hard to get off, I.E could you have easily removed it with say an oily rag??????

Was the Gunk just dried crap or was it old Varnish???????

It wasn't too hard. I think it was a combination of dried cosmoline, varnish and general "crud". The brake cleaner and brass brush took it right off though.

 

[indy1919a4]

Use heavy bullets with the shorter barrel, Jim. They give the best results.

Please tell, Why is this true..?????

 

[indy1919a4]

It wasn't too hard. I think it was a combination of dried cosmoline, varnish and general "crud". The brake cleaner and brass brush took it right off though.

Need to find out more info on those, The Turks purchased them in 1938 and then had to rebuild them in 46.. my gosh what units were using these and how???? I may be to simple here but the Turks were not involved in major Combat during those years,, So I am assuming Garrison and training duties,.. ???? That's seems a lot of wear...

 

[mkgr22]

Need to find out more info on those, The Turks purchased them in 1938 and then had to rebuild them in 46.. my gosh what units were using these and how???? I may be to simple here but the Turks were not involved in major Combat during those years,, So I am assuming Garrison and training duties,.. ???? That's seems a lot of wear...

No, Mike. They were made in Turkey from 1944-1946, at the same time what we know as the Model 38 long rifles were being made. See this thread on another forum for an excellent chronology of Turkish mauser purchases and production...

Turkish Mauser Chronological Lineage (Sticky) in The Turkish Mauser Forum Forum

 

[DoggyDaddy]

No, Mike. They were made in Turkey from 1944-1946, at the same time what we know as the Model 38 long rifles were being made. See this thread on another forum for an excellent chronology of Turkish mauser purchases and production...

Turkish Mauser Chronological Lineage (Sticky) in The Turkish Mauser Forum Forum

Great info in that link Mike. Thanks for posting that!

 

[indy1919a4]

No, Mike. They were made in Turkey from 1944-1946, at the same time what we know as the Model 38 long rifles were being made. See this thread on another forum for an excellent chronology of Turkish mauser purchases and production...

Turkish Mauser Chronological Lineage (Sticky) in The Turkish Mauser Forum Forum

Gosh Mike my head is starting to hurt, I am just reading so many conflicting things .. So on the Model 38/46 short rifle, Are we saying the turks made that k98 style stock also???

I am going to have to do some more digging on this.. Many thanks for that little production chart, That is really sweet... I need to look at that 38/46 to inspect it more, But only know one guy who owns one, and he is charging me 5 buck each time to look at it now

 

[indiucky]

It was good to see you all Doggy Daddy...The rifle looks great and exactly where, when, who, what, how, etc....Is the reason we buy these weapons and try our best "Dowser Rod" their past and their story.....

It's the only one I have ever seen and it went where it was supposed to go...Canada!!!!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

It was good to see you all Doggy Daddy...The rifle looks great and exactly where, when, who, what, how, etc....Is the reason we buy these weapons and try our best "Dowser Rod" their past and their story.....

It's the only one I have ever seen and it went where it was supposed to go...Canada!!!!

[video=youtube;kRPGPAnPNa8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRPGPAnPNa8[/video]

 

[indy1919a4]

Hey DD is your Bolt Ball full or has it been flatten on the rifle side.. And is no one else freaked out that the rear site is not in Farsi,, So many Questions..

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Hey DD is your Bolt Ball full or has it been flatten on the rifle side.. And is no one else freaked out that the rear site is not in Farsi,, So many Questions..

Mine is flat. And as for the Farsi (or lack thereof), I believe I read that they switched to Arabic numerals (ie. 1-20) at some point... just prior to when they started making these rifles. Maybe when they started making them at Kirikkale.

 

[johntheplinker]

Mine is flat. And as for the Farsi (or lack thereof), I believe I read that they switched to Arabic numerals (ie. 1-20) at some point... just prior to when they started making these rifles. Maybe when they started making them at Kirikkale.

I think the Turks went to Arabic numbers when Kemal Attaturk became their leader. I do know he made some major changes in their written language to modernize and simplify it so that the average person could learn to read and write.

 

[indy1919a4]

DD I Came across some Turk numbers.. Looks like for the Short Rifles there was only 4325 of the 1903 short Rifles made and 11625 of the 1938 Short rifles...

I came across a 1945 K Kale model with a serial number in the 8900s which is spot on with this Serial number guide... How about your rifle???

Turk Mauser - Serial Numbers

I can not believe that there are more 1938 short rifles (Almost 3 - 1) over the 1903 Short rifles.. From the way you see them selling on Gunbroker you would think there were more of the 1903s

 

[indy1919a4]

Cripe, Here is some of the Problem... Look at this rifle on Gunbroker,, It is listed as a 03/38.. But It can not be.. with the year of 1944 on it and a serial number in the 6800 range.. So this has to be a 1938 short rifle. I think the lister is looking at the Stock and assuming that with the filled in Bolt dis assembly hole that it is a 1903.. But I wonder of the 1903 short Rifles are Straight bolts????

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=410776488