doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion German & Austrian Sporting Guns @ doublegunshop.com Pre-war Heym 7mm Mauser sporting rifle

Jani,
I had that feeling, at first, but wouldn't a 1920s rifle carry proof marks(I noted it still has Heym marked barrel)?
BTW, Rolf Heym had died by 1971 when I had my first experience with them, and they were controled by Mauser.At this time they were making the Mauser Mods.2000,3000,and 4000 in the Muennerstadt facility.By the time I returned in 1976, the Courts had returned ownership to Frau Heym (there were no childern).Herr Peter Bang was running it at the time.Later she remarried, to the brother of the Austrian gunmaker Desulnnige(spelling?).
Mike

Mike,
I would say one could go around official proofing if the gun was made for export. But as I said before, I am no expert, and didn't research this.
I think the name was Dschulnigg (of Salzburg).

With kind regards,
Jani

I agree with Mike. There was no way to avoid proof, even if a gun was made for export. The only time span when guns could be sold without proof was 1945 - 1951 in West Germany. The US occupation of Suhl from April 3, 1945 to June 15, 1945 the Americans stopped all Gunmaking and proofing there. Afterwards the Soviets allowed the making of shotguns only. IMHO this rifle was made by F.W.Heym in Ostheim for a GI. They used parts smuggled out of Suhl and used their old Suhl address stamps. The Germans then still had hope of reunification soon to come, so Heym still kept their renowned Suhl address. Though Heym was then officially only allowed to make airguns, they, like other German gunsmithes, could make rifles too for somewhat influential GIs. That "butterknife" bolt handle does not point to pre-WW2 making. Even after 1990 I met old Suhl gunsmithes who still believed such a bolthandle being the only proper shape for a hunting rifle. The barrel was made by the well known Suhl barrelmaker Wilhelm Kelber, Beyersgrund 3, still listed as an active company by the Americans on April 13, 1945. The receiver sight, the two-position side swing safety and the apparently Timney trigger are American aftermarket features added much later in the USA as such things were then unknown in Germany. All in all, IMHO this is a quite upgrade "cigarette Mauser".

I certainly agree with the observations about the trigger and safety. The Lyman 48 is slightly more problematic, since the second model 48 used on the rifle was phased out after World War II, and would probably not be "added much later". Also the Springfield Joe mentions above, built about the same time, was fitted with the same model Lyman 48 sight. On the other hand, the inletting around the 48 base does not look as carefully done as that on the rest of the rifle.

What other sight options were mounted on this rifle? I don't see any in the photos. Most of the items I see that are post-war imports are marked made in "occupied Germany" or "Western Germany". Does this appear to be a Military conversion or a commercial action?

Gentlemen,
Yes - there is a Timney trigger on the rifle. Timney started out in 1946 so it could have been added later on.
It now appears that this particular Heym was made during the WW II US occupation of Germany.
Regarding the sighting arrangement - the barrel is untapped and no dovetail exists anywhere. I believe this is how it was set up - with bead front sight on ramp and the Lyman 48 receiver sight.

The informative discourse is much appreciated.

Respectfully,
Joe V.

Jani,
You are right, thanks for the spelling correction.
Mike

Mike,
You are very welcome.

With kind regards,
Jani

Xausa, I agree again. As the rifle lacks a conventional German type open rear sight,but was fitted with a Lyman 48 rear sight, this also points to a "special order" by an American. In Germany even now, but more so in 1945, receiver peep sights were and are between unknown and unpopular. Germans never used such peep sights on hunting rifles, preferring scopes instead since before WW1. As Lyman 48 sights were popular with American hunters then, I think the rifle was ordered without a "conventional" rear sight with the intention to mount the Lyman 48, which perhaps was installed on the finished and delivered rifle by an US military armorer.

The marking "Made in Germany" goes back to the British Merchandise Marks Act 1887, meant to denounce "inferior" foreign products. I have never seen a mark "occupied Germany". The marking "made in West Germany" only came into use after 1973. The West German High court (Bundesgerichtshof) then ruled that GDR products flooding the markets may also bear the mark Made in Germany as the commie GDR was also regarded as part of Germany by the West. Now German industry used the term "West" or "Western" to differentiate their products from the GDR ones. Take for instance Zeiss: In seveal countries optical equipment like scopes was sold by both Zeiss, Jena (GDR) and Zeiss west. Still later the GDR marked their products "Made in GDR" to show their socialist state having nothing to do with the capitalist Federal Republic.