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".
