OPINIONS:Turret sniper

[phild]

Thanks phild for your good input.Is this the shot you were looking for?

Yes, almost exactly. I am interested if there is any type of stamping on the small right side flat with the half round (semi-circular) bottom..to the top and right of the tang in the photo.

I don't see one in this photo but they marking would be small and a direct overhead photo would show it or not.

I would be surprised if it was on one this early, but I could not rule it out.

I don't get to see that many low turrets and this has every small characteristic of one from this serial vintage being correct.

[Gary Cain]

Very nice rifle indeed!


Gary

[History]

White glue also! Nice rifle!

[Jason]

Yes, almost exactly. I am interested if there is any type of stamping on the small right side flat with the half round (semi-circular) bottom..to the top and right of the tang in the photo.

I don't see one in this photo but they marking would be small and a direct overhead photo would show it or not.

I would be surprised if it was on one this early, but I could not rule it out.

I don't get to see that many low turrets and this has every small characteristic of one from this serial vintage being correct.

phild thanks again for your help.I will get that photo for you this weekend.On a different topic I am wondering the approx. value of my rifle(ballpark)

[phild]

phild thanks again for your help.I will get that photo for you this weekend.On a different topic I am wondering the approx. value of my rifle(ballpark)

The photo will be much appreciated. The area will be almost right under where the right side of the gas deflection flange of the bolt collar sits when the bolt is closed.

I would rather talk value off line. If you can complete it with an orginal scope and uppper mounts it seems that you will have an all parts orignal and matched (except scope and upper mounts) low turret sniper....no easy item to find and buy! The only other detractor would be the cut butt stock...but this would not be a severe isssue for most collectors IMO.

I would say that a good place to start with value (if this one was completed with an AJACK scope) would be at around 75% of what an excellent and all matched Low Turret could be purchased for. Some may say less some may say more.

I see so few original Low turrets for say in the last several years I would be hard pressed to give you a value on one of those right now. It has been a good while since I have seen one for under 5 figures that was right.

[Jason]

phild,I feel like a detective.I see a mark,is that the bunny mark?And what does it mean?

[phild]

Perfect photo and correct for one of this period. Thanks

[Willi Z.]

Very nice rifle! Sure the cut stock (duffle cut perhaps) detracts a little, but it is certainly worth it to spend the $$ to find the correct scope.

[phild]

phild,I feel like a detective.I see a mark,is that the bunny mark?And what does it mean?

No, that is not the so-called bunny mark and I have no idea if the mark that you show means much of anything or not..as there are normally many marks similar to these stamped on 98ks and other German weapons.

Many interested in Turret mounts mention the bunny stamp as an indication that the rifle is an original turret mount. I do not believe that I have ever seen one on a 1943 Low turret and would be concerned a bit if I did!

Your rifle looks to be perfectly correct in every detail. Some would also question the E135 stamp between the serial number and the letter suffix, but again this is the norm for orignals in and near this serial range.

[pzo]

Ajack low turret

Do You find it possible that Ajack scope in serial number range reaching beyond 50000 could be mounted on low turret?

[phild]

Do You find it possible that Ajack scope in serial number range reaching beyond 50000 could be mounted on low turret?

For me that is a tough question. Most would say that the 50K range is too high for a low turret.

The problems (my opinion) is that it not 100% known when Low turret fitting stopped and high turret began. There are some rough estimates, but many feel based on surviving rifles which is not that many, that there was a pretty good overlap between the two when old hardware was being used up and new high turrets were being put on here ans there.

One thing that I feel pretty strong about is that scope serial numbers (Ajack or anything else) were not installed EXACTLY in sequence of scope serial numbers...in other words you might find a scope that is many hundreds (or even more?) numbers lower on a rifle that is a couple of letter blocks later than other known higher scope ranges.

Maybe the factory at times had a thousand or more scopes on hand and installed them as they un-packed them....the serial number meant nothing to them.

I can say that I have seen Low turret fitted scopes in the 47-48,000 range. These were on at least h block rifles....I guess fitted around Aug-Oct 1943.

I do not know for sure how late Low turrets can be found or are known to have been fitted out....but I think late 43 is close to correct....maybe someone else he can help more.

[pzo]

Ajack

Phild thank You very much for Your input! Unfortunately i do not know SN's from rifle. It is probably gone...

[Nigromontanus]

Very nice indeed. The last LT scope I know of is short before 47000.

[phild]

Very nice indeed. The last LT scope I know of is short before 47000.

Your post got me to get off my rear and check some things. I may have made an incorrect statement above when I said 47000 to 48000 is known for some Low Turrets.

My low turret with matching scope mount and clearly original Ajack scope still fitted (vets family buy 28 years ago) is a high "h" block 43 byf, with an Ajack 469xx numbered socpe. I would estimate that the rifle was fitted out in September 1943 (give or take a month) and I am not sure if I have ever seen or heard of a lower number Ajack on a Low Turret....so your statement tracks with my experience.

I do believe that there was an overlap (perhaps of seveal months) when they transitioned from Low to high mounts...it was not a clean break that happened in a day or a week. For that and other reasons you may find high turret Ajack scopes that are very much lower numbered than 47000 or even 46000.