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Old creepy headstamp

The eagle is NAZI German, but France didn't fall to Germany until May 1940. The French had two different military rounds for their service rifles in the last century, the 8MM Lebel (8X50 Lebel) introduced in 1886 and used in WW I and still in some use until 1944, an odd looking rimmed cartridge with a lot of body taper and a long neck. The second was the 7.5 MAS (7.5X54 MAS) a rimless modern looking cartridge introduced in 1924 for the then new MAS rifle.
 
Germany annexed Austria in March 1938. That looks like an 8x56mmR (8x56 Steyr) to me.

Having loaded for the 7.5 French at one time, I can tell you that the 7.5 French is literally the 6.5x55 Swedish necked up to 30 caliber with few other changes.

A single pass through a die and you are done.
 
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I have a K 98 with those eagles stamped all over it. It also has the duffel bag cut stock and the bayonet. What’s it worth?
 
Here is one (8x56 Steyr) with exactly the same date markings and lines, but different arsenal markings.

8x50RmmAustrianMann-588x539.jpg
 
Josh,
Depending on condition, the rifle is worth between $1500 and $2500 with the bayonet. But hard to fix without seeing it.

Thank you for that. I have wondered about it. It had sat propped in the corner of a closet for 50 years. I bought it from a guy who said his uncle had brought it back from the war. I fired a box thru it, oiled it up and put it away. It’s not in great shape finish wise. Lots of mild surface rust . I paid $400 for it after my LGS turned their nose up at it. I followed the guy outside and made the deal in the parking lot.;)
 
I would hold it and think to myself who might have died or been executed bye this weapon.
Creepy!!

A couple of years back at a gunshow I mentioned to my wife I might start a collection of military rifles and she said something to the same effect. I was looking at a nice Mauser when she said it. I still don't own any military rifles.
 
A couple of years back at a gunshow I mentioned to my wife I might start a collection of military rifles and she said something to the same effect. I was looking at a nice Mauser when she said it. I still don't own any military rifles.

Find an old Swede M38. As I recall, not many of them killed anybody.;)
Then look at Swiss K31s. They didn’t, either! Both great shooting guns!
 
I have a June 1943 Winchester M1 Garand. Been putting accessories together for it for some time. I would love to get an M1C to mate up with it. Of course the holy grail would be to find the Springfield M1 with the same SN as mine. My rifle is one of the 30K that ended up with duplicate SN's with Springfield. A few guys I know of in the M1 Collector's club have sets. One guy as three sets. Pretty cool when you think about the odds of both of them coming together.
For all I know, the one I am looking for may be buried in the mud around a hedge row in Europe or in the sand in the Pacific or at the bottom of the sea, who knows.

My baby sporting a grenade launcher. I have a bayonet that is from the same time frame as well, shown with the belt below.
IMG_20180704_135530099.jpg
100_1016.jpg
 

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