As a collector of (some) historical firearms, I own a number of early 20th-cen. Mausers, including one from before the Nazi era. (it's a 1907 - jeez it's gonna be a century old this year... ) The mechanism itself was invented in 1860, btw.
This invention, one of the earliest and best-functioning bolt-action rifles, spread all over the world, like most successful inventions. I can only hope that Peter Paul Mauser died a wealthy and contented man. Interchangable manufacture meant that captured weapons could be rebarreled from nearly any local source. One of the rarest and most ironic combinations I had ever heard of was a late WW2 German receiver - Waffen/SS stamps and all - fitted to an Israeli barrel.
This particular firearm, now owned by a Rabbi btw, mates together two pieces of steel whose stamps tell an indomitable story: the Nazi eagle juxtaposed with a Star of David forged almost 40 years later. The message in steel says "they tried to kill us all - but we prevailed then, and we will defend ourselves again whenever necessary." An amazing piece of history.
- G
