Simson rework on GB.com
 

I saw this one and thought it might be an interesting topic of discussion.
Have a look:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=285846524

dju

Do I see a faked mix-master before me? Perhaps the Erfurt proof mark on the side plate? The strangely large "58" dies used liberally? The "42" marked (Mauser?) Barrel? The Mauser Hump on the frame? The carefully scrubbed FXO magazine base?

There are so many things (many not visible in the low resolution photos), it has me wondering if they are just trying to recover their parts costs?

Marc

Yikes! Enough red flags for me to run away.....

NOT a simson rework

parts gun IMHO that has been force-matched.

"Do I see a faked mix-master before me?"

"Handle towards my hand? Come, let me clutch it. I have thee not, yet I see thee still! What manner of beast, fair or fowl..."

I think Ol' Billie was right!

Heck, even this noob shuddered!

Regards,

John

It appears to be one, but of couase they never noticed that?????

Since it is evident that none of us is going to run out and buy it, lets talk.
Now the 58 on the side plate and barrel extension look cheesey, but I see no evidence that the surface has been taken down to remove old numbers AND the finish looks pretty good, sharp edges, although it could be an old re-finish.
The magazine does not show signs of having been taken down to remove previous numbers either. I suppose it could have been an un-numbered armorer's magazine.
The 58 on the hold open looks good enough to pass muster. The 42 on the barrel? I have no idea what gives there.
An obvious concoction of misc. parts, but I'm interested in learning how to spot boosted parts, and so far I'm not seeing much evidence, except that "it don't belong on that gun".
dju

David, it may be the light, but in photo 35, you can just see the ground slightly sharp edges where I think the magazine was scrubbed before being stamped. It's more pronounced on the left side than the right.

The "42" on the barrel would have been Mauser's concealment code.

The size and font of the large "58" stampings do not look like legit dies.

I do wonder if this could have been a DDR rework...

Marc

I wondered about a DDR rework also, but then usually it is more obvious.

I think postwar rebuild, because of the several armorer replacement parts (42 barrel and something else), However, one thing that did make me pause in thinking it might be a DDR was the crossed out number on the toggle and a new number stamped. A 'fake' would not cross out the number, but erase it if adding a new number....

ahh, now that makes sense

The rear frame ears are "humped" so it is a late Mauser frame. The Eagle/N proofs, if real, and the low serial number leads to it being a depot level parts gun with replaced frame put together late in WWII. Who is DDR?

Deutsche Demokratische Republik. Better known as East Germany.

WW1 era erfurt sideplate, WW1 1914 dated upper, eagle 63 on front of gripstrap (why?), makes me wonder about any sort of depot rebuild - why would ww1 parts be laying around - ANYTHING is possible, and if someone wants to go down the route of put-together at an depot or repair facility, that is possible, but then would it have been 'proofed"?

There you have it from someone who knows.:thumbup: the 2k asking price maybe a bit much, you think ?

Sure, I agree, I was just speculating, but it seems like a modern faker, if they had such nice proof stamps and parts available to them, then they also would have more knowledge than to create such an odd gun!