Mannlicher Mauser markings question
 

I just picked up what I believe to be a gunsmith special, a military Mauser 98 action, custom barrel with sporting sights, double set triggers, butterknife bolt handle, old post-type scope, full length stock with the neat custom cap on the end, etc. And a horn butt plate. Chambers the 30-06 round nicely.
What concerns me, and the reason for this posting, is that on the buttstock there is a cartouche, about a 5/8" circle, with a crown in the top and the capital letters "K M" inside. Then there is the large "C 216" just below that.
That all seems very military to me, but on what appears to be a sporting rifle.
Any wisdom to share?
dju

Here are a few. Please disregard the tape around the forearm: A temp. fix while the AccraGlass is setting up.
Again, my question is what is the cartouche and numbers on the stock doing on a sporting rifle, which I assume is a sporting stock, not a converted military stock. And also there seems to have been a plate just below the C 216, as evidenced by the 4 posts in the rectangle that have been cut or removed.

One more showing the remnants of the 4 mounting screws.

The stock is most definitely a military stock which was reworked to a custom stock.

I'm still looking for the origin of the C/KM cartouche.

I don't remember if it looked like that, but crown KM sounds like Koninklijke Marechaussee which is the Dutch Military Police

One problem I have with the military stock theory is that it has a distinctive cheekpiece on the left side, not shown in the photos, so I thought that ruled out a re-worked military stock.
dju

I also agree with a probable Dutch origen.

David, is the cheekpiece-stock all one piece of wood or can you tell if it was possibly added on?

Another possibility is an issued Police sniper rifle, with all the added features and a military style property mark and rack number.

The engraving on the magazine plate may be helpful. Can you try to spell it out in an email, since it is very hard to read in the photo?

Cheekpiece is definitely an orig. part of the wood stock.
Reading that signature on the magazine floorplate is no easy task, it being in a scroll, flowing, script and having characters I don't understand. Not to mention that some monkey buffed it and partially erased some parts of the letters. There seems to be 2 words in the top line and one on the bottom, something like Gilrurd Simimund, Braunschneig (or ncig). Maybe GILRUDER SIMINRIND, BRAUNSCHWEIG.
I just don't know.

The first word is "Gebruder", with an umlaut over the "u". which means "Brothers", a standard German or Austrian corporate title. The , "Braunschweig" is the location, a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. I'm reading the corporate name as possibly "Schwerind"?

If you could get a better read on the second word, the corporation name can be researched as

"_______ Brothers, Braunschweig"

Is that rifle a "guild" built rifle. Seems there were many small makers (guild) that made/modified a lot of rifles, most very well done. What is the origin of the "Texan" scope? It is interesting.

Here is what I could find on the scope:
The Norman-Ford Co. of Tyler, Texas introduced their Texan line of high quality scopes in the early 1950's. The 4x Texan was made between (1953-195 and is 12.5 inches long & weights 9 oz. They offered both internally adjustable & fixed tube externally mount adjustable models. I had a 2.5x Texan once & it was tough, quality scope indeed. There is a collectors value to these vintage scopes. I haven't seen any on Ebay lately & depending upon condition, are valued at $75.00 - $150.00.

Also, this may be the gunmaker: http://www.fishrising.net/home/rodgu...germ/index.htm

Thanks;
dju

David, I think you nailed it!