7.9mm "Spitzer" Mauser, with excellent condition Carl Zeiss (Jena plant )"Zielsechs" (means scope six or six power) scope. This rifle and scope were liberated from a freshly deceased German sniper by Col. Floyd R. Waltz, Jr. (then a Captain and a tank company commander) in Southern France in late September or early October, 1944, as the 191st Tank Battalion fought its way Northwards after an amphibious landing near St. Rafael on the Cote d' Azur on August 15, 1944. This rifle is amazingly accurate and in perfect condition, except the leather sling was replaced in 1982 and is not original. The rifle is not military issue, rather is a commercial "Jagdgewehr"(hunting rifle) sometimes used by a few Wehrmacht snipers at this stage of WWII due to its lightweight portability in urban settings. The scope shows markings from a previous mounting, apparently consistent with the Wehrmacht standard issue K98 Mauser which was longer, heavier and less portable for the flexible shoot and relocate requirements of a retreating army often engaged in house to house fighting. It does not have the Wehrmacht "+" stamped into the tube which is normally seen on identical German army Zeiss Zielsechs sniper scopes with higher serial numbers. A unique feature of the scope's slide mounting is that the scope is instantly removable with a thumb screw, and when affixed the rifle can be roughly carried using the scope as a handle without adversely affecting its settings or the rifle's accuracy. The scope retains excellent "night vision" characteristics based upon an internal gas (argon?) procedure which Carl Zeiss developed during the late 1920's and 1930's which made his optics unique. The rifle and scope are NOT for sale. Click on a picture to enlarge.