Sporterized Czech Vz-23 Gewehr 7mm Mauser 25” Bolt Action Rifle & Scope
SOLD FOR: $1,500.00
LSB#: LSB251012JH001
Make: Czechoslovakia
Model: Vz-23
Serial Number: 147N3
Year of Manufacture: 1923-1924
Caliber: 7mm Mauser, Rebarreled/Causing feeding issues.
Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Mag Fed.
Barrel Length: 25”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a hooded blade sight set into a ramp, the rear sight is an adjustable tangent V-notch sight. The attached scope is a Leupold M8-4x Extended. The sight picture is clear.
Stock Configuration & Condition: This rifle has a one piece wood stock with a capped semi pistol grip, straight comb, raised cheek piece, and red rubber. There is little to no handling wear. There are light compression marks and scratches. The pistol grip and forend is checkered. There are no cracks. The LOP measures 13.25 and 14.5″ inches from the front of the triggers to the back of the buttpad. The stock rates in about Fine overall condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original.
Bore Condition: The bore is semi bright, The rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. There is fouling in the grooves. In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates 8 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 94% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish shows handling and storage wear. There are scratches and thinning throughout. The blue finish on the barrel has turned a patina. The barrel near the chamber has thinning. The screw heads range from sharp to tooled with serviceable slots, the makings are mostly clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Good plus condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with the attached scope and leather sling in Fine condition.
Our Assessment: The Czech Vz-23 represents the early post–World War I effort to modernize and standardize rifles for the newly formed Czechoslovak Republic, drawing heavily on the proven Mauser 98 action while incorporating transitional features that would later appear in the Vz-24. Built in 1923–1924, these rifles were well regarded for their machining quality and reliability, and many eventually found their way into foreign service or the surplus market after mid-century changes in European armament. This example has been sporterized, with the original military furniture replaced by a finely checkered walnut stock featuring a raised cheekpiece and rubber recoil pad—modifications typical of mid-20th-century hunting conversions.
Originally chambered in 7.92×57 Mauser, this rifle now carries a 7mm Mauser barrel, reflecting one of the common rebarrel jobs performed by commercial gunsmiths to adapt European surplus actions to sporting calibers widely used in the Americas. While rebarreling can yield a capable hunting rifle, the feeding difficulty noted in the description is consistent with cartridge geometry differences between 7mm and 8mm Mauser when used with unmodified feed rails or follower systems. Even so, the rifle preserves the robust Czech action, clean bore, and classic sporter aesthetic that made such conversions popular for generations. Please see our photos and good luck on your bid! -N.P
