Featured Yard Sale Find - "Mauser" Rifle Mounted on Board w/VIETNAM '64 - '65 Plaque?

I found this at a yard sale this morning.
I saw it yesterday on Craigslist, called the lady & agreed to zelle her $150 & she agreed to hold it in her car (sale was at her friend's house) for me - but I arrived at 6am for a 7am sale to be first to see what else she had! (I also bought a wwII german helmet, a pair of wwII field glasses with a Surgeon A.C. Morson etched on them (she also had some surgery tools with the same name but I passed on them) & a bag of 1960s baseball cards).

She told me these were all her ex's collection of things & he was a big wwII collector (she had 2 other helmets + some medals, pins, etc) that she was selling so she could get her garage back.
She told me he had told her the rifle was a wwii Mauser even though it has a Vietnam '64 - '65 plaque?

Is it a Mauser? From WWII? Are they rare? (it aso has a name - KIM? - etched on stock)

Any thoughts or information would be appreciated - for $150 even if it's something regular or not special I think it's worth more because it would be a cool piece to hang in any mancave!

Thanks for any help!

 

The name says KILM. Other than that, I've got nothing!

 

To me, it looks like initials KHM. The rifle looks World War I era or earlier, I think. There should be some kind of identification on the metal parts.

I have a book called Brassey's Infantry Weapons of the World. I will dig it out of the pile on the shelf in a little while if you don't get an ID soon.

I had a little whoops and hurt my foot. I am in the recliner with my foot up on a pillow and don't want to move right now. I can see the book from where I am sitting, LOL, but ouch, it feels so much better elevated.

 

No worr

No worry or hurry! That's part of my problem - I never want to sell the cool stuff; it's not going anywhere for awhile! lol

 

According to my book the rifle is a French MAS36 or M1936CR39. Manufacturer: Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Etienne.
Introduced in 1936, using the then new 7-5 mm M29 cartridge. The MAS36 uses a modified Mauser type of bolt action. Five round magazine.
There is more info in the write-up I will try and take a photo later and post it for you. Otherwise the info above should help you find more on the internet.
Edit and PS. It would make sense for a French rifle to be in Vietnam. Isn't that how it all started... The US entered as advisors to the French who were fighting the Chinese communists?

 

Your MAS36 is missing the spike bayonet. That is a wicked looking bayonet. This is the first time I've ever heard of or seen a spike bayonet.

https://www.militarytrader.com/militaria-collectibles/a-look-at-the-french-mas-36-bolt-action-rifle

 

Great information, @LauraGarnet02 !

I hope your foot heals well and that you feel better soon.

 

Thank you!

 

Is this big enough to read for everyone whether on desktop, laptop, tablet or cell phone? I only know what it looks like on my particular $30 Android phone, LOL.
The picture was taken with this phone and I don't know how to resize it. It's way too big, over the 1 MB limit, so I'm posting a link. Hopefully the link works!
https://blogger.googleusercontent.c...YoIX2g4LwgcLL/s3264/IMG_20230222_142334~2.jpg
Or go to the link below. I posted all the Brassey's book title and publication info, close up of the rifle specs, close-ups of column 1 and column 2. They all posted the opposite of the way I intended so you have to scroll down, start at the bottom and work your way up...sigh.
https://lauragarnet.blogspot.com/2023/02/brasseys-pg-54-mas36.html?m=1

 

Mine must be the MAS36 because there is no folding stock?