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<BLOCKQUOTE id=quotequote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>M1938 TURKISH 8mm, A.1. GEORGIA VT <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>
This is the importers stamp, which is required for all guns imported.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>TC, AS FA, ANK ARA, K. KALE, 1944 <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>
This is the receiver crest. I'm not sure what the TC As FA stands for, but its on most of the turkish rifles. K.Kale stands for KiriKale which is probably the manufacturer of the rifle, Ank ara is for Ankara, Turkey the city it was manufactured in. 1944 is the date of manufacture.

The crescent moon and star is the symbol for the country of Turkey, it is also used by a number of other Muslim countries.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>All of the numbers I've seen are stamped with the same last three digits of the full length serial number that's on the side of the chamber <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

The parts are stamped with a serial number, having a matching receiver and bolt is a positive thing, as most turk rifles do not match, and having all of the parts match makes the rifle at least a bit more valuable than the average turkish rifle, if the rifle is in really good condition, with a good bore and matching numbers, $75 isn't a terrrible deal.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> The seller mentioned something about this having a larger ring than the swedish Mausers<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

This is the reciver ring, the section of the action that has a crest on it. Most M-38 turks have a large ring receiver with a similar diameter to a common K98, but are threaded for a small ring barrel such as those found on a swedish Mauser. A 6.5x55 barrel from a 96 swede should be able to thread into the receiver, but another 8mm barrel from anotehr large ring mauser will not fit. Some turks, mainly model 1903 were made with a small ring receiver and originally chambered for another caliber, but were rebarelled to 8mm. A few m-38 turks may have a small ring receiver, as these rifles were cobbled together with whatever was at hand. The only time this info may ever come into play is if you decide to make a sporting rifle out of it, the turk receiver can only handle moderately pressured cartridges where a true large ring receiver can handle almost any cartridge.

Before firing the rifle, make sure that it is squeaky clean, an there is no grease in the chamber or barrel, which might damage you and the rifle. Also strip the bolt and clean it very carefully, as dreid grease in the firing pin spring and bolt can cause incosistant firing, or cause the rifle to not fire at all. Here's a link to help you out with this. http://home.earthlink.net/~paralax1/...semblypage.htm
Also try the Turkish forum at milsurpshooter.net for any other questions you might have.

Don't be alarmed if the rifle shoots high, as it was designed to do this. This can be cured with a taller front sight. If you shoot corrosive ammo, such as Turkish surplus which was made for the rifle, clean the barrel and bolt face up right away by running a few patches soaked in windex to neutralize the primer salts before giving the rifle a normal cleaning with solvent.

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