More info from Wikipedia.
Production of a modified version of the Czech v.33 continued under the manufacturing codes "945" in 1940 and "dot" in 1941 and 1942 during the
German occupation of Czechoslovakia for the
Wehrmacht (German armed forces) especially for use in the
Gebirgsjäger (German mountain troops). Although this rifle is one of the shortest of the German-used Mausers, it was designated
Gewehr, meaning rifle.
Compared to the vz. 33 the Gewehr 33/40 stands out by the following features:
- Significantly shorter overall length than the Karabiner 98k (about 110 mm (4.3 in) shorter)[26]
- Steel cupped buttplate that added 5 mm overall length and a protective metal plate on the left side of the gunstock, against damage by the metal shoe nails of mountaineering boots when using the weapon as a climbing tool or hicking stick.
- Reduced measures for weight reduction (receiver, cutouts - outwardly invisible, no hollowed out bolt handle ball, modified magazine box and trigger guard)
- Continuous wooden hand guard protection to avoid burns when the gun gets hot from extensive firing
- Modified tangent sight graduated from 100 to 1,000 m (109 to 1,094 yd) in 100 m (109 yd) increments[citation needed]
- Modified upper ring
- German-type bayonet mounting
- German-type removable hooded front sight protection
- German-type sling attachment with shaft opening and metal disc inlay in the stock that functions as a bolt disassembly tool as in the Karabiner 98k
Markings are of the German type, with code letters on the receiver ring in place of the Czech rampant lion. German soldiers used the carbines in harsh mountainous conditions throughout World War 2 and often complained regarding the heavy recoil.
From 1940 until 1942 another 120,000 to 131,503 of the Gewehr 33/40 variant were produced for the
German army: 29,000 to 40,000 Gewehr 33/40 were produced in 1940, 35,000 to 48,049 Gewehr 33/40 were produced in 1941 and 45,000 to 54,454 Gewehr 33/40 were produced in 1942. The German armed forces also used the rifles previously issued to the Czechoslovak military, also under designation Gewehr 33/40.
[1] A few prototypes of G 33/40 with wooden folding
stocks were also produced for the
German paratroopers, these are not included in the totals as this variant never went into serial production.
During 1942 the Gewehr 33/40 production ceased when the Československá zbrojovka factory was converted to produce German-designed Karabiner 98k standard service rifles.
After World War 2 captured Gewehr 33/40 were used by the
Norwegian police. Besides the original German markings Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk marked "POLITI", the Norwegian national coat of arms and new serial number in a separate Norwegian police series on left side of the receiver ring.
