Name that weapon- Serious

[gi-rene]

Ok this has my unit stumped. This is our unit leader's father. He is carrying something. Its not one of the "regular" weapons that much we can deduce. I can find out the timeframe of the photo later but I assume somtime 43-44 since he's got his Red Bull on his helmet but that means nothing since lots of 442 guys kept them even when they left the division for France. Sorry no other pictures so this will be a toughie, but Im hoping somebody will come up with a good theory or the more less likely option of them happening to know by what we see.

[gi-rene]

Our theories:

I used to think it was a BAR but you have to remember he was really short, maybe 5'6" tall so the perspective is off. Then I thought it was a Carbine, but someone else thought it was a K-98. I'm pretty sure it isn't a K-98, but it still has me stumped.

One thing I noticed is the sling seems to be attach to the butt of rifle near the trigger vs the bottom. Next is the butt of the rifle seems to have a metal butt plate which shows more metal, given the metal seems to be picking up the light in the photograph.

Seems to me like that is a leather pad because it flanges out and theres nothing I can think of in the combatants of WW2 that had a but that had a flanged butt plate that big.

Maybe we are completely missing the mark. I wonder if it isn't a weapon at all but something else like a MG tripod or ?

Still stumped after all these years.

If you look at the sling/strap as it comes over Tim's Dad's shoulder, right around where his "thumb" is you notice that it looks like it is attach to the "item in question" by what looks like a clip or a square ring. And that square ring is what is then attached to the "item"

[Geek44]

Are you sure it's even a weapon? It's hard to make out from the pic. Sorry, but you've got me stumped...which isn't really that hard I guess.
There's a 'lip' around the lower end that makes me think it isn't a stock or butt.

[gi-rene]

You know we've went over what non weapon items it could be. His dad was a weapons team crewman, hence the possibility of him not wearing a garand belt. He was also extremely short.

One person put forth that the butt plate looks close to an SMLE, but I disagree, that flange is so damn odd...

Knowing our luck its some periscope tripod case or something :P

[Geek44]

Unfortunately, US weapons of the period are something I'm pretty weak with let alone other equipment. what makes me think it may not be a weapon is the length of the stock behind what appears to be a squarish trigger guard. It doesn't seem long enough. It could also be something he picked up rather than something 'standard' issue. Just trying ideas now.
Peace.
Hey...this was my 2000th post.

[gi-rene]

We never asked if he knows when this was taken. Italy vs France could help things a little.

[Geek44]

No new clues in almost a month mate...looks like we're truly stumped here.
Peace.

[Commander Waffle]

Is it possible that its a shotgun? Or some other weapon he found lying in the road?

[gi-rene]

Originally Posted by Geek44

No new clues in almost a month mate...looks like we're truly stumped here.
Peace.

I know, we kinda had a big influence of brain power and then it went away. A note: his dad was a machinegunner so heavy weapons are his thing. But that looks like no heavy weapon nor accessory that we could think of.

Originally Posted by Commander Waffle

Is it possible that its a shotgun? Or some other weapon he found lying in the road?

Possibly. For awhile we thought it was an Italian rifle of sorts. But that odd buttplate says thats not possible (For me anyway). A shotgun or civilian rifle could be it too, they tend to have fancier furniture.

[Geek44]

I wondered about a civilian weapon too but still couldn't reconcile that butt plate. Perhaps something really old off somebody's wall? A blunderbuss? But then the strap kinda rules that out. Still thinkin'.