I've had a sporterized 6.5mm Norwegian for some years now.  Cleaning it last night I spied a faint marking, which under high magnification proves to be without doubt the German wartime eagle/swastika.   What do I have ?   Did the Germans appropriate existing rifles and stamp them?  I've read that they tried to keep the factory going, but that sabotage and non-cooperation limited the production, and that the few that did get shipped were poorly made.   This does not look like one of those.  It is a well made specimen.

Eagle over swastika, same as was on a wartime Hi Power  I once had.   

On the receiver ring, at about 1 o'clock looking toward the front sight.   Barrel is also stamped, same position.

Under the eagle, the letter NOAB appear. 

From 9:00 to 12:30 is stamped      Nb  1944-531    on both receiver and barrel.

At 2:00 the eagle is repeated, but slightly larger, both on the receiver ring and the barrel, with no letters.

At 3:00, the smaller eagle with the letters appears again on the receiver, but not on the barrel.

These markings are really not all that faint, I just never looked at them carefully enough to recognized then for what they are.  Too embarrassed to admit it.   

Bolt handle has the number 1073 on top, and what might be a stylized dragon with a wavy tail. 

Magazine cutoff has letters AA on top, and letter S underneath.

Neat Williams receiver sight installation, and a ramp front.  It has been reblued, Remington plastic buttplate.  Might be a cleaned-up issue stock.

Chambered 6.5 x 55.   Haved never fired it myself.  On cleaning it after I got it home I found the first 2-3 inches of the bore to be a bit too rough to shoot cast, which is what I like to do.   So it's been a safe queen for all these years.

Well, I'll be...   Thanks !

Never would have taken it for one of those.  The 'smith who sporterized it obviously did a pretty good job of refinishing it.   

Wonder how it got to Michigan, (which is where I lived when I bought it)?   If only these old arms could talk . . . .

I saw a Norwegian on G.B. a year or so ago that was said to be one of these wartime builds.  Also not original, and he  wanted a hefty price for it.   Wonder if anybody bit?

No, mine is not for sale.