Mr. FRAZIER. Terni is the location for an Italian ordnance plant in
Italy where rifles are made, and it is apparent that this weapon was
made in Terni, because it is stamped with that name.
Mr. EISENBERG. And the significance of that crown?
Mr. FRAZIER. I think that would be just an Italian identification mark
or proof mark.
Mr. EISENBERG. And are the words "Made Italy" likely to have been put
on the weapon at the time of manufacture or subsequently?
Mr. FRAZIER. No, sir; the words "Made Italy" would be stamped on the
weapon by a purchaser or an individual desiring to send the weapon to
another country, to establish actually its origin.
Photograph No. 4 is again of the top of the weapon showing the same
information--1940, "Made Italy," the crown, the place it was made, and
the inscription "Caliber 6.5" across the top of the rear sight.
Photograph No. 5 shows a small circle which appears on the forward end
of the receiver, or that portion into which the barrel is screwed, with
the words "TNI" in the circle, and over these letters is again a small
crown. This could be a proof mark or an inspector's stamp.
Photograph No. 6 is of an inscription on the side of the rear sight
which has the appearance of the letter "i," or the letter "l,"
followed by a capital letter "A," and the capital letter "G," with the
numbers "47," and "2," stamped underneath them. I do not know what the
significance of that is. It could be, again, an inspector's stamp or a
proof mark of some type.
Photograph No. 7 is made of the cocking piece on the end of the bolt,
which gives the word "Rocca." This apparently would be the name of the
manufacturer of that part of the rifle.
Photograph No. 8 is an inscription "PG" on the top of the bolt of the
weapon. This inscription--I do not know of my own knowledge what that
is--but it could be the mark of a manufacturer or a proof mark or an
inspector's mark made at the time the handle was made to be welded to
the bolt.
Photograph No. 9 was taken of the bottom of the receiver of the weapon,
with the stock removed. It shows the Number "40," which could refer
again to the year of manufacture, 1940, on the receiver, and at the
rear of the photograph a small lettered inscription referring again
to an inspector stamp, a proof stamp, of some nature. The identity of
this, I do not know.
Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I ask that these photographs be admitted
as a group under the number 541.
The CHAIRMAN. You are going to put all of them in under one number?
Mr. EISENBERG. Yes. They have the subnumbers on the back, which will
differentiate them.
The CHAIRMAN. They will be admitted.
(The documents referred to were marked Commission Exhibit No. 541, and
received in evidence.)
Mr. EISENBERG. Can you explain why someone might call Exhibit 139 a
German-made Mauser rifle or a Mauser bolt-action rifle?
Mr. FRAZIER. The Mauser was one of the earliest, if not the earliest,
and the basic bolt-action rifle, from which many others were copied.
And since this uses the same type of bolt system, it may have been
referred to as a Mauser for that reason.
Mr. EISENBERG. Does this weapon show--how much use does this weapon
show?
Mr. FRAZIER. The stock is worn, scratched. The bolt is relatively
smooth, as if it had been operated several times. I cannot actually say
how much use the weapon has had. The barrel is--was not, when we first
got it, in excellent condition. It was, I would say, in fair condition.
In other words, it showed the effects of wear and corrosion.