This Chr. Funk made rifle was retailed by Wilhelm Robert Eblen, a Stuttgart gunshop that existed from 1895 to 1967. It was proofed by the Suhl proofhouse (“pick and sole” mark) in February 1942. Note the April 1940 changeover from the old crown/BUGN proofmarks to the then new eagle/N mark. Funk built it on a large ring Gewehr 98 action left over from the WW1, 1915 – 17, decentralized military rifle production in Suhl. The barrel was made again by Louis Kelber, Suhl (script L mark that looks more like a Z or British “pound sterling”) of R7L grade steel by Röchling’s steelworks in Völklingen, Saar. Adding a Greener type sear safety to bolt actions was a popular German custom touch as it was much easier to use with a scope mounted than the wing safety. The checkered foreend and horn tip are upgrade custom touches too. Chr. Funk made these rifles to the order of the retailer more or less. The original scope seems to be a model “Visar” by the Emil Busch AG in Rathenow, a big optical company. It is much older than the rifle, maybe of WW1 vintage. The 3x Busch "Visar" was quite common on great war Sniper rifles. By 1942 the German optical industry was working for the war effort. So new scopes were unavailable to civilians. You find refurbished older scopes quite often on guns of that vintage. The 8x Kahles scope with 62 mm objective lens diameter and elevation + windage adjustments was added much later, in the 1970s probably.
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