Vz . 33 The puška vz . 33 ( " rifle model 1933 " , sometimes referred to as krátká puška vz . 33 - " short rifle model 33 " ) was a Czechoslovak bolt action rifle that was based on a Mauser type action , designed and produced in Československá zbrojovka in Brno during the 1930s in order to replace the obsolete Mannlicher vz . 1895 carbine s of the Czechoslovak " četnictvo " ( gendarmerie ) . The manufacturer ' s designation was vz . 16 / 33 ( model 16 / 33 ) , and although the rifle is often called carbine vz . 33 , that was not an official designation of the Czechoslovak armed forces . Design . The design was partially based on the Mauser Musketon M12 , produced prior to World War I for Brazil , but the bolt mechanism was a modification of the Mauser 98 design found on the standard Czechoslovak army vz . 24 rifle . The action was a " small ring " design similar to that found on the German Kar 98a issued during World War I . As the name implies , the receiver ring is of slightly smaller diameter than the standard Model 98 action , intended to lighten the weapon at the expense of a slight reduction in action strength . Most small - ring variants are readily distinguishable as there is no step between the ring and the left receiver wall . However , the vz . 33 has a lightened , thinner left receiver wall , so the step is present making it superficially resemble the standard , ' large ring ' action . Excess metal is removed from the rear receiver bridge around the stripper clip guide , and there are other lightening cuts . The bolt is the same as that of the standard Model 98 , with the exception of the bolt handle which has a different profile and a hollowed - out ball . For the Czechoslovak army , gendarmerie and " Finanční stráž " ( literally Finance Guard , which was a custom and border protection armed service under the command of the Czechoslovak Department of Finance ) some 25 , 300 vz . 33 rifles were produced until 1940 . Gewehr 33 / 40 ( t ) . Production of a slightly modified version continued during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia for the German armed forces . This version was 5 mm longer ( due to a different buttplate ) , a metal plate was attached to the left side of the gunstock and with a German type sling and laminated stock fitted this rifle was issued to German mountain troops as the Gewehr 33 / 40 ( t ) ( ' t ' being the national origin designator " tschechoslowakisch " , the German word for ' Czechoslovak ' ; such national origin designators were German practice for all foreign weapons taken into service ) . Markings are of the German type , with code letters on the receiver ring in place of the Czech rampant lion . From 1940 until 1942 another 131 , 503 of the Gewehr 33 / 40 ( t ) variant were produced for the German army : 29 , 000 Gewehr 33 / 40 ( t ) were produced in 1940 , 48 , 049 Gewehr 33 / 40 ( t ) were produced in 1941 and 54 , 454 Gewehr 33 / 40 ( t ) were produced in 1942 . The German armed forces also used the rifles previously issued to the Czechoslovak military . A few prototypes of G 33 / 40 ( t ) with wooden folding stocks were also produced for the German paratroopers , not shown in above totals , but this variant never went into serial production . The Germans also produced a small amount of prototype and pre production test batch of the g33 / 40 equipped with the zf 41 sharpshooter scope . These were photographed for inclusion in the zf 41 manual in 1942 . However the BRNO factory switched over to the Mauser 98 K in 1943 . Approximately 350 to 400 scoped g 33 / 40 rifles were made total . As of 2013 only one has been examined and found to be a real test batch scoped rifle , it has serial number 3962C . It is a late dot 1942 production rifle . Recreations of this rifle using Mauser 98k zf 41 mounts sell for about 5000 . 00 $ us . Of note is the recreation rifles scope base is as the Mauser 98k , which differs from the original g 33 / 40 base , and so is easy to distinguish real from reproduction . reproduction mounts have been welded or screwed onto g33 / 40 scope bases , this is incorrect both in size and construction of the original scope base mounts . the real mount places the zf - 41 scope in a very specific location on the rifle , re - creations are either too far forward or too far back from the original . the original rifles with zf - 41 scopes have their stock and handguard specifically cut and fitted for the zf - 41 scope and mount combination .