What happened to the Mauser?

[Tim Nickerson]

When did Will Fritz say the rifle was an MC?

I'm not sure of the earliest time that Fritz referred to the rifle as a Carcano. Although, he is listed as one of the three officers who submitted the rifle to the Crime Lab on Nov 22, 1963.

On December 23, 1963, he specifically referred to the rifle as a 6.5 caliber Carcano carbine rifle.

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth190236/m1/1/

[Tim Nickerson]

JFK Assassination First official public announcement of identification the Rifle as a Carcano

[Denis Morissette]

[Bill Chapman]

Ask Boone as he testified to this:

Mr. BALL - Who referred to it as a Mauser that day?

Mr. BOONE - I believe Captain Fritz. He had knelt down there to look at it, and before he removed it, not knowing what it was, he said that is what it looks like. This is when Lieutenant Day, I believe his name is, the ID man was getting ready to photograph it.

We were just discussing it beck and forth. And he said it looks like a 7.65 Mauser.

It looks like a Mauser said Fritz.
And a Carcano looks like a Mauser.
What's your point?

[Denis Morissette]

is that Saturday?
and so nothing from the DPD on 11/22 having found it & described it as an MC?

I think it was Friday, but not totally sure. It was approximately 6PM.

[Denis Morissette]

I've just uploaded an excerpt of John Wiseman's HSCA interview in which he says that Day thought it was a MC. But that's 15 years later. After all that time, you sometimes make a soup of facts consisting of things you saw and things you heard people saying years later, etc. During an interview, you tend to present a story that is coherent and you want to show what you're talking about (or you may say you don't want come across as an idiot). 

[Denis Morissette]

looks like more press.
So how do we know when Alyea took his film?

There is now sure way to know when it was taken. There is no timestamp on the film itself. There is no clock visible. Where is the Alyea film showing the Mauser???

[Jim Brazell]

"I believe Captain Fritz" is not the same as "It was Captain Fritz". Not only did Fritz never state on record that the rifle looked like a Mauser, he actually stated under oath that he never thought it was a Mauser. He was sure that he did not ever say that it was a 7.65 Mauser.

Mr. BALL. Was there any conversation you heard that this rifle was a Mauser?
Mr. FRITZ. I heard all kinds of reports about that rifle. They called it most everything.
Mr. BALL. Did you hear any conversation right there that day?
Mr. FRITZ. Right at that time?
Mr. BALL. Yes
Mr. FRITZ. I just wouldn't be sure because there were so many people talking at the same time, I might have; I am not sure whether I did or not.
Mr. BALL. Did you think it was a Mauser?
Mr. FRITZ. No, sir; I knew--you can read on the rifle what it was and you could also see on the cartridge what caliber it was.
Mr. BALL. Well, did you ever make any---did you ever say that it was a 7.65 Mauser?
Mr. FRITZ. No, sir; I am sure I did not.

Mr. FRITZ. No, sir; I knew--you can read on the rifle what it was and you could also see on the cartridge what caliber it was.

That statement begs the question that I've asked on here many times......there was even a magnifying glass to view the rifle and the caliber on the 6th floor....so , why the confusion? Why when Weitzman said "It IS a Mauser" is there not a reply that no it's here on the gun it's a MC. Why was Mauser reported on all the news outlets, Weitzman's statement the next day, Wade PC, etc.,etc It took 24 hours to get a correct ID on a gun where as Fritz said you can read on the gun the make and caliber.