Third Party Press

This Mornings Find, Fresh from the Attic

jsz

Senior Member
Picked this up at a small show in Olean NY. I see the site hood from afar, walk over to it and say it looks a little nice for a RC. So I pick it up, and notice it is a "ar 42", check the receiver serial, 2792a and then hit the bolt, 2792a, I am thinking this could be right. So I start down the stock and see a zf41, proceed further to the bands, both match, heart racing now. Only stock markings other then the serial number on the comb is a small waffen stamp on right side below the takedown disk. Have not read the number.

Bad news, I have not been able to clean it yet, bore has much crude and cobwebs and the safety and FP retainer are serialed to each other but not to the rifles serial. So assuming the FP is most probably also serialed to the safety.

Enjoy the quick photos before the rain started in.

Of note, see the waffen 37 gas cup, though numbered to the rifle and the waffen 140 barrel.

Jeff
 

Attachments

  • P3137741.jpg
    P3137741.jpg
    294.6 KB · Views: 676
  • P3137742.jpg
    P3137742.jpg
    296.5 KB · Views: 621
  • P3137743.jpg
    P3137743.jpg
    282.3 KB · Views: 728
  • P3137744.jpg
    P3137744.jpg
    256.9 KB · Views: 760
  • P3137745.jpg
    P3137745.jpg
    270.4 KB · Views: 709
  • P3137746.jpg
    P3137746.jpg
    230.3 KB · Views: 506
  • P3137747.jpg
    P3137747.jpg
    204.9 KB · Views: 474
more photos.
 

Attachments

  • P3137748.jpg
    P3137748.jpg
    261 KB · Views: 293
  • P3137749.jpg
    P3137749.jpg
    243.5 KB · Views: 274
  • P3137750.jpg
    P3137750.jpg
    215.1 KB · Views: 302
  • P3137751.jpg
    P3137751.jpg
    257 KB · Views: 322
  • P3137752.jpg
    P3137752.jpg
    264.5 KB · Views: 278
  • P3137753.jpg
    P3137753.jpg
    287.9 KB · Views: 279
  • P3137754.jpg
    P3137754.jpg
    227.2 KB · Views: 305
  • P3137755.jpg
    P3137755.jpg
    265.6 KB · Views: 289
  • P3137769.jpg
    P3137769.jpg
    292.1 KB · Views: 427
Picked this up at a small show in Olean NY. I see the site hood from afar, walk over to it and say it looks a little nice for a RC. So I pick it up, and notice it is a "ar 42", check the receiver serial, 2792a and then hit the bolt, 2792a, I am thinking this could be right. So I start down the stock and see a zf41, proceed further to the bands, both match, heart racing now. Only stock markings other then the serial number on the comb is a small waffen stamp on right side below the takedown disk. Have not read the number.

Bad news, I have not been able to clean it yet, bore has much crude and cobwebs and the safety and FP retainer are serialed to each other but not to the rifles serial. So assuming the FP is most probably also serialed to the safety.

Enjoy the quick photos before the rain started in.

Of note, see the waffen 37 gas cup, though numbered to the rifle and the waffen 140 barrel.

Jeff

I love them just like this ....good find Jeff, congrats!...stuff is still out there!

Im sure that thing is going to look great cleaned up a little
 
I love them just like this ....good find Jeff, congrats!...stuff is still out there!

Im sure that thing is going to look great cleaned up a little

Thanks Miles.

Did break the rifle down, it is duffle cut and repaired, not sure adequate enough to fire. However I will leave as is, I have many others to fire.. The firing pin, FP retainer, safety and band spring are mismatched. It is what is.

A dealer had this, supposedly fresh from an attic, with nothing else. I am sure he really did not ask.

Jeff
 
Last edited:
Very nice. Better luck than I had this morning, seen nothing but a "matching" dot 43 that had what looked to be a blued bayonet lug and "matching" numbered lock screws? The seller said he was good friends with that Jansen fellow also. No thanks. I would have jumped all over a slightly mismatched zf41 ar 42.
 
Jeff, that's an outstanding find! Great rifle. The replaced firing pin, safety, and sear are likely period done. That inspection on the side of the buttstock denotes a depot repair :happy0180:

Pic sticky
 
A little abllistol, little howard's and that will be a nice piece...

I love the phrase "fresh from the attic" too

I use "closet fresh"

LOL

Please post pics after the wipe down

Id leave the duffle cut alone too unless it was falling off of there.....

Jonathan
 
hello,

did you take any pictures of the stock when you tore it down?? great rifle!! please post the stock pics soon!!! this is how a ZF41 stock cut should look.

thanks
vaughn
 
Last edited:
Really nice rifle, and one that is really underrated as to scarcity.. ar/42 has to be one of the toughest war time Kar98k to find original and matching. Even m/m its not easy as in the database there are 3x the ar/43 and even the fairly scarce ar/41 is more common (and its tough too)

Very curious over the BC (you say e/140 FN?) and how the bolt body is acceptanced?

I would say the sleeve is odd but to be honest we can't say what is "normal" on a ar/42 as so few are known with original bolts! Maybe half a dozen..

Try and do images of the BC and the bolt acceptance/fp?
 
Hello Simson,

AR42 stand alone is hard to find because MOST of the production of AR42 were dual coded rifles. For some reason this factory had some manufacturing problems and I believe that AR42 and BCD/AR42 are 1 serial range with both variant marked receivers mixed through out production in 1942. they had allot less BCD/AR43 receivers in 1943 show up with only about 6% dual coded in comparison to 1942 production. the same with 1941 production with only 5% being dual coded AX/AR41 but this time receivers were from Erma. like you said AR42 is quite scarce its easier to find a BCD/AR42 Dual Code as this dominated about 62% of my AR42 serial observations. The BCD/AR42 Rifles disappeared about the end of g (G) block. so far NO reported rifles coded BCD/AR42 from h (H) block till the highest k (K) block I have SO far :). With all that said my database is not as near as big as some of the K98 hard core leaders here on this sight maybe they have better info.


Later
Vaughn
 
Last edited:
Hello V,
I agree that ar/42 and bcd/ar 42 were intermingled (barrel coding supports this), and I do not have an "h" block bcd/ar 42 either listed. Your ranges for bcd/ar 42 are higher than mine too.

However I have more bcd/ar 42 recorded than I do straight-up ar/42's, though not by much.. I think straight up ar/42 in original/matching condition more desirable than a bcd/ar 42 as they seem more common in nice condition.

Regular ar/42 are damn tough!

Hello Simson,

AR42 stand alone is hard to find because MOST of the production of AR42 were dual coded rifles. For some reason this factory had some manufacturing problems and I believe that AR42 and BCD/AR42 are 1 serial range with both variant marked receivers mixed through out production in 1942. they had allot less BCD/AR43 receivers in 1943 show up with only about 6% dual coded in comparison to 1942 production. the same with 1941 production with only 5% being dual coded AX/AR41 but this time receivers were from Erma. like you said AR42 is quite scarce its easier to find a BCD/AR42 first as this dominated about 62% of my AR42 serial range are BCD/AR42 serialed rifles. The BCD/AR42 Rifles disappeared about the end of g (G) block. so far NO reported rifles coded BCD/AR42 from h (H) block till the highest k (K) block I have SO far :). With all that said my database is not as near as big as some of the K98 hard core leaders here on this sight maybe they have better info.


Later
Vaughn
 
Yes, the bcd/ar 42 seem to end around the late "g" block for me... several ar/42 go into the "k" block and one reported to the "L" block, but not sure what the KCN reported offhand.

I think the ranges are not a good representation of the scarcity though, - ar/42 might be fairly high in range but they sure do not show up very often for sale in decent shape. Even including the lowly rc they are not common.
 
zf41

my zf41 kkw has that same looking stamp on the stock in the same place...Its that small straight winged eagle.. I t might be the same. its Su 19 you need a glass to see it. Actuall a little lemon oil helped alot.. I'll try to post a pic. of it for comparison.. Nice rifle !!!! I have a mount if you are interested.?? :biggrin:
 
ar42

Hey Paul look close - its an Su rework stamp if I am not mistaken.
Very cool later rework. As to what was done, likely the MM parts could have been swapped at Spandau.
Jeff - great hit -if this was an Oberndorf rifle, I would be sick.

B.
 

Military Rifle Journal
Back
Top