bnz4 without serifs?
- Thread starter Absolut
- Start date
Bigdibbs88
"Ach du lieber!"
Astrawerk made receiver....
They are not common. The ones I have seen have e/77 Radom inspections on the side of the receiver as well. Do you have photos of the serial and right receiver? The one I have photos of is in the "l" block.
Awesome, you're on a roll! There are also Astrawerke marked bnz43 receivers, you see them on SSZZA4 rifles and standard bnz43 Army contract rifles.
Absolut
Senior Member
Well, for being on a roll it would had needed to not be professionally (by Bubba) turned into a hunting rifle 
. Picked it up today, attached some pictures of the „beauty“, but only one showing the full rifle to make you K98k collectors not cry too much. It was cheap, so I nevertheless bought it. Interestingly a rather early rifle, being in the d block. And of course the receiver has the Astrawerke “1“ on the right side. Oh, and if someone wants to know, bolt is mismatching and magazine guard is non-seralized 135 proofed stamped with a 37 proofed non-serialized milled floorplate.
. Picked it up today, attached some pictures of the „beauty“, but only one showing the full rifle to make you K98k collectors not cry too much. It was cheap, so I nevertheless bought it. Interestingly a rather early rifle, being in the d block. And of course the receiver has the Astrawerke “1“ on the right side. Oh, and if someone wants to know, bolt is mismatching and magazine guard is non-seralized 135 proofed stamped with a 37 proofed non-serialized milled floorplate.Attachments
heavy_mech
RKI- Reasonably Knowledgable Individual
Spot on as usual sir! An interesting piece for sure despite Bubba's best intentions. It seems like Steyr was in perpetual turmoil at least as far as rifle production.
Even Bubba'd it's at least interesting from a Steyr collectors point of view. It puzzles me why Astrawerke would send receivers to Radom instead of direct to Steyr.
A few reasons I could come up with is that Radom was the sole point of origin for receivers, so any that Steyr used would need to be inspected there - perhaps they did not have the proper inspectors at Steyr. OR, after the bombing they had no way to receive them, so they went to Radom first. Either way, it's bizarre to me to see e/77 inspections on them. I guess it's about the same distance from Astrawerke to Radom or Steyr, but still....
A few reasons I could come up with is that Radom was the sole point of origin for receivers, so any that Steyr used would need to be inspected there - perhaps they did not have the proper inspectors at Steyr. OR, after the bombing they had no way to receive them, so they went to Radom first. Either way, it's bizarre to me to see e/77 inspections on them. I guess it's about the same distance from Astrawerke to Radom or Steyr, but still....
M1903A3
Keeper of the Def's Head
Very interesting questions and suppositions. I noted the “avk” Ruhrstahl barrel on this, and if the numbers I have are correct Gustloff went from a long run of “ce” Sauer supplies barrels to Ruhrstahl supplies barrels in around November or December 1944. (Some data is from your KM III). I have bcd4 18993 with worn firing proof as “avk” lot code “Br” and immediately before that bcd4 18913 with Sauer “ce” barrel, lot code d? . (Second letter unknown) and 15706 with Sauer lot code “dq” (I own this rifle.) I have one Chemnitz barrel (FN) on bcd4 21191 and then a solid run of “avk” barrels with “Bg” and “Bw” lot codes. These are all worn firing proof no letter code bcd4 rifles in this discussion. So, that kind of fixes bcd4 barrel changeover from Sauer to Ruhrstahl.
SO this could put the current bnz4 (bcd) at right around this time in bcd production as this rifle’s lot code is “Av”. This receiver/barrel combo then is identifiable in terms of concurrent Gustloff bcd4 production.
To me, this makes the WaA77’s even more confusing. The barrel has what could be an asterisk rejection mark, perhaps it was rejected at Gustloff and sent to Steyr? To Radom?? Probably NOT Radom IF the supposition of November or December 1944 is true!! An avk lot Av barrel barrel should be after Radom stopped supplying K98 parts I would think. I would love to see the other parts on this gun!! If that is the original stock I’d love to know if it has a typical date code under the butt plate as on Gustloff rifles! OP thank you for sharing it, it is a great gun!
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This rifle was assembled in April-June of 1944, we know because of the suffix and serial on the barrel. Steyr used a lot of mixed barrels from everywhere after the bombing, so trying to place it in conjunction with Gustloff production is not useful really as it wasn’t normal supply. And, your 18000 range bcd was late 44 assembly. His rifle has nothing to do with Gustloff really.
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M1903A3
Keeper of the Def's Head
I see! What do you think of the WaA77 on the receiver, did this actually get accepted or inspected at Radom then? Was the barrel inspected at Ruhrstahl and rejected?
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M1903A3
Keeper of the Def's Head
I was thinking that perhaps both receiver and barrel were diverted to Steyr to make up for their loss of Radom supplied barrels and that that would explain an Astrawerke receiver mates to an early Ruhrstahl barrel with clearly Gustloff style “4” and letters.
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