John Wall 2006
John Wall
Platinum Bullet Club
USA
1915 PostsPosted - 11/12/2006 : 09:43:54 AM
Hi Rich,
I believe this is the mark you are talking about on a Polish Berthier.
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On Polish Mausers however, there are two varieties of Z-in-triangle marks. One, the letters "FB" in a triangle, is generally regarding as Radom factory mark, the "FB" standing for "Fabryka Broni", as in Fabryka Broni Radom. The same marks also appears on VIS 35 pistols if I recall correctly. (Don't own any handguns, so beware.)
The second variety of triangle mark in the rounded corner triangle with the letter "z" in it.
In the picture below, you can see three Polish Mausers with the triangle stamps:
1. The top rifle is a German Gewehr 98 with the FB-in-triangle mark, with original WFM text crest and 1916 date.
2. The second rifle from the top is similar to # 1, with original German crest and date untouched, having been made at Danzig in 1916, This however has the z-in-rounded triangle mark on its receiver. It has also been rebarreled and renumbered in a Poland.
3. The rifle at the very bottom of the picture is a sub-variety of # 2 with a receiver which has been completely scrubbed and a new Z-in-triangle stamp added. It is an Amberg (Bavaria) Gewehr 98 with a scrubbed receiver which has been rebarreled and converted to Wz.98a configuration
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In the next picture below, notice the interesting "z" mark on the second rifle from the top, the Danzig 1916. Look at the barrel carefully, and in spite of my woozy photography, you can see not only the z-in-triangle mark, but on the barrel, there is a z-in-square mark. While inspecting several Polish long Mauser rifles, I have noticed a number of these marks:
1. a "z"-in-circle
2. a "z"-in-square-
3. a "z"-in-triangle-
4. a "z"-in-octagon
5. a "z"-in-oval, etc.
Unfortunately, I do not have solid documented proof as to what these z-marks means, but (here's where truth gets squishy!) I was told by a Polish arms colector (whose first language is Polish) that the letter "Z" stands for the Polish word "zbrojovnia, or as another source spells it "zbrojownina". (Not sure which is correct.) This word was translated for me as a "small armory" or a "satelite armory" of a larger arms factory. I agree with Clay that this factory could very well have been Radom, but I do not know that for sure. Unfortunately, although a lot of Polish rifle literature exists in Polish, very, vey little as been translated into English and what has been, both in book form and Internet, is 95% unsubstantiated, so we have no way of double checking anything.
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The most interesting question on Polish Mauser marking to me is what the family of "z" marks (in those many geometric) shapes means!
Regards,
John
Edited by - John Wall on 11/12/2006 09:49:44 AM