Gustloff KKW Question
- Thread starter Gunrunner
- Start date
waffenmeister
Senior Member
Assembly number only for Gustloff and doesn’t need to match the serial. Very early Oberndorf KKWs will have matching numbers to the serial.
WreckTangle
Mad Dog 20/20 Connoisseur (RIP Brother 06-05-203)
My Gustloff KKW doesn't have a numbered bolt. It is my understanding that the bolts weren't numbered until around the 256000 range (BiO can correct the range). When they did start to serialize the bolts it was electropenciled on the top of the bolt stem. My Gustloff's sight components are stamped 244 which does not match the gun's serial number 2260XX. The stock on the keel is stamped just "38" not matching the gun serial either. I can't remember if the stock is serialized inside I'll check in the AM and get back to you.
Interestingly, my BSW KKW's sight components (pre-gustloff before they switched roll marks) is numbered 12, again not matching the gun's serial number.
Interestingly, my BSW KKW's sight components (pre-gustloff before they switched roll marks) is numbered 12, again not matching the gun's serial number.
Attachments
Nicole Wiley
Well-known member
Chicken
The electro-penciling of the bolts perplexed me. My mind always went 2 places with this: the Buchenwald factory kept qc counts using a electropencil or they sourced the bolts out to a satellite location. I doubt there was ever any intention to have them match the s/n to the rifle. In my experience I have not seen this. And it was done via chicken scratch.
The electro-penciling of the bolts perplexed me. My mind always went 2 places with this: the Buchenwald factory kept qc counts using a electropencil or they sourced the bolts out to a satellite location. I doubt there was ever any intention to have them match the s/n to the rifle. In my experience I have not seen this. And it was done via chicken scratch.
Bob in OHIO
Senior Member
This confuses me?
luftmacher
Senior Member
Follow the history. KKWs were a "small potatoes" project to Gustloff, and their main importance of making trainers still was to gain favor with the SA. This is why KKW production was moved from Suhl. By the time the machinery and materials were moved to Buchenwald for production (no bolts or parts were "farmed out" elsewhere), the war was on and numbering individual parts on trainers was eliminated as unnecessary. Final fit and finish of bolt-to-receiver was not fine tuned for the same reason. Forced labor workers were more inclined to sabotage production than take any extra care with it. It's all really self-explanatory.
Steve
Steve
