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Cryptic Stock Markings: Sling Keeper Inlet and the *C Stocks

Bob in OHIO

Senior Member
Today, I pulled about 20 MO rifles and looked for trends in the inlet for the sling keeper.
  • The vast majority had either 2, 3, or 4 separate markings.
  • One rifle had 5 marks, and no stock lacked an alpha numeric marking
  • With the muzzle to the left (when looking at the inlet) most consistent was a alpha character in the bottom of the inlet.
    • Alpha characters in that location included: M, RR, KK, EE, Z, cc, hh, w, HH, s (both lower case and UC, as shown)
Speculation on meaning:
  • Machine or operator that pantographed the the stock (don't think so, see below)
  • Inventory number/letter??
  • Operator who: did final fitting? placed the buttplate? Milled the sling slot? Milled the Mag well etc?
  • But commonly with 3 or 4 separate marks, this might suggest multiple events are being tracked....
Other Factors:
  • The cartouches on the keel, and by the TG indicate inspection for subassembly, right?
  • Mauser training rifles (KKW/DSM34) are totally void of similiar markings AFAIK
Below is example of a 1939 Mauser with four marks in the inlet.
 

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A quick word about later Oberndorf stocks.... when milled for the bolt they leave a characteristic vertical lip (see pic) that is evident about 1/3 in from the right side of the inlet. This is NOT present on *C stocks and these stocks were fabricated elsewhere....

Hence, any marks present in the sling keeper inlet were added at Mauser, IMO...
 

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Finally is a comparison of the sling keeper inlet of three late MO rifles that are quite similiar, and offers a comparison of MO milled stocks to *c stock.

byf 44, L-block, *C stock: Inlet has: H, 4, hh

byf 45, no letter, walnut: Inlet has: D?, 2, hh (2 pics)

byf 45, a-block, lam: Inlet has: H, 1, hh

With these late-war rifles and cost saving measures like unnumbered wood, the Germans were still taking the time to mark these keeper inlets.... They must have had some importance!
 

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BIO, you got it down. ive worked in aircraft manufacture 23y now. its for tracking for sure. i mean pretend its a aircraft part, to me looks the same. lots of little sub assembly stamps. i have two. and if you didnt work in the org? just mystery numbers and letters.
id take a guess, and say marked there as its semi hidden in the sling slot.
 
Don't forget about the opposite side of the cut, Bob. Here is my 39 Luft I just so happened to be taking pics of this weekend. Cut out has H, V, k, and 2, Left side has a d. I will dig my other MOs out and take a look.... I know my byf41s are marked, don't know about the '42 and '43.
 

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need to bump this. i have a byf44 with hh in lower case stamped in the keeper inlet, also in the same area a s stamp
 
I have one as well. BIO, could you elaborate on your use of the word "importance"?


QUOTE=byf44;270186]need to bump this. i have a byf44 with hh in lower case stamped in the keeper inlet, also in the same area a s stamp[/QUOTE]
 
Thanks for the response Bob.


QUOTE=Hambone;278900]Good post, thanks BiO, pic sticky. What Solman said.[/QUOTE]
 

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