Polish K29 - Feedback?

[Navy87Guy]

I recently picked up my first Radom rifle - a 1931 K29. It’s got a mix of markings and characteristics that make for a fuzzy history.

The receiver and barrel match. The inside of the handguard also matches. I don’t see any serial numbers on the buttstock (but maybe I’m not looking in the right places) - but it does have the reinforcing dowel behind the magazine box. The butt plate has two serial numbers - neither of which match the rifle. The bolt is a replacement with downturned handle - the markings on the underside indicate it is German (Our own @krukster86 already gave me some pointers. ).

Front and rear bands, front sight, rear sight, trigger, and magazine are all numbered. The magazine box is the full serial with what looks like matching font - the rest are just the last two digits. The magazine floor plate is a replacement with what looks like an Imperial German mark. The two-digit serial doesn’t match.

The stock has “211” on the left side below the bolt. Krukster suggested the stock may have been one of the export blanks (which is why it has the reinforcing dowel but no serial number). The serialized parts point toward German refurbishment (I knew that already! ).

It also has a sling that looks like a correct Polish sling. There are two serial numbers on the inside (non-matching) and an oval stamp on the outside (I can’t really read it.)

So…SCW? German capture/refurb? Franken-Mauser? I can post more photos of any parts that anyone wants to see.

Thanks!!

 

[Navy87Guy]

Some more pics (I couldn’t attach them to the original post).

 

[tokarev38]

Numbers on trigger guard plate are original Polish and matching to the rifle. Stock is a replacement and indeed can be from export rifle. It is also two piece which would date it after 1936 or 37. Rifle is probably a sporter rescue, but nice nevertheless. I don’t think sling is polish. Polish slings had square buckles with only slightly rounded corners and ink military acceptance stamps, not embossed ones.

 

[Navy87Guy]

@tokarev38 - Thanks for the info. A couple of questions:

- Was numbering of the trigger guard common? I wasn’t aware that was a numbered part.
- I don’t see any obvious indications the stock is two-piece. What indicators are you looking at?

Thanks!!

 

[tokarev38]

I think until 1933, if I am correct with the date, Poles numbered all parts in German fashion. That will also be the case for K98s. After that only receiver, barrel, stock and bolt. They decided that they achieved such quality level that those non-essential parts were interchangeable and did not need to be numbered.
If you look at the butt of the stock you will see the line where two pieces of wood are glued together. That’s what I mean by two piece stock. Earlier stocks were made from single wood plank.

 

[krukster86]

Two things seemed a bit odd on OP’s rifle when I looked at it on GunBroker.

1. The front barrel band has 4 digit serial number. The Poles only stamped 2 on the 1930’s. This practice was stopped in 1931 and onward. I know the Germans typically did this when they were reworked.


2. The bolt stop is serialized. The Poles didn’t originally serialize this part. The Germans did when they were reworked, but the location seems odd, as the Germans did it closer to the edge.

 

[krukster86]

I think until 1933, if I am correct with the date, Poles numbered all parts in German fashion. That will also be the case for K98s. After that only receiver, barrel, stock and bolt. They decided that they achieved such quality level that those non-essential parts were interchangeable and did not need to be numbered.

I concur. If you see serialized triggerguards and floor plates on 1934-1939 examples, they likely are German reworks, and you can tell that the “font” of the serial numbers is completely different.

 

[krukster86]

If you look at the butt of the stock you will see the line where two pieces of wood are glued together. That’s what I mean by two piece stock. Earlier stocks were made from single wood plank.

From the data gathering I have done, I haven’t seen a clear correlation between year of production and single piece vs dovetail stocks, as I have seen single piece stock matching examples sprinkled in to my data pool as late as 1939.

However, I do agree that earlier stocks (1932 and earlier) have been noted to be all single piece stocks, to validate what Tokarev38 has stated above, so he speaks true. Dovetail stocks start to make small appearances in matching 1933 examples.

 

[Fulton bulldog]

Awesome first polish mauser!!!

 

[Navy87Guy]

Two things seemed a bit odd on OP’s rifle when I looked at it on GunBroker.

1. The front barrel band has 4 digit serial number. The Poles only stamped 2 on the 1930’s. This practice was stopped in 1931 and onward. I know the Germans typically did this when they were reworked.
View attachment 394908

2. The bolt stop is serialized. The Poles didn’t originally serialize this part. The Germans did when they were reworked, but the location seems odd, as the Germans did it closer to the edge.
View attachment 394909

FWIW, both bands are marked with the 4-digit serial (but no letter), in the same font, which appears to be very similar (if not matching) to the barrel and receiver).