BCD 43-barrel numbers?

[Rhodesia]

I just got a K98 BCD 43 vet bring back serial number 982 C the barrel has numbers 43 on the top and 92957 that wraps around the barrel. Next to the 43 that is stamped on the barrel is a box looking stamp with what looks like dlv and under it a number 1. full K98 stock with take down bolt tool not laminated stock and serial number same as on the receiver 982 C. No other parts are serial numbered. I assume this is an early K98 since I have been encountering high serial number K98's

 

[Muncher 1953]

post photos for best info returned,
an early k98k would be 1937-38. bcd was an assembler & didn’t start as early as Mauser or Sauer, etc so early for them is ‘41-‘42. By 1943, assembly had been moved to a factory just outside Buchenwald KL, all ‘43 on bcds were assembled there by prisoner labor.
K98k Rifles were produced & numbered in blocks of 10,000, 1st block has no letter, then ####a, ####b, etc, when they ran through the alphabet, bcd used double letters. Not all makers did it the same, for example dot used aa, ab, ac, etc. Some plants went to 5 digits, but not all.
Being a non laminated stock is unusual for a bcd, more than other makers, almost all their stocks were made by Menzel.
The other barrel marks are part of the ‘barrel code’ indicating who made the blank, who turned the blank into a finished barrel, material lot code plus inspection marks & eagle firing proof.

to upload here, pix should be a bit less than 1 mb for best results.

 

[Rhodesia]

post photos for best info returned,
an early k98k would be 1937-38. bcd was an assembler & didn’t start as early as Mauser or Sauer, etc so early for them is ‘41-‘42. By 1943, assembly had been moved to a factory just outside Buchenwald KL, all ‘43 on bcds were assembled there by prisoner labor.
K98k Rifles were produced & numbered in blocks of 10,000, 1st block has no letter, then ####a, ####b, etc, when they ran through the alphabet, bcd used double letters. Not all makers did it the same, for example dot used aa, ab, ac, etc. Some plants went to 5 digits, but not all.
Being a non laminated stock is unusual for a bcd, more than other makers, almost all their stocks were made by Menzel.
The other barrel marks are part of the ‘barrel code’ indicating who made the blank, who turned the blank into a finished barrel, material lot code plus inspection marks & eagle firing proof.

to upload here, pix should be a bit less than 1 mb for best results.

Best I could do.

 

[Muncher 1953]

As info, that is absolutely a red glue laminated stock made by Menzel. in your pic 12/15, that letter ‘C’ is their mark. I didn’t see where you showed the stock serial. otherwise looks typical for a bcd 43.

 

[Rhodesia]

As info, that is absolutely a red glue laminated stock made by Menzel. in your pic 12/15, that letter ‘C’ is their mark. I didn’t see where you showed the stock serial. otherwise looks typical for a bcd 43.

So, I take it that this type of rifle is a common K98 nothing rare about it or special other than it was made at a Labor camp I take it. I have seen one on Gunbroker sell for $2,025 at the end of the auction but it was a high serial number with a century arms import mark. Thank you for the information

 

[Muncher 1953]

Gustloff was the 3rd largest maker by total rifles built, after Mauser Oberndorf & JP Sauer. In 1943 they made 321k rifles, averaging about 27k/mth. Not common as dirt, not rare either. Value goes to condition as well as scarcity. So yes, high condition, truly matching (not reddit talking out yer butt matching, but actually matching & original as built) $2k+ might be legit, but auction sites are often on the higher end of pricing, though not as much for quality. (IMO)

 

[Rhodesia]

Gustloff was the 3rd largest maker by total rifles built, after Mauser Oberndorf & JP Sauer. In 1943 they made 321k rifles, averaging about 27k/mth. Not common as dirt, not rare either. Value goes to condition as well as scarcity. So yes, high condition, truly matching (not reddit talking out yer butt matching, but actually matching & original as built) $2k+ might be legit, but auction sites are often on the higher end of pricing, though not as much for quality. (IMO)

Thank you

 

[Loewe]

It does have some some potential that sets it apart from normal (common) bcd/43's; for one the barrel is very late for a c-block, second the manner of suffix placement is later too (a c-block should be stacked not aligned, this only began in the e-block and then sporadically); nothing breathtaking but this rifle is later production than what is suggested...

Do more photos, it is not normal imo, worthy of more evaluation.

 

[Rhodesia]

It does have some some potential that sets it apart from normal (common) bcd/43's; for one the barrel is very late for a c-block, second the manner of suffix placement is later too (a c-block should be stacked not aligned, this only began in the e-block and then sporadically); nothing breathtaking but this rifle is later production than what is suggested...

Do more photos, it is not normal imo, worthy of more evaluation.

Thank you for your input greatly appreciated. I never owned a 98K so is the reason why I was asking the community about it. I see so may out there selling between $1500 and $2,000 and most of those I noticed are import marked like Century Arms, or SARCO. I see no evidence of that on this rifle and plus it was given to me from a lady her dad brought it back she said it had been in the closet and as far as she could remember he never took it out to shoot it. So, would this be a keeper or a seller?

 

[Rhodesia]

It does have some some potential that sets it apart from normal (common) bcd/43's; for one the barrel is very late for a c-block, second the manner of suffix placement is later too (a c-block should be stacked not aligned, this only began in the e-block and then sporadically); nothing breathtaking but this rifle is later production than what is suggested...

Do more photos, it is not normal imo, worthy of more evaluation.

I also found out what the letters ' Div ' that is inside a box with the number 1 under it meant on the right side of the barrel? I found this code online it means German Stainless Steel, Werke AG, Remscheid that made the barrel it was a subcontractor.

 

[Loewe]

The barrel is almost certainly made/finished by FN and the dlv is the steel or blank supplier, Edlestahl was a major-common steel (blanks) supplier to several firms (barrel finishers). Edlestahl probably didn't make barrels, though I have recorded a single report (KCN 1993) of Edlestahl as a finisher; - it is a longshot but possible as a few blank suppliers made small numbers of finished barrel... Ken Huddle thought it a possibility and no one has studied the subject of rifle and MG barrels more.

***I think the case that Edlestahl did supply semi-finished blanks (octagon encased "E") which occurred in several cases... one day some restless researcher will try and compile rifle-MG-cannon barrel research together for answers... Ken Huddle is the only researcher who has tried, (or trying, its been years since we conversed, -really one of the best researchers ever, right up there with JonSpeed and JoeSteen.

 

[Rhodesia]

The barrel is almost certainly made/finished by FN and the dlv is the steel or blank supplier, Edlestahl was a major-common steel (blanks) supplier to several firms (barrel finishers). Edlestahl probably didn't make barrels, though I have recorded a single report (KCN 1993) of Edlestahl as a finisher; - it is a longshot but possible as a few blank suppliers made small numbers of finished barrel... Ken Huddle thought it a possibility and no one has studied the subject of rifle and MG barrels more.

***I think the case that Edlestahl did supply semi-finished blanks (octagon encased "E") which occurred in several cases... one day some restless researcher will try and compile rifle-MG-cannon barrel research together for answers... Ken Huddle is the only researcher who has tried, (or trying, its been years since we conversed, -really one of the best researchers ever, right up there with JonSpeed and JoeSteen.

Thank you I greatly appreciated your input I'm learning since this is my first owned 98K given to me that was brought back and not imported, interesting what a story this rifle could tell and where the daughters father pick this up in Germany during the war or maybe picked one out of a surrendered pile to bring home as a souvenir.

 

[Stephan98k]

Paul already said it, this K98k was assembled later. It belongs to the 1944 production and was assembled between bcd4 coded receivers in the "c" block.

Gustloff was the 3rd largest maker by total rifles built, after Mauser Oberndorf & JP Sauer. In 1943 they made 321k rifles, averaging about 27k/mth.

I need to correct or add something. The highest Gustloff-Werke serial number known to me from 1943 is 9790hh and this corresponds to 339,790 K98ks.

The number of 321,000 K98k comes from the USSBS report and although the numbers differ, it is not an error. The difference is the payment for the labor of the concentration camp inmates in the K98k assembly, keep in mind the 5% deal with the SS.

The details are described here: Link

 

[Rhodesia]

Paul already said it, this K98k was assembled later. It belongs to the 1944 production and was assembled between bcd4 coded receivers in the "c" block.



I need to correct or add something. The highest Gustloff-Werke serial number known to me from 1943 is 9790hh and this corresponds to 339,790 K98ks.

The number of 321,000 K98k comes from the USSBS report and although the numbers differ, it is not an error. The difference is the payment for the labor of the concentration camp inmates in the K98k assembly, keep in mind the 5% deal with the SS.

The details are described here: Link

So I take it that since this is a low serial number 982 C it was assembled at a later date. What are the numbers on the barrel mean? because there is no serial number on the barrel that matches the receiver like you see in most 98K's unless the numbers on the barrel are an assembly number 43 on the top and 92957 that wraps around the barrel. If this is a later 98K made around 1944 I'm surprised it does not have the number 4 under the BCD code. again thank you for your input it really helps to learn about the history of these 98K's.

 

[heavy_mech]

To answer your question about the barrel numbers, collectively we call all of them together the 'barrel code'. They varied in their content by year and manufacturer. Yours has 43 for the year it was finished, the 92957 is the steel lot code for quality control purposes. That dlv/1 in the shield is for the supplier as Paul explained above in post #11

It looks like I see a waffenamt inspection after the dlv/1, but can't make it out. e/140? I expect there is probably a ch before the lot code under the woodline.