K98k byf 44 L block

[indianadam]

Hello,
For data and sharing pictures, here is a late 1944 byf rifle L block.
The dual finish with some phosphated parts is nice.
Stock and some others parts are no more numbered.
Bought in Germany. Sling was not on the rifle.
Regards,
Damien

 

[indianadam]

Pictures suite

 

[indianadam]

Pictures suite

 

[indianadam]

Puctures end

 

[bruce98k]

Great photo study of classic L block dual tone! Thanks for posting it.

 

[Remfan]

Thanks for all the pics. Looks nicer than the BYF 44 I had a while back. Especially the wood. Mine almost seemed it left the factory with hardly any finish at all. Century Arms Imports but only $225 back in the early 90s.

 

[mauser99]

nice to see an all original "as found" rifle posted.. these L blocks are great examples to study.

 

[Guillaume d'Orange]

Chouette carabine intacte. Merci pour les photos détaillées et de montrer le code du canon. Je vais l'ajouter à ma liste :

Mauser Oberndorf : Late 1944 arithmetics

Hi everyone, I am doing some guesstimate work and I would like to know your own guesses to the 2 following questions (between byf 44 d block and k block included): 1) On average, how many rifles produced for one barrel blank lot number ? 2) On average, how many rifles produced per day ? My...

www.k98kforum.com

I've never seen the "dual tone" mix. Interesting.
Couple of questions for @bruce98k :
- does the dual tone thing appear early in the L block (in Vol III, there's one recorded at 6488 L) ?
- could those rifles be like the 10 378 L with the Kriegsmodell stock i.e a rifle assembled in the last days of 1944 or even 1945 but which has received an early L s/n ?
- when will they run out of those FN bolts ? End of 1944 and they still got reserves, come on ! Looking at the poorly struck "MI", it may have been among the last ones, or even a rejected one.

By the way, 885 is among the codes which got crack problems (p.56 of Vol III), debated on November 10, 1944.

 

[bruce98k]

Well good questions. Early 'L' blocks are all blued, but quickly show up in 'dual tone' configuration.
The dual tone guns are characterized by a phosphate bolt and trigger housing assembly.
I would say that a very high percentage of the 'L' block are these dual tone examples.

We know that the serialized production was non-linear, so that multiple blocks with different number ranges were in process.
Case in point is SN 10387L, all phosphated Kriegsmodell with "broken firing proof" likely assembled in early 1945.
For the most part though, production is reasonably uniform with the serial number range following late features (phosphating and KM).

I have not done a study on the fallout on the MI (FN) bolts. We do see the appearance of the diverted armorers bolt bodies which were transferred from
the depots in the East before they were overrrun by the Soviets (my assumption). Then a good percentage are Astrawerke bolts and unmarked examples (transferred from JP Sauer?). You still see occasional FN bolts and rare FN barrels used in early 1945 production.

 

[jbmauser]

Very nice! The phosphate FN bolt isn't common from my observations.

 

[Guillaume d'Orange]

Very nice! The phosphate FN bolt isn't common from my observations.

Have you recorded some s/n with which they show up ?

 

[Aaron]

At what serial range do these transition to kriegsmodell stocks? Or is it a mixed bag until the end of 1944 production?

 

[Guillaume d'Orange]

At what serial range do these transition to kriegsmodell stocks? Or is it a mixed bag until the end of 1944 production?

Based on the study, they start to appear rather regularly after 40 000 L, but there are some oddities like 8856 L or 10378 L (with hints as Bruce said that some were assembled in 1945, despite the s/n):

Mauser Oberndorf K98k Serial Studies and Data - 1934 to 1946

Mauser Oberndorf Data for K98k

www.k98kforum.com

If there's any pattern for the phosphated bolt (not necessarily FN), it looks a bit similar.

 

[jbmauser]

Have you recorded some s/n with which they show up ?

I might have but it wouldn't be many. I'll check my database and see.

 

[mike radford]

Nice. Thanks for posting. Mike S. did some work with cold blue and fine steel wool IIRC, on the browning that happens on late phosphate. Turned out nice. I started to try it on an otherwise minty Rem. Rand M1911A1 but decided to let it be except a good cleaning with Kroil then a heavy coat of RIG. After about 10 years just the RIG has reduced the brown considerably. I have pistols stored in Robert's boxes and gun wrap, coated in RIG that went untouched for at least that long and have not had an issue. Get stuff that RIG, good temp and humidity control and gun paper.