Recently acquired dot 1944 K98k, would like information

[Muncher 1953]

I couldn't help myself. I took the butt plate off. Clearly, it has been removed before as the shellac is under the sides of the stock. I see what the bare wood looks like so that gives me a reference. Unfortunately, all of the pencil marks are not present.

By the way, is there some limit on file uploads?

the marks had a customary format, day/week/year as likely specified by contracts, and usually a maker code. Most I’ve seen personally have been stamped rather than by pencil, but it varied. I have one marked 9 29 43, so a mistake? marked by a rebel? IMO, the real ‘meaning’ of the marks is that solid wood & even plywood are natural materials whose aging characteristics could & did affect supply & logistics in manufacturing rifles, so they kept track of when & who made the stocks for quality control reasons.

 

[Muncher 1953]

Look man, you brought JP Sauer into this post when nobody else did. You opened it up and unfortunately you made this false statement:

“because Sauer got stocks from Haenel, & were small takedown disc stocks through the end of the war”

I felt it was inaccurate and something that many who are not JPS aficionados do not know and may be reading your response. There is a common misconception, that JPS pretty much exclusively used Haenel stocks in assembly and with the “small style” 25mm stock disc. That’s LIKELY true pretty much until about the “O” and “P” blocks of 1944 assembly. Then you have Mauser supplied stocks and under 5000 menzel stocks that were ordered/delivered and finally at the very end Haenel supplied stocks with the “big style” 30mm stock discs.

I was being civil in my response to you and just sharing some info so you and others don’t have the same misconception that I did many years ago, but I sense you felt offended by it. I’m a straight shooter man, wasn’t trying to act like a know it all jerk if that’s how you interpreted it.

OK, man, whatever. The question was about stock codes under butt plates, not what you construed as a “false statement” about Sauer stocks. Your statements may be true, but how are they relevant to the OPs’ question?
And I would sincerely like to read a future post by you on the subject of Sauer stock discs & their history. (that’s not a challenge)

 

[DZelenka]

From what is present on the butt, is there any information that can be discerned?

 

[Muncher 1953]

From what is present on the butt, is there any information that can be discerned?

without being able to see what might be under the primer, I wouldn't be confident in guessing, perhaps others may have an idea. ‘Br’ was a maker code, but if 1st digit is 9 as it looks to be then it doesn’t fit the “usual” pattern.

 

[DZelenka]

without being able to see what might be under the primer, I wouldn't be confident in guessing, perhaps others may have an idea. ‘Br’ was a maker code, but if 1st digit is 9 as it looks to be then it doesn’t fit the “usual” pattern.

Br seems to be the manufacturer code for Mathias Baeuerle, Laufwerke GmbH, St. Georgen, Black Forest. The only other reference that I found to that manufacturer during WWII was a cluster bomblet that was stamped Br 9 which seems a long way from a rifle stock.

 

[Muncher 1953]

Br seems to be the manufacturer code for Mathias Baeuerle, Laufwerke GmbH, St. Georgen, Black Forest. The only other reference that I found to that manufacturer during WWII was a cluster bomblet that was stamped Br 9 which seems a long way from a rifle stock.

& today……

History

mb-bauerle.de

 

[heavy_mech]

I also believe that the stock is a factory error. I have a '43 dot that has the serial numbers transposed on several rear sight pieces. Right digits and correct font.

 

[Muncher 1953]

I also believe that the stock is a factory error. I have a '43 dot that has the serial numbers transposed on several rear sight pieces. Right digits and correct font.

I have one as well, between receiver, bolt handle & barrel channel 3202, 3204, 3302, just no way for those to have been assembled from parts later. (extractor is 04 as well) In the case of the Czechs, I think it was deliberate passive resistance.

 

[DZelenka]

So basically, if my seller’s grandpa didn’t decide to make the stock pretty by putting a finish on it, this rifle would be perfectly correct with an outstanding barrel? Well, that and the fact that he let the sling get into such a condition that it parted where it goes through the butt.

 

[DZelenka]

Now if I could only find one of the two K98k bayonets that I have floating around my gun room.