What fraktur suffix letter is this?

[Hambone]

http://www.library.yale.edu/cataloging/music/fraktur1.gif

This has always given me trouble. This looks like a "b" to me, but the construction and date in the barrel channel of the stock (32nd week of 1942) puts it at L. It's a receiver which has extra proofs and defects that were repaired, so it could have been recycled back through, however, it's vertical script, not slant (early '42). Unless.......Thanks y'all.

 

[8x57mauser]

My vote is a "b" I had a b block 42 sauer that looked almost exactly the same.

 

[Tiger 2 Tank]

"b" for sure.

 

[Hambone]

The problem is that "b" is far too early for the date of assembly and vertical script. L would make sense, but the change from slant to vertical script was later than L, I think past N.

 

[pzjgr]

Here is a link to an earlier thread with discussion on a suffix...there are a few other sheets with letters to peruse, maybe you can find a match...it does look like a "b" to me, but who knows...some of the letters were pretty oddly shaped...

http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?631-Question-on-Serial-Number-Suffix-duv-41

 

[reich1900]

Lower case written b

 

[mrfarb]

You can't use typical German font libraries for JP Sauer. Many of the letters are some odd mix of fonts - here's a thread I started with a handmade depiction of JPS fonts. By the way, it's a "b", 100% for sure.

http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?3666-JP-Sauer-fonts&highlight=sauer+fonts

 

[Hambone]

You can't use typical German font libraries for JP Sauer. Many of the letters are some odd mix of fonts - here's a thread I started with a handmade depiction of JPS fonts. By the way, it's a "b", 100% for sure.

http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?3666-JP-Sauer-fonts&highlight=sauer+fonts

I agree that it is a "b". It's what the fraktur script chart shows. However, it was assembled well beyond the "b" block, or our understanding of when a "b" block JPS 1942 K98k would be assembled under a linear production view. This one was assembled in August of 1942. This is further exemplified that it is a vertical script and has production features of a mid to late 1942 rifle. A true "b" block would have H band, slant script, etc., assuming linear production.

Now, the kicker is that it is this rifle:
http://forums.gunboards.com/showthr...2-Factory-(-)-Repair&highlight=Factory+repair

So, the receiver was repaired. However, this still does not account for how/why a vertical script receiver would have an early b block suffix.

 

[Hambone]

I don't see that JPS serials were non-linear in 1942. That is, a "b" would have been early style, perhaps even H band, with a slant script. If this was a scrapped and reused receiver in the "b" block it would have had a slant script receiver mark.

 

[itwillis]

Well the pictures of the repair are obvious but what if the original defect(s) were less so and the receiver was serialed at Sauer and and then failed an inspection some time after that, going back for repair and then being finished later in the year?

 

[Hambone]

Well the pictures of the repair are obvious but what if the original defect(s) were less so and the receiver was serialed at Sauer and and then failed an inspection some time after that, going back for repair and then being finished later in the year?

That would be logical, the problem is the receiver with the right side E/280, fraktur/Gothic siderail, and particularly the vertical script "ce" are all consistent with the construction of the rifle and significantly the date of assembly in the stock well, which is the 32nd week of 1942. That is well past the "b" block.

 

[mrfarb]

I like itwillis' explanation. It's pretty clear that the roll mark was done late in 42 along with assembly. The thread you would have to weave to make that happen is endless IMO.

 

[Hambone]

The only explanation that is "linear" is that the receiver was serial numbered in the "b" block without the roll stamp of the ce / 42 (or it was removed), then the receiver defects were repaired, reinspected, and it was placed back in production months later, receiving a mid/late '42 JPS ce vertical script stamp on the receiver.

 

[tsmgguy]

The final assembly date rules if the stock is original to the gun.

It's a "b" for certain. The marking is quite clear. We don't want to over think this; it wasn't unusual for final assembly to happen out of serial number sequence, sometimes way out!

 

[Hambone]

The final assembly date rules if the stock is original to the gun.
It's a "b" for certain. The marking is quite clear. We don't want to over think this; it wasn't unusual for final assembly to happen out of serial number sequence, sometimes way out!

From a "b" to a mid/late 1942 is way out and unusual enough to require more thinking than normal. I've never seen a serial this early finished this later in the year in a K98k. That's because there was a rifle crisis from 1941-1942 where they were pushing everything they could out the door and to the troops. If it was within a month or so, no big deal. The key to this is that the rifle receiver had defects which were repaired, and also reinspected, which is different from just letting something sit.