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ZF4 Rig with wooden box

Absolut

Absolut

Senior Member
Purchased the attached shown complete rig, consisting of wooden box that is pencil serialized on top and carries the (rifle) number matching 214 accepted mount on the inside. Quite a complete rig, even has the yellow lense in the box. What is pretty unusual to me, the rifle serial appears to be STAMPED on the mount. I can only recall this from early 359/Walther mounts. Was this a very early BLM scope mount? Also it came with the reverse tapered eyecup.
 

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Forum doesn't want me to attach the first picture to the start post, therefore in a separate post.
 

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I looked at all my pictures and couldn't find a 214 mount stamped like that. Possible that someone pieced this together from original parts. Seems to be a mixer of early and late stuff. We definitely see dow and ddx scopes on Walther mounts but never seen a ddx scope on a BLM mount. However, with G/K43s it seems like a wide mix of stuff.

Case is a nice one.
 
Have you ever seen a stamped rifle number on a 214 mount? It surely is a headscratcher, but I don‘t think this was done post war.
 
I would have to say that the vast majority would expect to see a specific style of engraving, that BLM uses, on all numbered 214 proofed mounts...anything differing from that is considered "Non Textbook". I can say that I am yet to see an original 214 with stamped numbers on it, and I have only seen a small sampling of the many thousands out there. Now, that is not saying they do not exist, anything is possible.

Maybe someone has an early "dual numbered" 214 mount out there, like the early "359" types that are seen.. If you do, please post.

Now this rig, seems to have been tampered with over the years. Was it at a depot?, in the field? or in some collectors basement? We may never know.
 
Very late 214 mounts were stamped, but with different font and they are from the late round type. I will show them in my K43 accessories book.

As for this piece: Real very early L scope, even though I must add I have not ever seen so far an undoubtedly issued L scope on a K43 mount. The rubber is original and early for ddx scopes. The phosphated bands are late. Maybe mount was reissued to another rifle, closer look needed.
 
I‘ll be picking the macro lense and get some closeup of the rifle number on the mount. It doesn‘t look scrubbed and I am pretty certain the number is period done. Maybe as suggested a depot repair? Mainly picked it for coming with the matching can. Former owner has had it for more than 30 years. Bought the ZFK43/1 mount rig from same guy earlier, posted this a longer time ago. He also has had various rifles from the Mauser factory collection (of which I bought four, they were posted in here too) and a lot of other high end stuff. Also my matching mount ac45 rifle came from him.
 
Brian Kowalski said:
I would have to say that the vast majority would expect to see a specific style of engraving, that BLM uses, on all numbered 214 proofed mounts...anything differing from that is considered "Non Textbook". I can say that I am yet to see an original 214 with stamped numbers on it, and I have only seen a small sampling of the many thousands out there. Now, that is not saying they do not exist, anything is possible.
Click to expand...
Alright, pulled the macro objective to the camera (almost as expensive as this rig LOL) and took these two pictures for you (and for additional details made a cutout in original camera pixel size too). Looking forward to what you think.

PS: had taken me to see them on the computer to notice there is dirt on it. If you want I can clean and re-take pictures.

ZF4Rig_12.jpgZF4Rig_13.jpgZF4Rig_12detail.jpgZF4Rig_13detail.jpg


ZF4Rig_14.jpg
 
Alright, took five minutes to clean out that oil/dirt/rust/whatever it was in the letters very carefully, then took these two pictures, with one detail each. It appears as if the finish is also within the stamps, as I would expect it to be (unless pantographed).

Looking forward to hear your opinion @Brian Kowalski !

ZF4Rig_15.jpgZF4Rig_15Detail.jpgZF4Rig_16.jpgZF4Rig_16Detail.jpg
 
Thank you for the additional, very well detailed pics. The mount is obviously original.

Stamped numbers on "214" mounts are typically accepted as non textbook in the current collector community.
I am not saying they don't exist..anything is possible here. Another very experienced forum collector indicates that they may have started
stamping SNs on them very very late in the war. I am yet to acquire one or see one in hand though.

I know the French used some 214 mounts on their G43s, immediately after the war...could this be one of them?? We may never know.

Anybody else have a stamped SN 214 mount?
 
Hello
Is there any other known example of zf4 wooden box Pencil serialized like this one ?
Regards
 
Xavier said:
Is there any other known example of zf4 wooden box Pencil serialized like this one ?
Click to expand...
Good question. I did search a bit and came up with other serialized wooden boxes:
- stamped rifle number on the scope box body: https://www.ratisbons.com/auctions-...uction/wehrmacht-zf-4-riflescope-box-waa.html
- "numbering on the lid and the side": https://www.k98kforum.com/threads/a...d-waa359-mount-rig-i-recently-acquired.56779/
- "named to the soldier it was issued with", on inside: https://www.k98kforum.com/threads/vet-bring-back-zf4-rig-with-named-box.16118/
- Painted outside, pencil numbered inside: https://www.historicalparts.com/ZF4box.jpg

With the metal cans there are quite a few known to have the rifle and/or scope serials on them. It seems not standard, but somewhat not uncommon to find?
 
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