Barrel - markings

I am looking for some more information about the markings on those two barrels .
First one on a BNZ 42 k98 barrel , second picture (S5035341DS) on a CE 42 k98 barrel.

Those are barrel codes which were used to track barrel production. The Steyr barrel code is the steel lot number "39", the finisher of the barrel blank (Circle W, which is Steyr), and the barrel blank supplier "Ru" for Ruhrstahl. The CE 42 barrel code reads as the barrel finisher "S" for Sauer, lot code of "50353", date of "41" for 1941, and barrel blank supplier as "DS" which is Dohlen Stahl. The long form Sauer code was only used from 1940-1942 and was dropped pretty early in 1942 for a code system that was less complex.

Thanks for the interesting and complete information!

Too bad no serial number was marked on those barrels.....

Gélodé said:

Thanks for the interesting and complete information!

Too bad no serial number was marked on those barrels.....

Click to expand...

Serial numbers were dropped from the barrels for most K98k manufacturers in 1942 as part of the simplification of arms manufacture and inspection. Many parts had serialization and inspection dropped this year and in Mauser Oberndorf's case, they went so far as to remove the lot numbers of the barrels which lead to issues in tracking lots suffering from material defects.

AN-94 said:

Serial numbers were dropped from the barrels for most K98k manufacturers in 1942 as part of the simplification of arms manufacture and inspection. Many parts had serialization and inspection dropped this year and in Mauser Oberndorf's case, they went so far as to remove the lot numbers of the barrels which lead to issues in tracking lots suffering from material defects.

Click to expand...

Interesting, I thought all the manufacturers dropped steel lot numbers until bad steel made its way in and caused burst barrels then the simplification was reversed and steel lots were added again.