ac panel cut

armenjs

armenjs

Senior Member
I tried to research panel cuts and noticed they started early ac43 up to late q ac44 to later but not necessary on many ac45. As far as I can tell or read there were no instruction. That makes be believe based on availability or subcontractor! The mystery is based on what??
 
Not sure we will ever know why they made the panel cut examples. They show up randomly, even on ac45 marked rifles.
 
My understanding was that they were the first style of receiver and are prominent in 1943 and early 1944 'a' and 'b' suffix blocks. They then disappear for awhile but they do show up in 1944 (especially starting in the 'p' block) and again throughout 1945 but these would likely be previously rejected receivers that were forced into production. Some evidence of this is many are generally all G43 not K43 marked, where as milled receivers that fall in the same block are mostly K43 marked.

Claus has a good serial number study and Tiger Tank could likely add more but seems to be MIA.

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/17370557/g43-k43-serial-number-studies

They are generally WaA marked 359, so I believe they would be 'ac' production as they don't have any other WaA marking on the receiver, unlike the cosmetic receivers which were contracted.

I think the panel cut was eliminated as it was simply an unnecessary step in production that could be eliminated.

Out of the 10x rifles that I have decided to keep, this was the last variation that I added to my own collection. Realistically, all I need is a 1943 and I should have a good representation or production variations.
 
agentcq said:
I think the panel cut was eliminated as it was simply an unnecessary step in production that could be eliminated.
Click to expand...

It's not just a matter of skipping the mill operation for the panel. The panel cut receiver is forged using a completely different die.

My guess would be that the panel cuts were maybe an early receiver design that was eventually simplified, but they decided to use the dies anyway to increase production. They eliminated the panel cut once production was fully up to speed (around the b block), but by late 1944 things were getting bad and they brought those dies back into use. Possibly after they lost the forges at St. Etienne? They seem to start showing up again around late summer, so that would fit.

Of course, all of this is just reasonable speculation. Unless someone finds documentation, we will probably never know for sure.



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agentcq said:
My understanding was that they were the first style of receiver and are prominent in 1943 and early 1944 'a' and 'b' suffix blocks. They then disappear for awhile but they do show up in 1944 (especially starting in the 'p' block) and again throughout 1945 but these would likely be previously rejected receivers that were forced into production. Some evidence of this is many are generally all G43 not K43 marked, where as milled receivers that fall in the same block are mostly K43 marked.

Claus has a good serial number study and Tiger Tank could likely add more but seems to be MIA.

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/17370557/g43-k43-serial-number-studies

They are generally WaA marked 359, so I believe they would be 'ac' production as they don't have any other WaA marking on the receiver, unlike the cosmetic receivers which were contracted.

I think the panel cut was eliminated as it was simply an unnecessary step in production that could be eliminated.

Out of the 10x rifles that I have decided to keep, this was the last variation that I added to my own collection. Realistically, all I need is a 1943 and I should have a good representation or production variations.
Click to expand...

Very in sighting. I think you got something there, Likely early prod was meant to keep the quality somehow close as G41 but then other important matters came along. Cutting back on forging makes more sense now, obviously later crude stile became standard.
 
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