bnz 43 Single Rune

[Absolut]

Also found some spare minutes today to take pictures of another one which I had bought this year. It is an "all matching" K98k coded bnz 43 with Single Runes both on the receiver and on the magazine guard (there appears to be some marking on the magazine floorplate which is impossible to tell what it is, not sure if that could had been one too?). I wrote "all matching" because it is a factory mismatch, if it can be called this way. The receiver, bolt, rear sight assembly and stock are serialized 5417, whereas both barrel bands, magazine guard and even the handguard are serialized 5411. I've never before seen such a mixture of "matching" parts, but especially when it comes to forced labor I would not outrule the rather easy mixture of the letter 1 and 7 which are very similar in Steyr font.

This rifle has a second detail which I would want to point out. Note that not only it has quite a lot of blood stains on the outside of the stock - under the handguard there is even a crystalized blood stream still visible. It does result in rust pittings, but this is the first time I didn't remove something that makes metal rust. I've never seen blood flow below the wood parts, I can't even guess what must happen that blood can get to this place.

I've been aware of this particular rifle for a longer time. I wasn't successful in obtaining it when it came to the hands of a private individual who said bought it directly from the person who brought it back home (should still be alive), but instead sold it to another collector. Took two more years until it then finally went home with me. Always having wanted a nice and original rifle with Single Rune for myself I'm very happy and proud of this one since it has so many unique features that I had mentioned above that I'll be keeping it.

Finally also did some pictures of the barrel code for the code collectors in here. No V7 stamp that I was able to find, not even below the woodline. Only additional stamp is that 6 in a square on right side of front lug. Also note that the stock has a B (or R?) stamped right in front of the buttplate - never seen that before. No stamp below the buttplate, but funnily a totally misplaced starting lug for a buttplate screw probably 2 cm down of the top hole. And finally, also note the sloppy cutout for the bolt handle - typically long and flat, as usual for Steyr!

PS: Since there are so many to each other "mismatching" parts on this rifle, I had wondered when parts of a K98k rifles were serialized. When everything was put together, or was there like one person only serializing barrel bands consecutively and these were later put together with the rifle they were matching to? If I was to assume one person switched the serial number stamp several times on this rifle it would sound a bit weird that it has two different serials stamped several times. I'd rather think they came and the guy who assembled the rifle took the wrong but already fully serialized part from the ones waiting for a rifle.

 

[kewk]

Very interesting rifle and story. Do you know where it was originally taken?

 

[Absolut]

It turned up in Styria (not to be confused with Steyr) on the border to Salzburg, but no idea where the original owner exactly came from.