BSW Depot K98k

[Cleo45]

I recently acquired a BSW code K98k, serial # V 409. Never seen a K98k serial number marked like this. The crest, of the receiver is stamped only with a "1" (could it be a poorly struck Russian capture X mark?).

The distinctive BSW stamp is on the starboard receiver ring, forward of a single Nazi Eagle proof stamp. There are no E/4 stamps on the receiver as is common on BSW made K98ks. There also are no LA Lutwaffe stamps on the port side barrel or receiver.

The 1940 Ru barrel has E/26 stamps on it, so it came possibly from Berlin-Lubecker (used from 1936-1938) or from Borsigwalde (used 1938-1944).

The gun is a total mix-master for serial numbers, including parts from Oberndorf, Lubecker, Radom/Steyr and Grossfuss, however all of the serialized parts look to have their original German stamps except for electro-pencil "409" marks on the bolt body and stamped sheet metal trigger bow and a faint "409" stamped on the port side of the butt and aligned along the long-axis of the rifle. The electro-pencil and stock serial numbers suggest possible Russian capture. Somebody has likely sanded the stock as the "409" stamp is barely visible, making it difficult to tell if this K98k had that nasty orange-colored varnish used by the Russian during refurb. All metal parts are blued, except for the cupped butt plate and the bolt take-down ferrule, which are int he white.

The bottom of the barrel forward of the bayonet lug is stamped “TG KNOX TN 98K 8MM Germany” indicating it was imported into the US by Tennessee Guns in Knoxville.

My guees is this K98k was made in 1938 or 1939, based on the single Nazi Eagle firing proof mark (Buchsstempel) on the starboard receiver ring (Karem and Steves, Karabiner 98k, Vol I, page 478) and text in last paragraph on page 481 of Karem and Steeves, Vol I) which indicates that some 1939-built BSW receivers were ordnance spare parts and were stamped “BSW” on the starboard side of the receiver like this rifle. These spare parts also carry just the Nazi Eagle stamp (like this example) with no E/4 stamps that normal grace BSW-made receivers.

I am most interested in how many of these depot BSWs are floating around out there and any history behind where they were manufactured and when. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

 

[RyanE]

The blank receiver was made by BSW for the depot system as a spare part around 1937 or 1938. The rifle is a depot built gun assembled from spare parts, and the 'V' is actually a Roman numeral that indicates the military district (Wehrkreis) where the depot was located. It was built by HZa Ulm, the main depot in Wehrkreis V. Assembly could have been as late as 1944, but most think these were done around 1941/1942.

These district marked depot builds are scarce. Posen (XXI) and Thorn (XX) builds are the most common, and most of the rest are usually only found in RC imports like this one.

Also, the number on the top of the receiver is a common thing on RC rifles. Some kind of inspection.

 

[Cleo45]

Thanks for the background info RyanE, with your lead, I have tracked down some additional info on depot rebuilds, including some specific Ulm Depot details from Karem and Steeves' Vol IIb. I will see what I can learn when I fully disassemble the rifle later this week, perhaps there will be something stamped on the underside of the hand guard or in the barrel channel, like the pic on page 820 of the ZaUlm5 stamp.

 

[RyanE]

The barreled receiver is the only thing original to the gun. The rest of the parts are a mix of whatever the Russians put on it.

 

[chrisftk]

Very nice pickup! I've got one of these myself. SN V 26. This was one of the least observed depot builds. Mine is a Walther receiver and also an RC. There is an Ulm stamp on the right receiver of mine. Given the dearth of Ulm builds, still worth having.

 

[Cleo45]

Just noticed in Karem and Steves, (Vol IIb, page 820), they indicate that they had not seen any K98ks refurbed and marked by Ulm, but had seen some Ulm-reworked Vz24s. Perhaps the K98k chrisftk shows above is the first K98k known to be stamped with an Ulm refurb stamp!

On my rifle, I also have found the number 1 stamped on the firing pin, under side of the bolt handle and on the follower. The font on these other parts looks like the receiver serial number font - coarse and deep. The more I look at the mark on the receiver crest (see pic in first post), the more it looks like a 1. If it is a 1, rather than a Roman numeral 5, would it suggest it was a Konigsberg depot rework? Or as RyanE noted, is it just a Russian inspection mark with no link to the rifle's history? Food for thought.

After disassembling V409, the receiver, bolt body and bolt release lever have BSW Waffenamts on them, so might have been BSW ordnance or left-over parts. Barrel is Geco stamped, 1940, all other parts are as RyanE noted, a mishmash of parts from different makers (11 different Waffenamts so far) and with different serial numbers thrown together by the Russians during their refurb.

 

[RyanE]

On my rifle, I also have found the number 1 stamped on the firing pin, under side of the bolt handle and on the follower.

The 1 you are seeing on those parts is probably the letter 'l'. That is the letter code for Astrawerke in Chemitz, one of the main suppliers of Gustloff (bcd).

 

[mrfarb]

A refurb and a depot build are 2 different things, depot builds like yours are out there but refurbs are not.

 

[Cleo45]

mrfarb is right, and my bad, I was incorrectly mixing the terms depot rebuild and refurb. Maybe some clarifications will help with some new pics after rifle disassembly:

1. The BSW receiver was an ordnance spare part made by BSW. Not sure it is relevant but the style of the "W' in "BSW" is that seen on the receiver crests of the the 1936-37 BSW-built K98ks (see Karem and Steves, Vol I, page 474 for comparisons).
2. The bolt release lever has an E/4 Waffenamt stamp on it, indicating BSW manufacture
3. The bottom flat at the root of bolt handle is stamped with a a "1" that is clearly visible (see pic below). It is also stamped with two worn Waffenamts: the one next to the "1" is an E/4 used by BSW while the other is an E/749 Waffenamt, which was used by BSW in 1940 and by Gustloff in 1941-1944. Sorry for the pic, I could not get a clearer pic of those tiny stamps. So the bolt body likely came from BSW and possibly was a spare part used by Gustloff.
4. The barrel is a Geco stamped barrel dated 1940 (see pic below and earlier in this thread. The barrel is stamped with three E/26 Waffenamts next to the barrel code, a stamp used at Borsigwalde from 1938-1944. Neither barrel or receiver has any reference lines stamped on the torque ring and adjacent receiver edge. If original BSW and Borsigwalde original production K98ks had stamped barrel-receiver reference lines (I don't known answer to this), then the barrel likely was mated to the receiver during a depot rebuild.
5. The firing pin has an Imperial German crown over Fraktur D stamp, a "54" for part of the original serial number and a "01" with the "1" in the same odd style as the "1" on the receiver crest (see firing pin pic below and crest pic earlier in this thread).
6. I am not certain who stamped the receiver "V409" but assume it was done at a work depot. I assume the Russians added the number 409 to the stock, and in electro-pencil to the bolt body and trigger bow.
7. All of the other metal parts have mismatched serial numbers with a variety of Waffenamt stamps. The serial numbers on the stock barrel channel and hand guard are mismatched and although an "H" Army stamp is barely visible on the port butt stock, the Waffenamts have been sanded off, possibly by the Russians or perhaps later by Bubba when he attempted to remove the Russian varnish. So I do not know who originally manufactured the stock or hand guard.

 

[RyanE]

The bottom flat at the root of bolt handle is stamped with a a "1" that is clearly visible (see pic below). It is also stamped with two worn Waffenamts: the one next to the "1" is an E/4 used by BSW while the other is an E/749 Waffenamt, which was used by BSW in 1940 and by Gustloff in 1941-1944. Sorry for the pic, I could not get a clearer pic of those tiny stamps. So the bolt body likely came from BSW and possibly was a spare part used by Gustloff.

Thanks for the pic. Your bolt is made by Astrawerke and that is actually an E/1, not E/4. WaA1 was the acceptance office at Astrawerke and the 'l' was their maker code. Kind of confusing, I know, as both look like the number 1. As you correctly note, WaA749 is Gustloff and was applied when the bolt was used there.

If original BSW and Borsigwalde original production K98ks had stamped barrel-receiver reference lines (I don't known answer to this), then the barrel likely was mated to the receiver during a depot rebuild.

Well, the barrel was a spare part installed by HZa Ulm. You can tell it is a spare barrel by the "0,2" stamped on the barrel collar. This was a measurement of how short the chamber was cut which allowed armorers to adjust for headspace on install. Armorers also had "0,1" and probably "0,3" barrels available, but "0,2" are by far the most common.

I am not certain who stamped the receiver "V409" but assume it was done at a work depot. I assume the Russians added the number 409 to the stock, and in electro-pencil to the bolt body and trigger bow.

V409 is indeed the serial number applied during the built at Ulm. Just to clarify, what you have is a very rare depot build. What we call "depot builds" are guns that were built from a depot's existing inventory of spare parts. They are not repaired or rebuilt weapons, but brand new guns assembled from unused spares and the occasional salvaged part.

Only the barrel and receiver are from the original build. The bolt, stock, etc. were all added the gun in the 1950s, and all are from random guns. The Russians appear to have broken down all of their K98k into parts and then reassembled during rework with whatever parts pulled from the bin.