dou 43 mm block

P

phosphorus32

Active member
I just received this from an auction that occurred quite a while ago. A few anomalies but let me know what you think. White laminate stock (serial number and letter block) but red laminate handguard (unnumbered). No serial numbers on the trigger guard, floorplate, or barrel bands. All of the other parts have consistent serial numbers. The bore is perfect and there is clean grease inside the bolt. Firing pin and bolt face are very clean. Obviously the stock is less than pristine.

A lot of pictures for your consideration. Thanks for looking!





















 
Definitely it's expected to have s/n on bands and floorplate/triggerguard in 1943 still. The rest of the metal looks good. What puzzles me more is the eagle on the stock, it looks very Steyr to me but also doesn't look obviously fake..But we know Brunn II shouldn't have external stock markings, yet this stock is numbered the rifle. This brings either the stock s/n or the eagle into question. There should be a 2-3 letter code in the barrel channel of the stock, a few inches away from the s/n and toward the butt, something like Ph or Phm or Phh. Also is the handguard numbered?
 
Handguard is not numbered and it’s red instead of white laminate. The eagle on the stock definitely appears as old as the finish. Stock has the upper case MM instead of lower case mm found on the receiver. Metal stamps and wood stamps would be expected to be different but UC vs. lc seems somewhat odd.

Agreed that the unnumbered parts cause me pause. I believe the mm block is the last one of 1943 so transition to some early 1944 characteristics may be possible but I need to look those up in The Books.
 
phosphorus32 said:
I believe the mm block is the last one of 1943 so transition to some early 1944 characteristics may be possible but I need to look those up in The Books.
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Definitely possible, but from what I can see in the books, all bands should be stamped by late 1943. So I question the bands...Can't tell about the TG/FP, would need to know if stamped or milled. Hard to tell about upper vs. lower case...the dou 44 t-block in the pic sticky has lower case t in the stock serial.
I think finding the subcontractor code in the barrel channel would prove this is a dou stock at least, if you question the s/n in the stock. I also think HG should be numbered but the books don't say...the rifles in pic sticky generally have s/n and letter block on the HG though. Yours looks like it has been on the rifle a long time at least, and I know at least Brunn I was known to mix up the red and white glue on stocks and handguards, at least in 1944.
 
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I would expect numbered bands, a numbered trig guard, a numbered floor plate, and no stock cartouche....for a dou 43/44. I once had a "gg" block dou 43 and the alpha was lower case in the wood. This all suggests a restored rifle...
 
Thanks for the additional input mb44kar and Bob in OH. A restoration I can tolerate quite easily for the price I paid but humped numbers in a barrel channel are undesirable, to say the least.

I don’t recall seeing a three letter code anywhere on the stock. Does anyone recognize the “BH” on the stock hidden by the buttplate?
 
I don’t like the stock. The uppercase MM is a big time issue to me. You NEVER see upper case letters, and dou is very consistent. Anything at the wrist? Or was in the stock channel?
 
Also yes, bands and TG/fp should be numbered. Maybe a restored sporter. I’d also expect stamped bands.
 
CanadianAR said:
I don’t like the stock. The uppercase MM is a big time issue to me. You NEVER see upper case letters, and dou is very consistent. Anything at the wrist? Or was in the stock channel?
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Thanks. I just got back from travel, so I disassembled and took another thorough look at the stock inside and out. The serial number is in the stock channel. There is definitely no three letter code anywhere. There are no other markings on the stock, inside or out, except the eagle on the right side and the "BH" hidden by the buttplate.
 
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