Kar98a B, Schutz inscription on receiver

[Tom H]

This is an otherwise unremarkable 1917 Erfurt. Interwar?

 

[AndyB]

Done per single letter, the T in Schutz is upside down added , which is too much T. instead of a dot a , Bahnschutz teoretically when the stamp is period??

 

[Tom H]

Who knows

 

[Stan]

Possible name of GI who brought it home? I've seen some guns engraved or stamped with owner names or ID numbers before. Seemingly, more commonly done in the 1950's and 60's.

 

[Cyrano4747]

Possible name of GI who brought it home? I've seen some guns engraved or stamped with owner names or ID numbers before. Seemingly, more commonly done in the 1950's and 60's.

That would explain the weird mark in the middle of "schutz." Could be "B, Schultz"

 

[Stan]

That would explain the weird mark in the middle of "schutz." Could be "B, Schultz"

I can't make out the letter to really say. Maybe Schultz, or Schuitz?

 

[chrisftk]

I've seen this rifle a couple times floating around and my impression was always some sort of post-war marking perhaps for the veteran that brought it back. I've seen other trophy weapons marked in a similar way.

 

[Cyrano4747]

I can't make out the letter to really say. Maybe Schultz, or Schuitz?

I'm voting Schultz just because throwing a T upside down to make an ersatz L makes a certain kind of sense, but less as an I. The whole thing looks very ad-hoc and done with whatever was at hand, without much care for spacing or alignment.

I agree with Chris that it smells like something a vet did, throwing your name on your gun was certainly a thing with that era. Hell, might not have even been a vet, could just be something done in a garage in the 50s with a cheap rifle bought at the hardware store. Most of the markings put on by police, auxiliaries, military units, and even much more informal stuff like militias seem to pay a bit more attention to spacing and alignment, even if it's not perfect. That look more like a one off done by someone who was more concerned with someone walking off with their deer gun than looking pretty.

 

[Tom H]

Agree, when I bought it thought it was graffiti of some sort. As if Weimar or NS property marks would make it more valuable.

 

[Fal Grunt]

I recently bought some actions, late late late vz24's, right before the change over, already featured "late war" rough machining and deleted operations. Guy had engraved his social security number on numerous parts including the receivers, extractors, triggers, trigger guards.

I really honestly sat there for 15 minutes staring at them thinking WTF.

 

[Cyrano4747]

It's not just guns. Having gone through my grandfather's tool shed when he passed I can say with confidence that while the happiest day of his life may have been his wedding day, the second was easily the day he bought his first electro pencil.

 

[Stan]

I recently bought some actions, late late late vz24's, right before the change over, already featured "late war" rough machining and deleted operations. Guy had engraved his social security number on numerous parts including the receivers, extractors, triggers, trigger guards.

I really honestly sat there for 15 minutes staring at them thinking WTF.

I think there was a time that the police recommended marking firearms with some ID, or SS # as a good idea to recover stolen goods. Of course, that was before identity theft became an issue like these days!