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receiver Marking

whcoyote

Well-known member
This marking is on the bottom flat of my Mauser/33 receiver. There are no other markings there.
Can anyone identify it?
 

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A picture of it in context with the rest of the receiver would help.

That said, if it's the many small markings on the bottom, there are a fair few of those that are just mysteries.
 
My bad. Should have done that in the first place. Hope this helps.
 

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my unqualified WAG: MB, for ‘Mauser Borsigwalde’. Its less complex but reminiscent of the “DWM” script mark of a slightly earlier time. That’s what came to mind when I 1st looked at it……
 
Specifically what rifle is it - Banner, Standard Modell, or Argentine Carbine?
 
I thought it would be understood that a receiver marked MAUSER/33 would be a Banner K model, except for the few receivers diverted from BK to Standard Modell. But by that stage of construction they were already marked as Banners.
To your question, it is a Banner K model, if I have used your book correctly as a guide.
 

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That marking is an early Obendorf in-house acceptance/inspection stamp.
There are other Gothic style inspection stamps associated with Banner K production.
 
Bruce:
Did MO identify this receiver marking as “Mauser Banner” in 1933 or is that a name given to it later on by collectors, etc.?
 
The roll mark is the "Mauser Banner" regardless whether its a military or commercial rifle or pistol.
Mauser used the term Stand.-Gewehr in sales ledgers, and then Gewehre & Karab. after 1933.
Mauser did not use the "Mauser Banner" description. In correspondence, the terms Mauser Standard-Gewehr
and Mauser-Gewehr fur Deutsche Reichspost were used. You see the variability here.

The term "Banner K" is a collector used term to identify all of the varieties of the Banner rifles, these being issue to the following organizations:
Reichsbahn, Reichspost, ChdA, and Gr.B.B

This is all detailed in Volume I.
 
Thanks. I have read all that.
The stamping at issue appears to be a stylized “MB” or “BM”. I had the thought that it represented “Banner-Modell” but, your information above negates that.
I agree that it is an in-house purposed stamp but it is a very stylized stamping, slightly larger than normal inspection stamps and placed squarely and prominently in the center of the receiver flat. My belief is that it was meant to be special in some way. Perhaps we will never know.
My understanding is that you have quite a few Banner-marked pieces in your collection. Perhaps, as you disassemble one from time-to-time, you could note the presence of this stamp.
It looks too important to just signify, “Yeah, I looked at that and it’s okay”.
 
The first 33 dated Banner K I took apart has that marking, along with one other.
 
That marking goes back to the very early 1900's and is seen sometimes on contract Mauser rifles, various parts.

It *may* be a early version of the WR seen later, but I have absolutely no evidence to support that. The way I have seen it used, it is more likely some form of fire proof or acceptance/inspection stamp.

Just thinking aloud. Will have to try and remember if I have any rifles with that marking.
 
The first 33 dated Banner K I took apart has that marking, along with one other.
I wonder if it is present on no-date and 34-dated rifles - or maybe only on certain s/n blocks of 33-dated rifles - or - only on rifles made for a certain customer.
Is the other marking on your rifle just a standard i-h inspection stamp?
Thanks for looking.
Hey - maybe there is more there than just an “M” and a “B” here.
 
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Here is a corollary to the commercial in-house inspection marks.
For military rifle production beginning in 1934, a 'Gothic S' was used.
Then around 1936 it changed to a simple 'capital S', and finally by the late 1930's the
classic intertwined 'WR' was used until the end of production in 1945.

I will endeavor to expand this thread with images of the various internal inspection stamps used on Standard-Modell and Banner K production.
 
I am taking a close look at this mark. It is actually complicated when you study which lines are connected and where. I am no longer sure there is an “M” there. I still see a “B” but, now on the left side I see perhaps a “J”. I think we had better figure out exactly what is there before we look for meaning. Some of this may be old German script or some cursive runic symbols.
It’s turning into quite a mystery and I am not sure I am equipped to figure it out.
Wonder if Jon Speed has any info in his extensive records.
Bruce, I appreciate you getting involved. Is it worth getting a data base started?
 

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