Textbook Erfurt 1918/1920 Kar98a 9707f

[chrisftk]

I believe it's a different marking. I've never gotten a solid answer on what it is, but I think it might be a highly stylized D (as in "Deutsche Werk" which you often find prominently stamped on their guns).

Here's an example from a really crappy interwar .22LR Ortgies rifle I have kicking around at the back of my safe somewhere. Old photo, but I have it on hand and it illustrates the issue:

View attachment 413010

Yeah-- that's the logo, but I'm talking about a different marking.


It's a known variant:

https://www.lugerforums.com/threads/bs-marked-7-65-ortgies.24544/

 

[Cyrano4747]

Gotcha, misunderstood.

 

[chrisftk]

Gotcha, misunderstood.

All good man, I do like the logo though lol.

 

[Stephan98k]

Thanks! It's pretty textbook, but I think the condition really makes this rifle pop. I love a no-nonsense gun. Only thing out of the usual is that the follow isn't modified to hold open on empty, however it is matching, and blued (would have been in the white during Imperial service). So it was deliberately not done. This has popped up on other examples here too. It could have been timing, or perhaps a lack of uniformity in how these reworks were done. We'll never really know.

Alex, nice 98A. FWIW West Point museum has an intertwined "BS" MP18. The marking is on the mag well. I purchased an all matching 1918 Danzig 98a (Marked with same "BS" on right side of receiver) earlier this year but no "BS" on the stock (Stock is 1920 marked & matching with X'd out buttplate). That one too lacks the follower hold-open modification like yours.

The stock on yours is very nice! On mine (1916 Erfurt BS/KS Kar98a) the follower also lacks the hold open modification.

These changes were made at different times, the time frame always plays a very important role in determining something more precisely.

The order to blue (Bräunen) the bolt parts was given in July 1924 and the order to blue the follower was not given until October 1924.

Around five years later, the order was given to carry out the modification of the follower to hold open the bolt of the Gewehr 98 and Karabiner 98b. The announcement of this modification was made in September 1929 and at that time the major autumn maneuvers of the Reichswehr took place.

In the previous years there had been many complaints, especially from the mounted troops about the lenght of the Karabiner 98b. As early as February 1929 the Jn2 (Infantry Inspection) contacted the Wa A (Weapons Office) and Wa Prw (formerly J.W.G. - Inspection for Weapons and Equipment) to make an important decision. The topic of discussion was whether it would be necessary to equip some troops with the already retired Karabiner 98a for the autumn maneuvers in 1929. They already knew that troops would request Karabiner 98a again and again if the problem with the length of the rifles doesn't get solved.

By the fall of 1929, there were again a large number of K98a in service. Generally it would have made little sense to change the follower as the K98a had already been officially retired, and at that time, the trials were already done with the shortened Gewehr 98 and Karabiner 98b.

Edit: Another important factor was the financial situation at the time. There were insufficient funds available, and other changes took priority.