Mauser Kar. 98k Receiver Codes

by
posted on April 22, 2014
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
qa-mauser1B.jpg

Q. Lately, I’ve seen a number of ads for surplus Mauser Kar. 98k carbines. Many of the firms that place these ads offer to hand-select certain receiver codes for a fee. What do these codes represent?

A. As a security measure, the German military assigned alpha-numeric factory codes to producers of military equipment, including small arms. It was hoped that these codes would reduce their vulnerability to sabotage, raids and air attack.

Factory codes for the Mauser Kar. 98k went through several changes during the design’s production run. The first series is sometimes referred to as the “S prefix,” wherein the manufacturer is represented by a number, and the year of production is represented by a letter. In 1936, letter suffixes was dropped and the year of manufacture was stamped into the receiver ring. Some production runs carried all four digits of the year, others just the last two. For some reason, Berlin-Suhler (BSW) was never brought into the “S prefix” system.

In 1938, the S prefix was dropped, but the numeric factory codes remained in use until 1940 when the Germans began switching over to two- and three-digit letter codes. This switch was relatively gradual; many factories did not complete this transition in markings until 1941. The letter code system stayed in use until the end of the war.

-Glenn M. Gilbert

Originally published September, 2006

Latest

Sellmark Ranch Entrance
Sellmark Ranch Entrance

Sellmark Ranch Opens, Offers Hunting & Shooting Opportunities To The Public

Sellmark Corporation, the parent company of several notable firearm industry brands, opened its 6,800-acre ranch to the public, which provides dedicated hunts, mile-long shooting ranges and more.

CZ Recalls All-American Trap Combo Shotguns

CZ-USA has identified a manufacturing defect affecting the barrel of certain CZ All-American Trap Combo shotguns.

I Have This Old Gun: Japanese Type 94 Pistol

Among the pantheon of World War II military sidearms, the Japanese Type 94 stands out for a number of undesirable reasons. Aside from its ungainly look, many regard it as one of the most dangerous firearms ever made.

New For 2025: GForce Arms 12Hammer

The latest option in the diverse lineup of GForce Arms shotguns is the 12Hammer, an AR-style platform chambered for 12-ga. shotshells that feeds from detachable box magazines.

Tips & Techniques: DIY Fire Bluing

Is there anything prettier than fire bluing? This bright, “peacock” blue color is one of the world’s oldest firearm finishes and can be found on guns dating back as early as the 16th century and is still used on some of today’s high-end custom arms.

Rifleman Q&A: Eddystone Bayonets

"I recently started collecting World War I U.S. military firearms. I want to obtain a Model 1917 rifle made by each contractor—Winchester, Remington and Eddystone—along with bayonets for each. However, I can only locate bayonets made by Winchester and Remington. Why are bayonets made by Eddystone so hard to find?"

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.