(The font used by Mauser for those letters is not the same as the conventional fonts for German script - I don't know where they got it.) After 9999z, they went to 1aa, and so on.
It is a suffix letter and I am quite certain it is a 'z'. The Germans didn't use a prefix letter, only a suffix on German guns. That looks to be a nice looking rifle and I look forward to more detailed photos. Some do like to collect the much more uncommon single and double digit guns. Condition, condition, and condition are the driving forces on most all collectible firearms types values.
In all honesty, most collectors I know, including myself, would not feel any one 4 digit serial (with or without the letter prefix) is more valuable than another. The huge quantity of RCs that entered this Country have greatly expanded knowledge on 98s as well as other German made guns. If highest is say 'N' block, then prefix blocks 'A' thru 'M' were probably made as well. For firms like Mauser Oberndorf to engage in military rifle production. I had assumed because of the close intermingling of serial numbers.
They logically assume that since 3526 has been observed, it stands to reason that numbers 1 thru 3525 were made also.įR-7 Serial Numbers Foreign Mauser Serial Numbers Model 1893 Mauser rifles and Model 1895 crbines were imported into Spain from Germany and Belgium during the 1890's. Most all collector groups use this method to better determine total production numbers for guns that no longer have the maker's data to work with. Seanbetsy, Sounds like you might be confusing observed serial numbers with actual production. Leading zeros were not used, causing some owners to believe they have a very early rifle ('how can one of the first Mausers ever made be dated 1942?' ) when they do not. The first rifles produced in 1934 used the letter ('K') on top of the receiver action ring. Mauser) that had been in production at Mauser Oberndorf,Germany since the 1924. The new rifle was a version of the Mauser 'Standard Model' Gewhr 98 ( Also known as the Banner. The way I understand the production of the Mauser's including the 1891 is that each letter block is representative of 9,999 rifles, Loewe produced approximately 35,000 per year for Argentina which.
There is a book available on Amazon by Colin Webster called 'Argentine Mauser Rifles, 1871 to 1959' It is supposed to have all serial number data. They can go for a lot, but in better condition that yours. Mauser 1891 Argentine Mfg Date Argentine Mauser Serial Number Dates Argentine Mauser Rifle Serial Numbers Then, the following year, Argentina adopted a slightly modified version of the Belgian 1889 as Mauser Modelo Argentino 1891, also known as the 1891 Argentine Mauser. I alternatively propose this 1901 contract was a package deal that included the ‘missing' 10,000 Model. 1901 is way too early for Chile to acquire the '98 as /FONT Chile only seems to contract for the '98 in 1911 and the order is for 37,000 Model 1912's made by OWG of Austria.
So a full description of a German weapon would be something like 'K.98k, made by Mauser (code byf), dated 1943, serial number 1234c' Jim.Mauser did make some rifles with 5 digit numbers. Each manufacturer started over each year. German serial numbers normally went only to 9999 before adding a letter and reverting to 1. Edit: Oops, too many 9s in my serial numbering layout. After each manufacturer hit 9999 for a particular model, they would add a serif letter to the back of the s/n, and continue through, so that 9999 would be followed by 1a, then 9999a would be followed by 1b, then 9999b would be followed by 1c, and so on.
S/42 shows this particular K98 was built by Mauser Werke, while the 'G' date code shows it was manufactured in 1935 the German serial numbering system started over again at '1' for each manufacturer for each year of production, so you'll find identical serial numbers throughout each model for each year of production, and each manufacturer would have identical serial numbers.