A sideplate question
 

I have a byf 42, serial number 8229f; it's my shooter and was a Century Arms import I picked up back in the early 1990s. Most of the numbers match but there are a few small parts (such as the sear, toggle axle, and hold open) that don't match.

That said, my sideplate is numbered 29. The interior number is simply a 2. This isn't the correct sideplate, is it?

I'm not sure I understand the Mauser system of parts numbering, though. The inside number should be two higher than the last two numbers, right? Or am I missing something? In other words, should the interior number be a 1, or should it be a 31, or a full serial number plus two, such as 8231?

TIA

Bill:
It doesn't match what we have been told to expect on that gun, however what are the odds?
Do the numbers look original?
dju

Yep, they look like original numbers to me, and the fonts match that of the other numbers elsewhere on the gun. FWIW, the mismatched parts have the numbers peened out/ stippled over to the point they're unreadable. I'll see if I can't a picture or two up this evening when I get home

Mauser sideplate interior numbers "typically" are a one digit increment over the two numbers that make up the first two digits of the serial number.

For example, the number of the pistol you mention is

8229f

I would expect to find the last two digits "29" on the outside of the sideplate, and the number I would expect to find on the inside of the sideplate would be "83" as that is one number increment over the first two digits of the serial number.

I have never seen an explanation as to WHY the sideplates were numbered in this manner, but have seen dozens, if not hundreds of examples of Mauser manufactured sideplates that were numbered this way.

I would welcome theories and speculation on the "WHY"...

I would further speculate, that in your case, your sideplate originally came from a Mauser pistol whose serial number was only three digits..."129".

There was also a short period when the number(s) inside the plate matched the first or first two digits of the serial number. i.e. sn 123 would have "1" inside the plate. sn 1234 would have "12" inside the plate.

For the majority of Mauser production, the interior number was one more than the first or first two digits. i.e. sn 789 would have "8" inside the plate. "6789" would have "68" inside the plate.

There were also Mauser lugers made without any number inside the plate. I have one from 1942 like this.

Marc

So, should I conclude that the sideplate is not the correct one for this gun? IMHO it's not a collectible gun with the import mark and the three aforementioned mismatched parts. OTOH, everything else seems to match and the three mismatched parts are ones easily broken/lost if the gun is totally disassembled. Either way, it's not like I'm losing sleep over this, just trying to satisfy an idle curiosity (or, since we're talking Lugers, is it an "idol curiosity"? :) )

Bill, I have in stock a couple of the #29 parts that you are missing. PM sent. TH

I have a 1936 S/42 three digit serial number 515. Matching 15 on side plate looks like /2 on the inside.

IF you have a number 964e, would the side plate on the inside be a 0 or a 10?
just wondering

i thinks "10".

Thanks Ben, I didn't think that they would just use a "0" but had to ask