Whats up with these barrel markings
 

1940 dated 42 Mauser. Morphy Action said all matching, but the barrel has no serial number, just the crown over K, an S, a sideways E, and an A in a circle. See pic I will attempt to post; Any advice as to how or why this is like this greatly appreciated.
https://i.imgur.com/KJLFoSX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/2NzslYY.jpg

I've not seen that combination before, or anything close.

For sure the barrel is not original to the 1940 Mauser pistol- crowns on barrels were long gone by then.

For sure it's not original or it would have the proper serial number. I just wondered if somebody recognize any of these marks as being an arsenal replacement. If not, must have been done by somebody in more recent history.

Mauser did stop numbering barrels at some point, I don't recall exactly when.
Maybe someone else can find the timeframe they stopped.
I'll look for it when I have time.

I have a 41 b y f and a 42 byf that both have barrels numbered in the usual way. I suspect Morphys made a mistake when they claimed that all the numbers matched and it had all the proper waffenamts.

Scott, I suspect that this replacement barrel was added by the Norweigen arsenal at Koeignsburg (C/K marking). TH

Ah-haaa... That makes sense. I thought it was a poorly struck circle, but I see it now. Thanks so much Tom. Speculate for me... would this likely have happened then at some point after the war? The gun has no import marks. Most common cause for needing barrel replacement is....?

Scott

Good eye, Tom.

I, too, thought it may be Norwegian or other Scandinavian country's marking. Unfortunately, my Standard Dictionary of Proof Marks doesn't include Norway and the internet is no help.

Search on Kongsburg proof mark, you will come up with examples of the crown/K stamped on Norwegian 1911 Colts.


--Dwight

Darn. Now I need one of those...

I have a nice letter from the Kongsberg arsenal to Mauser from the late 1960s where they offer to make P08 small parts for them.

Not necessarily bearing on this particular P.08, but I have read in one of my P.08 books that A inside a Circle was a stamp used by Krieghoff as a receiver reject stamp. Whether that’s something that’s been debunked or true as the day it was written in that particular Luger book, I don’t know. As P.08 known and unknowns have this ebb and flow about them. Facts that were once considered facts about a luger are no longer and vice versa as time goes on and more info is uncovered.