I once read somewhere that the Mauser codes of S, S/42, 42 and byf evolved (and the author freely admitted that he had no factual evidence to back this up ... that it was only his theory) this way:
1) S was the original letter code given to Mauser.
2) When Mauser gets the official government contract to produce lugers it is an eight year contract
to end in 1942 so S becomes S/42.
3) In 1939 the war begins and the Nazi government wants to change the codes for manufacturers
of weapons and wants to use letters included in the name of the actual manufacturer. Until
the new code is developed the S disappears and S/42 becomes 42.
4) The Nazi government abandons the idea of using letters contained in the manufacturers name
in favor of a completely random letter code and 42 becomes byf.
Just a theory.
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