S42

Your rifle was modified by Mauser sometime between 1934 and 1938 by changing the old style "Lange" rear sight with the k98k style tangent rear sight. If you look close around the S/42 marking I think you will find either a "K", "G" or "1936" mark which of course represents the year of the modification (K=1934, G=1935). These rifles were from stocks of hidden arms that were brought into the light of day after Hitler gained power (the legit/Versailles tracked arms were all converted to 98b configuration much earlier in the 1920's and would also be 1920 "double date" stamped. I have for a long time felt that these mid-30's conversions were arms that were siezed from the SA in the Summer of 1934 (177,000 rifles reported).