German WW2 Ordnance Codes for Military Rifles

German WW2-era military rifles usually have markings on the receiver, barrel, rear sight, and stock, from which one can get some information about the history of the piece.

The top of the receiver (that part of the barrel into which the bolt shoves the cartridge) usually has a 2- or 3-letter code with a number below it. (Early codes were sometimes numerical or a combination of letters and numbers.) The code indicates the manufacturer of the receiver, and the number below the code is the year in which the part was made. Other markings are usually either proof marks (indicating that the barrel was test fired with cartridges loaded with a larger charge of gunpowder than normally used to ensure safety) or Waffenamt (ordnance department) markings, indicated by the symbol of an eagle with outstreached wings with the letters WaAxxx below, where xxx is a 2- or 3-digit number indicating which Waffenamt accepted the piece.

The following table lists the ordnance codes found in Mauser Bolt Rifles by L. Olson (third edition, F. Brownell & Son, 1976, 12th printing 1991). They can be used to get some historical information about your particular rifle.

These codes may apply to German pistols of the same era, but I have no information about that.

As always, I'm not responsible for any inaccuracies in Olson's data, just for the transcription. Please report any errors to me.