Variations of the P14

[Vimy Ridge]

But a German variation would be interesting, no?

Very.

 

[Calum]

Overall some interesting history in this thread to say the least.

Also reading those sites about how some of the rifles ended up going from one country to another, and getting re stamped along the way.

 

[skirsons]

The stylized J is actually an I in German for infantry or so I've read............Harold

I speak German and I'm not sure that's true, even in Gothic scripts that were used before 1941 (Bormann banned Gothic in 1941 because it was Jewish). They would not mark the rifle different for Infantry than for, say Supply unless it indicated regiment etc. You see H marked rifles simply for "Heeres" (Army).

The only word in German that comes to mind is Jager (hunter). The word was used for one unit as a prefix but I can't remember what the suffix was. It is also used in Fallschirmjager.. Heer Jager... 28th Jager Division (WWII), Feldjager (Field Police), Gebirgsjager (mountain corps), Karstjager (Austrian SS), Panzerjager (tank hunters).

 

[Claven2]

ok, for starters, it is NOT a Nazi military proof. Nazi proofs for captured arms are either a WaA marking with a number underneath, a Weimar eagle, or a Nazi Imperial eagle clutching a swastika.

If I had to guess, I would say post-war eastern-european proof mark.

 

[stevebc]

ok, for starters, it is NOT a Nazi military proof. Nazi proofs for captured arms are either a WaA marking with a number underneath, a Weimar eagle, or a Nazi Imperial eagle clutching a swastika.

If I had to guess, I would say post-war eastern-european proof mark.

How about post WW1, but pre WW2 German?

 

[green]

The marks on the disc do not look like Imperial German and post 1918 they would not use a crown.

 

[Claven2]

How about post WW1, but pre WW2 German?

No, that style of eagle only started to be used in 1938/39 in Germany, but never with a "J" under it that I am aware of. You sometimes see an M, but in those cases, there is still a swastika.

 

[skirsons]

I'm not sure how Germany would get a P14. They weren't used by the Brits overseas as far as I know. They were given to some Eastern Europeans. Perhaps that's the best guess as to origins. Could be Polish?