Need help identifying this K98

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wesley_dunham

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Hey K98 enthusiasts.

I have tried researching this on my own, but have not been able to find anything on it, so I thought I’d pick your brains.
It’s an S/42 1936 K98, and I know the basics about who’s code that is etc. what I’m having trouble identifying, is why the code and the year are so close together on the receiver. Every other K98 I can find has the year at the bottom of the receiver, but this one is in the middle. Is this just a super early trait? a factory error?
It has Weimar proofs on the left the receiver and the font used on the rifle appears correct. Any help is appreciated!
 

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Off the top of my head, a M98 has 5 different identifiers: the year, the serial number, the letter code, the maker's code, and the left side markings. So, the year is obvious. The serial number will be three (or four?) digits, which restarts with a new letter code. The maker is sort of a codename which was expected to conceal the location of the factory. Finally, not every M98 was a mid-war German Mauserwerks factory. Every maker had their variations which show up on the left side.
 
With out seeing the other markings, I suspect it was a private purchase or commercial contract rifle for a school or institution. As it is not marked the same way as military production for that year and manufacturer.
Most manufacturers had commercial sales.
 
As a thought, 1935 s/42G guns have the roll stamp in this location and no date. I’m 1936, the date was stamped the lower edge of the receiver ring, while 1935 guns have no date stamp.

It’s possible this is a transitional marking n early 1936, but I don’t know if there’s a serial number study of 1936 Mauser guns to bear that out.
 
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