Gentlemen.
I have a Franconia rifle with German proof marks.
Can some one help with deciphering them?
The barrel has two squigle things then,
91H 9.3x64 followed by the serial number.
Does the 91H indicate that the rifle was proofed in 1991, and H is for ?
Thank you in advance.
Weidmannsheil.

Oldun,

I'm just trying to make head & tail of a book I have called "The standards directory of proof marks".

Assuming your rifle is West German and later than 1971 believe they used a proof marking system of an eagle with a letter underneath denoting the type of proof (e.g. N = Normal, J= proof after repair, V= forced proof, L= special loads) then a 3 digit date designation...eg. 668 = 6th month of 68th year = June 1968.
It then goes on to say that if desired a coded lettering date can be applied ie. the letters a - k represent numbers 1-9.
But that would mean your rifle (91H)was made in either september 1918! or more likely October 1991....I think

I will try to decipher the rest of this book (I bought the book with one proof mark in mind and never read the rest!). In the meantime if you have any other infomation about the rifle e.g. approx age to the nearest decade or two, and a description of the squiggles please let us know.

451

Shooter,
Thank you for taking the time to reply to my querry.
It's more likely that the rifle is of 1991 manufacture, utilising an action of an earlier date, since the 9.3x64 was not available in 1918.
The sqigles are not easy to describe but after the calibre stamp is a mark which looks like a capital T with a bar through the centre of the vertical part, sitting on top of a W, with the vertical part of the T touching the centre of the W. There is another smaller W under that.
This might or might not be of help dating the rifle.

http://www.germanguns.com/technical.html
https://www.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/Firearm/Proofmarks.pdf
This two web-sites help me with the german proof marks.
Regards.
Hector

quote:

The sqigles are not easy to describe but after the calibre stamp is a mark which looks like a capital T with a bar through the centre of the vertical part, sitting on top of a W, with the vertical part of the T touching the centre of the W. There is another smaller W under that.

Oldun,

I understand your description of the squiggles, but there is definately no mention of anything like that in this book. Sorry but I think I have drawn a blank.

451

quote:

Originally posted by H�ctor Carlos Roveda:
http://www.germanguns.com/technical.html
https://www.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/Firearm/Proofmarks.pdf
This two web-sites help me with the german proof marks.
Regards.
Hector

Hector,
Many thanks for the above.
The second site made it possible to understand that the Rifle was proofed in Munich after 1968.
I asked Frankonia about the date, giving them the serial number. They have said that the number on the barrel gives the year of proof.
Therefore I think it can be assumed that the rilfe is of 1991 manufacture.

Oldun,

I understand your description of the squiggles, but there is definately no mention of anything like that in this book. Sorry but I think I have drawn a blank.

451[/QUOTE]
Thank you for your trying.