[MasterChief]

I wonder if this magazine serial number stamping on my all-matching K31 is within the universe of normal markings or if it is a re-number? Others I have seen were not indented around the numerals.

 

[diopter]

Not lined up properly and finish is rather rough. I'm thinking replacement non-Swiss mag.
Numbers match with rifle?

 

[USMCsean]

Can you show the rest of the magazine? How it's constructed? Or any other markings.

 

[MasterChief]

I believe it to be Swiss but I wonder if it is original to the rifle or a Swiss armorer's replacement?

 

[USMCsean]

I believe it's swiss and is a replacement. There was a time when bolts and other parts that were replaced were stamped when mated to the gun with the missing part. There was also a time when parts were electro penciled. Unevenness in the stamping proves it was hand stamped and not roll stamped. Making it a replacement.

 

[Surplus_Sam]

In my opinion it looks like bottom of mag was scrubbed and re-numbered, then re-blued.

 

[USMCsean]

One thing that also points to a legit mag is that the stamping itself looks to be done after the magazine body has been hardened. On originals, the number was stamped before hardening. This stamping has raised the edges of the surrounding metal. A characteristic of a stamping done to a metal surface after hardening. Before it's hardened, it's still soft enough that this will not happen.

Now ow look at the other swiss markings. The Swiss cross was done pre-hardening, as also the makers mark. Newly made replacement mags are not hardened to my knowledge either.

 

[MasterChief]

That's about what I thought. Thanks everyone and best wishes. Dave

 

[bones92]

Ditto Sean's comments. Legit Swiss magazine numbered to match, perhaps by a local armory.

 

[amafrank]

One thing that also points to a legit mag is that the stamping itself looks to be done after the magazine body has been hardened. On originals, the number was stamped before hardening. This stamping has raised the edges of the surrounding metal. A characteristic of a stamping done to a metal surface after hardening. Before it's hardened, it's still soft enough that this will not happen.

Now ow look at the other swiss markings. The Swiss cross was done pre-hardening, as also the makers mark. Newly made replacement mags are not hardened to my knowledge either.

While I agree with most of what you said I don't agree with the part about raised metal and hardening. I do a lot of stamping and work with other companies that stamp and engrave. If you roll stamp or otherwise stamp metal it will have raised edges around the stamped letters, numbers or any other shapes. If you stamp prior to the metal being finished you can level the surface by rolling or grinding. This is true whether the metal is hardened or not. Hardening may affect the amount of flow to the edges of the letters but it will not prevent it or enhance it. Looking at large numbers of the swiss rifle magazines I believe the original mags were numbered in the stamping die or were polished off to remove the raised edges prior to finish. The mag pictured by the original poster does look like it was hand stamped over a welded and ground surface. Likely someone found it desireable to re-number whether it be the armorer or someone else we'll probably never know.....

Frank

 

[Guisan]

The unissued (Swiss) K31 magazines without serial are hardened and because of that it's complicated to put a new serial in these, the best way is engraving as heating up the magazine body to reduce the hardening would make it fall apart. There are a few Swiss gun smiths that are able to engrave a new serial, for most it's a big problem to do this.