This Mm 410 B Schonzeitbüchse in .22LR – although being almost 80-year-old, is a really sweet, slim and attractive little rifle; I was extremely lucky to have it delivered recently, almost factory new.

All references made hereafter are based on Jon Speed’s “Smallbores: sporting, target and training rifles”.

Serial number 222397 dates this rifle back to the post-1940 period, without being able to be more precise on the production year. Needless to say, all constituting parts, including the stock, bear the same serial number and the barrel is in pristine condition. Three Mm 410B bearing serial numbers within the same range i.e. 222441, 222970 and 222910 are presented in Jon Speed’s book.

Note the late models-type sporter stock with cheekpiece, full pistol grip and fore-end schnabel.

Note the Waffenamt eagles.

This KK büchse is fitted with a Carl Zeiss Zielklein riflescope mounted on pre-war-type AKAH see-through mounts. Note the reference to ‘Allemagne’ (‘Germany’, in French) on the riflescope; such a marking may have been an import to France requirement in the pre-WW2 period (maybe something similar to the British ‘not English make’) but I doubt it survived in the following years with France being administrated by the Third Reich’s administration from mid-1940.

I will soon take this rifle to the range. I am sure that the rifle scope was well zeroed by the rifle’s former owner, however I may have some minor adjustments to do: left/right ones won’t be an issue through the screw on the rear scope mount however I do not have a clue on how to perform up/down ones on a Zielklein turret so any advice will be much valued.

Last and least I have a final question to “those who know “ about one specific making found on this rifle:
- Marking “A46 RW” on the barrel, below the wood-line, and “RW” only on the bolt stop and on the trigger (both on the not visible sides); both letters being well intertwined, see hereafter.
- One initial thought was that “RW” may have referred to Röll Walter however this rifle was proofed before the end of WW2 (presence of Waffenamt eagles) and at a later stage, when Walter Röll re-started to work under French direction his markings the more usually found are “WR” or “W Röll”, but not the intertwined “RW” found on this .22 rifle. So, what is it?

Any help in deciphering these markings will therefore be much welcomed.

Louis