Braunschweigische Blechwarenfabrik (II): Collector variants

  This chapter is focused on the collector variations of Braunschweigische Blechwarenfabrik kits that we can found today.

 
  The many differences that exist on the markings, Waffenamts, and also colour finishes found of these kits are a big puzzle and the exact evolution of their manufacture and its markings is a work very hard to achieve.
 
  As you can see in the tables shown below, there exist a lot of variations in the markings on the Braunschweigische Blechwarenfabrik kits, especially between 1942 and 1944 years. Many of these differences on the markings may correspond simply to the evolution of manufacturing or the stamping itself, but observing in detail the Behälter's, it has been noted at least two manufacture lines of the cases at sometime, so some of the differences found in the kits may be due to come out from different lines of production. Observing the variations in 1944, there is no doubt that the manufacturing in the last months must have been somewhat chaotic.

  Normally, in the kits made by Braunschweigische Blechwarenfabrik their code was stamped on the small department's lid, but it seems that at some point in 1944 this changed and it was stamped then on the big compartment's lid, so we can find "arr" marked kits of 1944 with the code on the small one and others with the code on the big one -sometimes with the Waffenamt under the small one-, thus adding more variations to collect !. All "rco" marked kits observed have the code on the big compartment's lid.

 

  With regard to the Waffenamt, remember that this only indicates that it was inspected by that Heereswaffenamt team and don't indicate necessarily a different production line. This applies also to those kits that don't show any Waffenamt. Normally, in the kits made by Braunschweigische Blechwarenfabrik the Waffenamt were always marked under the lid except the WaA20, that was on top, exactly as observed in the Gustav Appel kits.

 

  Respect to the colour finish of the cases, we can observe kits from dark green, different shades of dark grey and also -particulary in the last months of manufacture- in dark yellow (Dunkelgelb), also known by collectors as "tan" colour.

Any corrections, remarks or additions are welcome:  reinigungsgerat34@gmail.com

1941

The kits of 1941:

1. arr41 with WaA57.

2. arr41 with WaA20.

3. arr41 with WaA750 (smaller WaA).

4. arr41 with WaA750.

The typical color finish observed on the arr 41 kits: dark green (at left) and dark grey (at right).

1942

The kits of 1942:

5. arr42 with WaA750.

6. arr42 with WaAD68.

7. arr42 with WaA20.

8. arr42 with WaA57.

9. arr42 with WaA392 (thicker fonts).

10. arr42 without WaA (thicker fonts).

11. arr42 with WaA57 (thicker fonts).

12. arr42 with WaA20 (thicker fonts).

Two arr42 kits: dark green (at left) and dark grey (at right).

1943

The  kits of 1943:

13. arr43 with WaA392.

14. arr43 with WaA57.

15. arr43 without WaA.

16. arr43 with WaA20.

17. arr43 with WaA57 (thicker fonts).

18. arr43 without WaA (thicker fonts).

Two arr43 kits: dark green (at left) and dark grey (at right).

Two "tan" colour arr43 kits. Note the different color tone, left kit is more "yellowish" (Sandgelb ?). The arr43 marked kits in "tan" colour are very rare.

1944



The kits of 1944:

19. arr4 with WaA57.

20. arr4 without WaA.

21. arr4 with WaA20.

22. arr4 with WaA392.

23. arr with WaA57.

24. arr without WaA.

25. arr 4 (dual line) without WaA.

26. rco44 withot WaA.

Three arr4 kits: one dark green (at left) and two dark grey (in the middle and at right). Note the different tone colour between the two dark grey kits.

Two arr 4 (dual line) kits. The majority of them are in "tan" colour, however there are also examples in dark grey colour.
Note also the differences in color tone.

An undated arr kit in tan colour.

1945

The kits of 1945:

27. rco45 without WaA.

Two rco kits of 1944 (down) and 1945 (up). Note the differences in the height in the fonts in the markings. In the rco45 are lower.
Practically all rco kits observed are in "tan" colour. Note that in the rco45 kit the latch is also painted.