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1918-1920 oberspree 98m duffel cut

theyeti

Member
picked this up at the gun shop stock is broken and glued back together at the semi pistol grip, there is also a duffel cut under the rear barrel band. i have been looking through the forums for info but figured i would post it and find out what everyone has to say about it. the bolt is the only thing that does not match, it came from someones very large collection who recently passed and i was told he had a registered panzerschreck and a 20mm finnish lahti anti tank rifle.
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Sounds like a nice rifle, what is the serial number? What suffix range is it? It should have a suffix, probably an n or o block, which would be an earlier rifle. This rifle was actually made during the war, stayed in German hands and received at least a couple visits to an ordnance depot. Obviously the rifle was upgraded early (probably mid-1920's), looks like an early re-barrel around the same time, mid-1920's probably (Simson made barrel, probably early, but need more pictures to say more, but a lower FP means early) then in the early 1930's, after 1934/5 (the BSW components) it saw a couple more visits (another upgrade & re-stock). I assume the stock is shown BSW marked, but BSW made a lot of handguards too.

The work was done at Kassel (late work though), discussed recently in some detail. In the republican period Cassel/Kassel was one of the two premier ordnance shops in Germany, almost everything was done there or in Spandau, later some other operations opened up, all illegal, but then again the French and Belgians didn't give a damn for legality (as defined by Versailles - which itself was a ethical and moral outrage, but the French and Belgians couldn't even honor a diktat they "dictated", so who can expect the Germans to have done so...)

Do some more pictures, the stock, the barrel (does it have a code, this can date the barrel, lacking would be very early) and the serial. These things tell a story and when you leave out details we or I have to do a lot of guessing. Serial numbers are nothing to keep out of the discussion, looks like 3179, probably n-o block, - it is an old wives tale about showing serial numbers carrying risks.
 
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I should also state that this rifle is a little more interesting than other interwar rifles, this rifle saw the full scope of the two world wars, made early (probably, depends on suffix) in 1918, stayed in German hands (government hands), saw an early upgrade and re-barreled, which means it was probably in Reichsheer hands, wasn't destroyed in the rifle purges through 1924, - in other words it wasn't a black rifle, rather a legal rifle that a soldier probably carried. Then it saw anther overhaul in the early rearmament phase, but best of all it carries all the markings that tell the story. This is often lacking, but if the stock is original as the OP states, this rifle is pretty interesting.

Unfortunately such rifles do not carry the same appeal that "nazi" rifles hold, - which are far more common and generally lack character. Another good thing is this rifle saw all three periods, - many Oberspree/1918 are actually postwar rifles, but this one, with this RR is a wartime made rifle. Not an early S28 variation, which tended to survive in larger numbers.

Looks like a damn nice rifle too.
 
Yes a very interesting rifle please post more. As Paul stated the 1920s or the lnner war period is probably one of the most interesting time frames for Germany.
 
other than the eagle over 6, and the w above the eagle on the bottom of the barrel there are no codes that i have seen unless they would be on another part of the barrel. the only serial number that i have had trouble with is the one on the bayonet lug, it looks like numbers stamped on top of numbers and is hard to make out.
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It is an n-block, very early 1918 production. This rifle probably saw service in the latter stages of the war. Barrel is almost certainly very early Simson, probably 1923-1924, though installed later, but not much later due to the nature or orientation of the FP. Super rare to find such an early rework, - just too damn bad the stock isn't original to this early period. But, your rifles repetitive stops through ordnance shop adds to its character and history, VERY few rifles from this period are around in this condition. Usually they were used up, if not in the rifle purges where most property marked rifles ended up (smelter), then used excessively. Although the German military received rather large shares of the annual budgets (comparative to the size and scope of the interwar military - sums spent were large percentages of Imperial pre-war budgets for a much smaller Army and Navy), mostly it went to political boondoggles and efforts to keep the military in the rearmament picture (enormous amounts were spent researching in foreign countries, mostly the illegal weapons systems were studied and experimented abroad at great cost).

You have to love that stock too, you can tell by the parts used and methods this was done mid-1930's, but before Hitler went full monty (publicly) on rearmament (not that it was a well kept secret, you couldn't hide the sums being spent and the impact on the German economy - its currency exchange and trade). Crude overstamps was common, and Oberspree was a crude maker anyway, so even on some of the original factory components this crudeness is ok.


other than the eagle over 6, and the w above the eagle on the bottom of the barrel there are no codes that i have seen unless they would be on another part of the barrel. the only serial number that i have had trouble with is the one on the bayonet lug, it looks like numbers stamped on top of numbers and is hard to make out.
 
Thank you for the information, I'm always fascinated by any info on these old war horse's. I was able to pick this one up along with a 1907-15 berthier and an 1891 carcano, all from the same collection. If this is signs to come from this collection then I'm looking forward to see what else pops up. It was described to me as being mausers piled on top of mausers.

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Seems like your off too a good start then! I wish you look in your endeavor though. Remember if you have questions please post your findings. Happy too share what I know.
 

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