1916 Kornbusch

Loewe said:

..Note the quality is pretty far below DWM, WMO and Amberg, actually Danzig could probably do as good a showing... I guess they are the SDP version of the Imperial era, - anything the government involves itself means efficiency (profit) and quality suffer, they can take the best material and resources (in this case FN and DWM know-how) and make it complex, inefficient and crude

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Not questioning your observations but I think you're most speaking of the metal finishes? Or lack thereof? I was going to comment about the quality of the wood and woodwork. It looks outstanding in the photos Jordan provided. At least IMHO.

Whatever the reason, why DWM took full ownership, it was a mistake... they had to have been pressured into it is my guess (Loewe group weren't run by morons). The financial complications and even the calculations involved (did they buy their own machines back? Sounds like something a government bureaucracy would conjure up...) would boggle the mind, though that is what the "science" of economics (actually accountants because they deal in fact more than idiotic economists..) are all about (economics are more closely related to astrology than a real science, same with the envirofascists, both are more an ideology than a respectable science that deals in facts, the so-called hard sciences) to figure out some nebulous value calculation.

With the lost war Oberspree was a pure and simple boondoggle, nearly on the scale of SDP tank factory (Nibelungen St. Valentin) in 1945, though at least DWM still owned the property in 1919, whereas SDP found its property spread across rail road sidings throughout Russia rusting. Even the empty factory was a loss as the Soviets occupied Eastern Austria for like 10 more years (and neither the US/UK nor USSR recognized SDP ownership in 1945)

DWM anniversary book (1929) barely mentions Oberspree and it seems to have been written off... it is probable its inventory, what didn't go back to the Belgians (another robbery) probably was sold off and leftover parts sent to Karlsruhe, later to be used to make the S28's.

Warrior1354 said:

Indeed it's actually quite amazing when I took that rifle apart let alone my other one made by the same manufacturer you see so many tool markings. It's like it was pretty much that's good enough send it out. From the research I've gathered it actually was costing the German government 250 reichsmarks for each rifle made by this company compared to 65 reichsmarks made by one of the government Arsenal's or Mauser. Now it makes sense why dwm took over complete control of this manufacturer it was costing too much money and they sure as hell knew how to run a company better plus knew more about making rifles.

And I agree Paul it really doesn't make sense why you would want to start another manufacturer in the middle of the war that has never made rifles before. It would have made more sense to send those machines back to dwm and just start another plant ran by them.

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Damn internet connection is worthless..

Anyway, specifically the metal work crudeness (under the stock in particular); DWM/15 w-block shown, but throughout 1917 this level of crudeness is not seen at DWM. Generally it remains roughly the same or comparable till DWM ends G98 production. Further, WOK is known to have relied upon others for their production, DWM would have been the most burdened in all probability... especially after they bought most of the firm in 1916. Possibly a coincidence, but C/B and C/F are well known DWM inspectors (assigned to DWM), though the character style differs considerably and I am sure F & B are common to German surnames, the possibility exists some of the raw material and semi-finished parts from DWM found there way to WOK use. In some of their marking methods the two firms mirror one another, generally only the Berlin area firms BC in front of the RS sleeve and they use the same FP style, but all speculation, - at least other than the fact WOK is known to have a burden to others for parts and they made far too few rifles for the resources committed to the company.

heavy_mech said:

Not questioning your observations but I think you're most speaking of the metal finishes? Or lack thereof? I was going to comment about the quality of the wood and woodwork. It looks outstanding in the photos Jordan provided. At least IMHO.

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