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DWM assembly numbers

Loewe

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Yesterday, a fellow researcher and collector with more experience regarding the technical side of our interests (Imperial German rifles), the ammunition, mechanical applications etc. were discussing the subject of DWM's use of pre-assembly numbers and their relevance:

Paul: My thought about the assembly numbers used by dwm on bbls, receivers, and guard/mags is that they were used to help keep fitted parts together between initial fitting and bluing and eventual assembly of the whole piece. With rust blue parts were selected for fit*(or were then fitted) then bluing was done and then final assembly took place. I think the assembly numbers kept like parts together before the final serial was added. There are other ways to achieve this than assembly numbers, including parts baskets and the like, but it is more certain that nothing gets misplaced. DWM didn’t use this on Lugers I think, but the scale of production of them was much smaller than with the g98. Bob

(* with the bbl/receiver assembly these were fitted together to establish headspace, then taken apart to blue the bbl (but not the receiver) then put back together again. Lots of work!)


01/03/2019: Paul: The notes I have are an English translation by me of a section of an article in the August 1980 issue of the Deutsches Waffen Journal. That article was a history of Erfurt Arsenal from the early 19th century to 1918. The section I translated was an account of how the Gew.98 was assembled and marked, and (I assume) based on some earlier printed source. I do not still have the article in the original German.

The steps in assembling the Gew.98 from parts to finished product: (1.) the action (less magazine box assy) is assembled from parts and screwed onto a stripped barrel, and the assembly is numbered (2.) proof firing (3.) barrel has sights fitted and muzzle crowned (4.) magazine assembly added (5.) serial number placed on barrel, receiver, and bolt (6.) barrel removed; barrel and mag box blued (7.) action assembly reattached to barrel (8.) stock and fittings added (9.) complete disassembly and all appropriate parts numbered (10.) barrel bands and buttplate blued (11.) final assembly (12.) Abnahmepruefung added.

Couple points to note: I don’t think that the numbering referred to in step 1 was a permanent marking in metal; perhaps a tag? Otherwise the idea the full number was added first as seen in step 5, and then the brief numbering of small parts of step 9 make sense to me. Another point not mentioned above is the fact that the first reference to the rear sight and mag box/floorplate assemblies has them disassembled as a step in the production process. This suggests to me these components were not united in the general parts assembly but rather were fitted as assemblies elsewhere (in the parent factory or elsewhere) and supplied as complete units.

Bob


DWM was the premier arms maker of Central Europe, arguably the world, - though what is certain is that if they were not, they owned (or had collective agreements, like with ÖWG) the firms that challenged that status in all of Europe. DWM was the old Loewe's (Lud. Loewe AG) firms armaments division, largely created due to antisemitic lawsuits in the late 19th Century. Technically the Loewe's never owned the Loewe group, then as now, large banking interests and cartels, especially strong in Germany, actually owned the massive corporation. However Isidor Loewe was the director and managed its operations with little interference from the board (back then banking and investors held long views, not the short term views today... security and stability mattered more than yield or short term profits..) and he was instrumental in the success of acquiring control of these great firms, - Mauser, FEG, FN in particular.

Our subject here is the manner of applying numbers to critical components to keep fitted parts together prior to serialing. Attached will be shown two DWM/1915's (Ken's 5696/e) that show these numbers and their application.
 

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1915 DWM 8899 e
 

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1915 DWM 3167 w
 

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Cyrus's 1916 DWM 1393 d
 

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Ken's 1916 DWM 1991 r
 

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Ken's 1917 DWM 4770

Slightly different number change
 

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Ken's 1917 DWM 2493 f
 

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Mike's 1918 DWM 1202 b (not an easy rifle to find...)
 

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These represent a good sampling, there are dozens more that mimic these patterns, but I chose to use collectors I know for samples to avoid using pictures without consent (not a legal necessity, but less hassle)

Unfortunately Ken was the only reliable photographer of the TG/FP assembly numbers. It would be good if those that have 1915-1918 DWM's to check their rifles and contribute some pictures to this thread.
 
Paul would you be interested if I take a better look at the receiver on my 1908 DWM Gew98 as well? Or is this thread just for mid to late war WW1 DWM production?
 
I'll see if I can dig up some photos of the couple DWMs I used to own. FWIW I have seen these assembly numbers on other contemporary DWM manufactured rifles, every Brazilian M1908 I've owned had them. I'll have to look for them on the one M1909 I own.
 
Paul, here are the assembly numbers for DWM 1915 1085n. Unfortunately, I no longer own this rifle and didn't take photos of the other parts.

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DWM 1916 7687dd
 

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Absolutely, any DWM would be helpful to see if there is an evolution to the practice. I didn't browse through pre-war for examples, I had other things to occupy my time. But, this is less a formal "database" project in the sense of creating a list of rifles with features, rather it would be good to get a general feel for how this practice evolved.

Paul would you be interested if I take a better look at the receiver on my 1908 DWM Gew98 as well? Or is this thread just for mid to late war WW1 DWM production?
 
Absolutely, any DWM would be helpful to see if there is an evolution to the practice. I didn't browse through pre-war for examples, I had other things to occupy my time. But, this is less a formal "database" project in the sense of creating a list of rifles with features, rather it would be good to get a general feel for how this practice evolved.

I did find these pictures in my 1908 DWM thread last year if these mean anything. When I get some free time I'll will try too take that rifle apart again.
 

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Thanks Sam, same problem I had, rifles I had a decade or more ago I never took enough pictures "for today's" needs. That can be said of almost everything... things seemed simpler then, though they probably were just harder and no one bothered.

Tom, Thanks a bunch, have the 2015 auction pictures, lets say they were not helpful (and you took a chance!), stock looked good to, walnut, NG and NTD, which is right for DWM, beech was possible but most known are walnut in this range. The acceptance looked good to, C/W under the cypher, which varies, but the wrist was hard to read, but should be C/Y. Sure it is, but if you have the pictures handy, maybe post a few of the stock?
 
See if you can find an "80" farther up the barrel, perhaps in the rear sleeve cutout, or around the RS... it seems, from very limited observations, that these assembly numbers on pre-war DWM were bottom flat of receiver and middle barrel, around the RS, in a couple cases in the RS sleeve cutout.

I did find these pictures in my 1908 DWM thread last year if these mean anything. When I get some free time I'll will try too take that rifle apart again.
 
Paul here are a few pics of the stock
 

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Good enough Tom!

CW under cypher is right, can vary between a couple letters, but far more consistent than the arsenals. C/Y is almost always DWM.
 

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