G98m spandau 1917 / 1920
- Thread starter toulon44
- Start date
Warrior1354
ax - hole
Great rifle thank you very much for posting. You really do have quite the collection toulon!
Pressed for time, but this is a difficult rifle to find, not only is it a rare maker-date (Spandau/17 made by "Spandau"), probably one of the last made, as I recall they went to the k-block, but it is also an early upgrade. Certainly pre-1933, though it could have passed through a subsequent shop. Many do not realize that Hilter didn't start rearmament, his first large appropriation was inherited, Schleicher pushed one through at the end of his Chancellorship. This was the first blatant (couldn't be hidden) step towards rearmament, not that the German Army wasn't doing everything they could, legal or illegal, they were primarily held back by lack of funding, technically anyway, - shortage of funds for small arms certainly, but there was always money for boondoggles and politically inspired projects, which typical of all political inspirations tend to line the pockets of those pushing them.
Anyway, very hard rifle in this condition, I will review this thoroughly and try and analysis the rifle better. But short on time at the moment... I did notice this is a Spandau made receiver, though that is pretty typical. S&H and Piepers rarely show up in normal production, Peipers almost never.. S&H do show up in regular production, but late, not far from this range actually.
Anyway, very hard rifle in this condition, I will review this thoroughly and try and analysis the rifle better. But short on time at the moment... I did notice this is a Spandau made receiver, though that is pretty typical. S&H and Piepers rarely show up in normal production, Peipers almost never.. S&H do show up in regular production, but late, not far from this range actually.
Warrior1354
ax - hole
Hey Paul I just took a closer look at the receiver. On the top of it where the Spandau and Crown is. Is that a star on top of that receiver? Kind of looks like it.
Jordan, I saw that, comparing to others, this shows up on two others (i-blocks), both property marked, I think this is depot related. The majority of surviving Spandau/17's are property marked, of the 36, 19 are property marked (almost all c-block through i-block), a few others show postwar work. It is pretty clear why Spandau stopped making the G98, machine guns were needed and rifles weren't. As everyone knows the only easy to find G98 in upper grades are 1917 dated. What difficulty that does exist among 1917 dated are finding Imperials in great shape, like this rifle many stayed in German hands.
Anyway, this rifle is really nice, and important, its nearly the last (one other) that Spandau made receiver known. i-k blocks are all S&H receivers, no Peipers. I would have to do some more looking, but as far as my trends have progressed, Spandau never assembled a peiper made receiver and only a very few S&H receivers, pretty much after they ran out of their own make. This rifle is second to the last of those receivers, - though my trends are rather meager and of those 36 rifles not all RR are known (identifiable), several in the i-k blocks are not so it is possible others are recorded but unknown.
This rifle is one of the last Spandau made, I love the fact it is an early upgrade and so original, but full Imperial would have made it more valuable (in the US), the stock is probably factory, has the right acceptance for a Spandau/17; I think the rifle is extraordinary. France has some really nice German rifles it seems, this isn't the first, they also do not have all the graffiti you see on rifles in some German collections (which I think ruins the collectability)
If I had it to do over, I would have focused upon high grade Republican era rifles like this one, they are far more elusive, actually rare in many cases, and they have at least as much history as Imperials or nazi crap. The only thing that floats nazi crap to the top are poorly written movies and books full of distortions and half-truths, most of which ignore human nature, as though only Germans possess savage and duplicitous traits.
Anyway, this rifle is really nice, and important, its nearly the last (one other) that Spandau made receiver known. i-k blocks are all S&H receivers, no Peipers. I would have to do some more looking, but as far as my trends have progressed, Spandau never assembled a peiper made receiver and only a very few S&H receivers, pretty much after they ran out of their own make. This rifle is second to the last of those receivers, - though my trends are rather meager and of those 36 rifles not all RR are known (identifiable), several in the i-k blocks are not so it is possible others are recorded but unknown.
This rifle is one of the last Spandau made, I love the fact it is an early upgrade and so original, but full Imperial would have made it more valuable (in the US), the stock is probably factory, has the right acceptance for a Spandau/17; I think the rifle is extraordinary. France has some really nice German rifles it seems, this isn't the first, they also do not have all the graffiti you see on rifles in some German collections (which I think ruins the collectability)
If I had it to do over, I would have focused upon high grade Republican era rifles like this one, they are far more elusive, actually rare in many cases, and they have at least as much history as Imperials or nazi crap. The only thing that floats nazi crap to the top are poorly written movies and books full of distortions and half-truths, most of which ignore human nature, as though only Germans possess savage and duplicitous traits.
