Third Party Press

17 Amberg EWB + Magdeburg rework 98M

chrisftk

Moderator
Staff member
My tendancy to buy rifles to go with bolts continues...I've had a blued Amberg bolt in my box for a while. This was one that I couldn't pass up despite being a bit of a project. It was missing a bolt and some other small parts (Follower, spring, floorplate, rear screw). I put in an armorer spare rear screw, follower and spring and a mismatched floorplate until I find a better one.

The rifle is a 1917 Amberg. This one served a stint in the EWB before apparently falling back into gov't hands and being reworked to 98M configuration at Magdeburg at some point in the early NS era.

The acceptance on the stock is crisp and the Mg depot stamp is right on top of the old imperial wrist acceptance.

The rear sight was updated with e/211 s/42G components. The bore is nice, but looks like the barrel is original, so must not have been fired a substantial amount.

A couple of questions:

1) The vast majority of EWB I've seen are still in imperial trim. I'm assuming because many stayed in private hands (secretly) or were hidden from the Republican govt once the EWB was dissolved?

2) The front action screw is not matching, but is marked "S" and droop winged e/4. I've not seen one so marked.

Pictures:
IMG_20191026_161138971_HDR.jpgIMG_20191026_161205240.jpgIMG_20191026_161233681_HDR.jpgIMG_20191026_161326993.jpgIMG_20191026_161351104_HDR.jpgIMG_20191026_161401210_HDR.jpgIMG_20191026_161423092_HDR.jpgIMG_20191026_161428517_HDR.jpgIMG_20191026_161512106.jpgIMG_20191026_161521981.jpgIMG_20191026_161543828.jpgIMG_20191026_161558803_HDR.jpgIMG_20191026_161610066.jpgIMG_20191026_161644334_HDR.jpgIMG_20191026_161707571_HDR.jpgIMG_20191026_161927734_HDR.jpg53036.jpgIMG_20191026_152048742.jpgIMG_20191026_152109136.jpgIMG_20191026_152204167.jpg

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Just bought myself one aswell an all matching 1915 Danzig

All matching even has Weimar Waffenamts, and Nazi Waffenamts great rifles they are
 
That's a nice one! I think that's the case with Imperial trim EWB marked rifles being hidden away. One of mine is like that. I believe it to be a WWII bring back and is duffle cut under the rear barrel band. It's still in Imperial Trim, I would think it was turned in at the end of WWII like more standard weapons would have been. Could have ended up in Volkssturm use assuming the store it came from was located before the end of the war. Really anyone's guess.

unnamed (16).jpgunnamed (8).jpg
 
Last edited:
That's a nice one! I think that's the case with Imperial trim EWB marked rifles being hidden away. One of mine is like that. I believe it to be a WWII bring back and is duffle cut under the rear barrel band. It's still in Imperial Trim, I would think it was turned in at the end of WWII like more standard weapons would have been. Could have ended up in Volkssturm use assuming the store it came from was located before the end of the war. Really anyone's guess.

View attachment 219472View attachment 219473
I like it! Nice rifle for sure.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk
 
Another nice rifle; sounds like you are prepared for project rifles with your parts collecting!

One thing first, try to get the details off the receiver for the research thread in the Imperial forum. Amberg used codes on receivers and bolts and we are trending them in that research post.

EWB, it was part of a nation wide militia system, typically they took on the character of the area they were raised, meaning industrial areas, a more left leaning view, Bavaria and more rural areas a conservative leaning, the fact Bavaria was taken over by a communist uprising and reign of terror caused the EWB to be more right wing than other EW's... but typically they reflected the areas raised and the problems faced by the inhabitants. Anyway, they resisted the order to disband, but eventually did, though their leader Georg Escherich had ambitions beyond the EWB (he was involved in schemes to united the southern states, in particular Bavaria and Austria) and theose plans required small arms. He was well connected and through his contacts was able to hide many weapons.

Georg Escherich was also rather contemptuous of the Hitler cult, like most conservatives at the time he called them nationalistic bolsheviks, so these rifles didn't fall into the nazis hands quite as easily as the ones held by groups cooperating with the Reichsheer.. most of which were under army protection (Prussia tried to seize these weapons at every opportunity). As a consequence you can still find EWB rifles in Imperial trim, no apparent upgrading, I have owned two such rifles and seen several more. Probably bring backs from our occupation of Bavaria after the war... Yours of course is upgraded, as most are, so most found there way into the German Army inventories before 1945.
 
One thing first, try to get the details off the receiver for the research thread in the Imperial forum. Amberg used codes on receivers and bolts and we are trending them in that research post.

Thanks Paul, It's been a great year for Weimar era items. I'm up to a modest collection of 7 rifles from the period and it's becoming a new focus for me.

Here you go:

I normally try to snag the bottom of the receiver, not sure how I missed it. Please let me know if I can get anything else.
6b7dc89abf7249463b3bedd74784f7dc.jpg


Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Chris, The markings of interest are on the leftside of the receiver, near the bottom and along the separation of the receiver ring and siderail. It is a code like 8J7-0




Thanks Paul, It's been a great year for Weimar era items. I'm up to a modest collection of 7 rifles from the period and it's becoming a new focus for me.

Here you go:

I normally try to snag the bottom of the receiver, not sure how I missed it. Please let me know if I can get anything else.
6b7dc89abf7249463b3bedd74784f7dc.jpg
917fb93ecb241bc198704fde92fc44e2.jpg


Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk
 
Chris, The markings of interest are on the leftside of the receiver, near the bottom and along the separation of the receiver ring and siderail. It is a code like 8J7-0
Hmm not sure how I missed that code. I usually check pretty good. Here it is:
8H7-0
d2ca28864a8e848f0007c150d1771bb3.jpg


Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk
 
Follow-up question-- do we know when the coding began on these? My 1906 Amberg only has a "K" in the same spot.
8771a7fbf9467cddde9de2d7d33e197a.jpg


Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk
 
Late 1916 apparently, - I assume this is related to the increase in production, by late 1916 Amberg had to have been informed they would be remaining with the G98, while others were diverted to the P08, MG or 98a.. from 1915 to 1916 Amberg increased production by 100,000 rifles, nearly doubling, by 1917 they increased this by 20-30,000 rifles, probably their limit... they were the third highest maker in 1917 which is a little stunning compared to prior years. Only Danzig and WMO made more in 1917. They even out produced DWM, though this is certainly related to DWM and Spandau moving to MG production (DWM also to P08, - no one could beat DWM in combined production, probably not even Erfurt) more vigorously... in 1918 Amberg would be second highest behind WMO, though very modest numbers. Lowest wartime year for Amberg, they must have been doing something else, though off hand i am not sure what... there was talk of them possibly going to the 98a or P08, but nothing came of it. Germany simply didn't need anymore G98's by 1918 (even if they held it together into 1919)
 

Military Rifle Journal
Back
Top