Third Party Press

Improvised Handgun from Gew98

Guillaume d'Orange

Senior Member
Hello everyone.
I've been to Riga (Latvia) over the last week-end and visited the Museum of War there.
An entire room is dedicated to their War of Independence (1918-1920), which very much looks like a civil war to me:
http://www.karamuzejs.lv/en/home/PermanentExposition/1_zale/5_ekspozicija_LNK.aspx
and then I've come across THIS (see pics).

It is made out of a Danzig 1915 Gew98. I cannot imagine how brutal it was to shoot this thing or be shot with !

If it is interesting to some of you, I have pics of a 1911 DWM MG08, a 1910 Spandau Gew 98 and an MP43 with a carved stock.
 

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Very neat! And a 1910 Spandau Gew98 would be interesting. That was the year for spandau when they starting production of Gew98 rifles again after their kar98a carbine contracts ended.
 
In high school early 70's I had to read a book about a yute, in one of the big city's in the midwest

he became a thug and used a cut down german rifle for his robberies, imagine the kick.

probably a book on early indoctrination and emasculation
 
In high school early 70's I had to read a book about a yute, in one of the big city's in the midwest

he became a thug and used a cut down german rifle for his robberies, imagine the kick.

probably a book on early indoctrination and emasculation

Wound ballistics ? That's what came to my mind when I saw this object.
Maurice Genevoix (a famous French writer) was shot three times in 1915 by a German soldier with a Gew98. Twice in his left arm, which he kept but permanently disabled.
With this improvised handgun or a regular Gew98, a bullet of 7.92mm has so many ways to be deadly, you have to be lucky to survive.

Emasculation ? Yes, if you put that in your pants :facepalm:
 
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Wow,
This thing would be as much a flame thrower as a handgun. Much of the powder would burn outside the muzzle.
I think you would need a Latvian Rambo to have the stones to set this thing off!:laugh:
 
Looks very similar to the Russian Obrez Pistol. Seems like a lot of work for something I wouldn't be to fond of ever using. Pistols could have been in very short supply for whomever needed them to make that beast...
 
Wow,
This thing would be as much a flame thrower as a handgun. Much of the powder would burn outside the muzzle.
I think you would need a Latvian Rambo to have the stones to set this thing off!:laugh:

That was my first thought. The intimidation factor of the boom, huge fireball and the victim being blown across the room.
 
The Spandau/10 does sound interesting, 1909, 1910 and 1911 were hard years for G98's, only WMO and Spandau made G98's and not in large numbers, though Spandau's far more than WMO. Of course MG08's are always tough to find these days, especially pre-war. If it shows the serial number or some of the parts do some of the MG08.

Yes, Eastern Europe in 1918-1920 was pure madness, far more brutal than the war in some ways, mass executions, ethnic wars and genocide, Jews had it the worse, but it was real bad for everyone. Most have never even heard of the wars in the east after WWI, but it was some of the craziest wars in modern history... Everyone has read a little about Germany's problems with Poland, the fighting (which was pretty savage), but it was worse in the eastern regions. Had it not been for all the fighting in Eastern Poland and Ukraine things might have gone worse for the Germans in the eastern provinces. Really the bulk of Poland's forces were fighting Ukrainians (who were divided into factions and fight essentially a two front war with Poles and Bolo's, also dealing with White Russians...) and all her eastern neighbors. Of course the German Army in the east had to retreat back to Germany, largely through the Baltic States, especially Latvia (The Entente wouldn't allow retreat through Poland - and the Entente wanted to use German troops to shore up the Baltic States, - the Entente, especially the English, were despicable in the region at this time...)

Anyway, the region suffered a great deal after the war, possibly as badly as during the war and in some cases far worse, true atrocities were committed on all sides, some shockingly savage, easily equal to what the SS did in 1941-1942 in Russia, if not in scale then at least in indiscriminate savagery (and when we think of these atrocities, whether Stalin's, Hitler's or Mao's, or any other tinpot tyrant, we can get caught up in abstractions, thousands here millions there, but these tortures and horrific murders were done one at a time, often individually or one family at a time and that is the true horror of it all, - and I do not think it matters the ethnicity or culture, massacring Belgians and Frenchmen doesn't heighten the crime over some poor farmer in Russia (Kulak) or China where unimaginable things were done to whole families and villages, things that haven't been common for thousands of years, hundreds anyway... burning and burying people alive)
 
A stretch.....There is a similar weapon depicted in the BBC miniseries "Spys of Warsaw." It shows up at the end of episode 4 in use by a bandit chief. Looks to be a 98 with the barrel and stock shortened to about 12" in front of the rear sight. Stock is cut at the pistol grip. Rear sight is a 98k type. From what can be seen this mod looks like old work and not made up for the film. Filmed in Poland so I am thinking it was in some stockpile of old weapons. Other long arms in the film appear to be Polish. I tried to capture a screen shot to post but Amazon Prime video seems to be coded to prevent.

Took a picture of my screen. Given side sling swivel possibly made up from a Vz24 or Yugo variant? At least one of the other rifles in the film has the Yugo style front sight protector.
 

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Since this appears to be the traditional Latvian handgun of choice I'm hoping someone sends a video of the combat matches they must have. The aftermarket accessories available must be amazing. Items such as flash suppressors, muzzle brakes, different styles of slings, shoulder, belt and hideout holsters, +P ammo, extended magazines and so on. They would of course have on standby the usual paramedic and in addition a chiropractor to pop back in any bones misplaced by the recoil and a dentist to fix the fillings and crowns that are sure to drop out of their teeth. Looks like a very expensive hobby. I think it would be far more fun to watch than to actually participate in.
 
A stretch.....There is a similar weapon depicted in the BBC miniseries "Spys of Warsaw." It shows up at the end of episode 4 in use by a bandit chief. Looks to be a 98 with the barrel and stock shortened to about 12" in front of the rear sight. Stock is cut at the pistol grip. Rear sight is a 98k type. From what can be seen this mod looks like old work and not made up for the film. Filmed in Poland so I am thinking it was in some stockpile of old weapons. Other long arms in the film appear to be Polish. I tried to capture a screen shot to post but Amazon Prime video seems to be coded to prevent.

Took a picture of my screen. Given side sling swivel possibly made up from a Vz24 or Yugo variant? At least one of the other rifles in the film has the Yugo style front sight protector.

Hi GEM, I did not know this mini-series, will check it out.
Nothing about it on IMFDB or under the Polish Mauser section: http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/VZ-24_Czech_Mauser#wz._29_Polish_Mauser
 
Since this appears to be the traditional Latvian handgun of choice I'm hoping someone sends a video of the combat matches they must have. The aftermarket accessories available must be amazing. Items such as flash suppressors, muzzle brakes, different styles of slings, shoulder, belt and hideout holsters, +P ammo, extended magazines and so on. They would of course have on standby the usual paramedic and in addition a chiropractor to pop back in any bones misplaced by the recoil and a dentist to fix the fillings and crowns that are sure to drop out of their teeth. Looks like a very expensive hobby. I think it would be far more fun to watch than to actually participate in.

Brilliant idea, after the Russian slap contest : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wifQPD5eok4
Let's set up the Latvian sawed-off M98 contest ! :laugh: Free plastic surgery for the survivors.
 

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