Third Party Press

The Post WW2 Rg34

pwcosol

Senior Member
I know most collectors of the Rg34 have little (if any) interest in Post-WW2 variants. There has been a steadily increasing interest in Cold War weapons and militaria for decades. I am going to flesh out this thread with the variants I either have acquired or observed. To begin, the first kit pictured recently sold at auction (and for very little). Most of us are familiar with the cleaning kits used by West Germany, of which this appears to be an example. I had yet to see one with a HKW until this kit appeared. In addition, the all black phenolic resin oiler and RGK appear WW2 vintage and the HKW very late war or post-WW2 fabrication with the "long" pin.

West Germany held large amounts of WW2 period equipment in storage, and this included the Rg34. It is known new kits (some attributed to G APPEL) were made in the post-WW2 era, but the majority of these kits are largely unattributed. Components typically include a orange with black caps plastic oiler, beaded RGK with flat metal link patch loop, and no HKW. Sometimes a cleaning brush or tool is found as well. I have a suspicion the early kits once had a HKW. When the West German army adopted the FN/FAL (G1) and later HK G3, these kits were the ones initially issued. Since the HKW no longer had any purpose, I suspect they were removed from the kits. This also may explain where a number of similar HKWs turned up years ago and were being sold from sources in Germany (8/19/0700 see post#4). Eventually, the HK G3 pattern kit in the contoured, green plastic box replaced everything else.

Bottom row #2 is a typical, unattributed PW W German Rg34. Beads are heavy split alloy, chain/flat link is blued and a brush is supplied. Bottom row #1 & #3 + top row #3 is kit marked "Rg.f.Gew" & "WBC" | "4/63" on the underside of the lid. This kit has much smoother alloy beads and a flat link. I also believe, from the production date of these kits, they were a newer contract and probably not supplied with a HKW.
 

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The Post WW2 Rg34 Part II

Part II: The first kit is not German but Austrian and believed to be for their FN/FAL. It is marked "RG62" and date-coded on the mold marking. The case is of dark black plastic and contains more modern components. Note the brushes are now threaded and attach to a boss on the pull-thru. There is a flat multi-tool provided as well. The remaining three examples are of East German origin. Perhaps the most intriguing post-WW2 rifle cleaning kits are the cloth impregnated, phenolic resin cases the GDR manufactured for their VOPO forces. The first pattern has a all black phenolic oiler which appears to be of wartime manufacture. The HKW has a mid-WW2 look to it but with a unique bend at the pin end and pin is peened to the body with a "X" type crimp. The RGK has a flat link, three alloy beads, and a utility "figure-8" type steel chain. These chains are also seen blued as well. On the reverse is molded into the body "Lieferer Nr. 1305". Other types of surplus WW2 field gear held by the E. German VOPO forces will bear a added, inked marking like this, but having different inventory Nrs. The last photo on bottom row is an addition of a example seen on Ebay.DE. Note the blued HKW with "in-white" RGK and unique alloy oiler bearing vertical grasping grooves on the base.

The second example has no external markings on the case, but a mold marking with "wedges" and "N44" inside both lids. Note this kit has the same oiler, but the HKW is blued and pull-thru is woven white nylon with a loop at one end (to attach the brushes) and a blued steel weight to drop down the rifle bore. There are also variants of this pull-thru utilizing rope as well. Lastly is the E. German Rg57. This kit has more stuff crammed into such a small case it is remarkable (sure someone received a pat on the A** from Erich Ernst Paul Honecker for his service to the State!). The kit was made for the E. German MPi-KS/KM and a similar, simplified kit was produced for the later MPi-AK74N. So, there is a overview of the Post-WW2 Rg34 and it's offspring. Comments and additions welcome...
 

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Thanks Wilhelm for your comments and additions! I knew of the 9x19 kits, but have yet to find an example (but wasn't looking until recently). Also like the Rg53, too. BTW, in doing a bit of research, think I found the missing W. German Rg34 HKWs...on Ebay.de. The seller states " Made for GERMAN ARMY postwar around 1950/60 * all pieces are light rusty."

*Second photograph added 4/7/22: Note reverse of the two HKWs pictured. The 2nd tool on the right has a concave butt and is like the center HKW in the first photo. The last tool on the right in second photo is even more unusual. It appears to have a flat steel butt like the X'd out tools, but a non-crimped, open neck.
 

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Thank you for posting, good research very informative

I remember those 9mm cleaning kits, they came in with the first UZI kits from Germany along with the leather mag pouches from west germany



also PM sent
 
A good idea pwcosol !

Here some pictures of a rusted post war West German RG34 from Geco manufacturer. Unfortunately it came empty.
Note the manufacturer's logo and the markings "RG 34" stamped on the Behälter !
It seems to be manufactured in 1957 (1/57).

Antoni
 

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Antoni:
Thank you for posting this most interesting Rg34. Had heard of a GECO Rg34, but thought it would have been a pre-WW2 retail purchase item. The inventory number and date on the tin appears unique to this maker. One wonders what became of the rest...?
 
G. Appel after the war

It seems that the Gustav Appel firm after the war also continued to engage in the manufacture of cleaning material for weapons.
On November 15, 1951, this company patented another cleaning kit case, patent DE1639749 for a Behälter für Reinigungsgerät. This box was made of Presstoff material.
Also on November 7, 1951 he had patented a type of chain link (Kettenglied), patent DE1641131. In this patent, the steel links have both wire ends with a small angle.
I'm enclosing a copy of the original patent drawings. Note the presence of a phenolic oiler inside the cleaning case on the right.

Antoni
 

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Fascinating, Antoni. Both a Behalter and RGK that never were (or only in prototype form). The way the kit opens and has slots for the components certainly is similar to the later HK G3 pattern kits in 7.62 x 51 (also x 39) and the 5.56 kaliber as well...
 

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It is known new kits (some attributed to G APPEL) were made in the post-WW2 era, but the majority of these kits are largely unattributed.

The postwar G.Appel kits are tough to find. I only have one in the collection and know of another four in other collections.
 

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The postwar G.Appel kits are tough to find. I only have one in the collection and know of another four in other collections.

Very interesting to see the use of the Gustav Appel logo after the war !

Here the first post war manual for the Reinigungsgerät 34, published in May 1951 for the Border Guards.
This manual is the same size as the H.Dv.256 of 1936 and include an image of the Rg 34 and its pieces from this Wehrmacht manual, although they indicate that it was obtained from the privately published 1942 Reibert manual.

Antoni
 

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In researching for the rg34 book project I compiled some information on these post-war kits. At the time my intention was to include a brief section regarding the kits used after the war to include the reissued examples. To the largest extent I gave up on the post-war kit area but can share some information here. Fred has an example of the WBC maker kit in his initial post. The WBC maker is unidentified but appears to be by far the largest producer of these kits. The cans are all marked the same as far as the WBC and Rg. f. Gew. designation along with a date. Smaller numbers of kits can be found with the maker's stamp of P&E (again, unidentified). The P&E made cans are stamped in the same manner as those manufactured by WBC. The G. Appel made kits are quite rare as noted by Wolfgang. Very few examples have been observed. The Appel cans have the maker's logo on the left instead of the right side; opposite configuration compared with the WBC and P&E pieces. There are also a small number of cans that are observed without maker, bearing only a date and Rg. f. Gew. stampings. The Gustav Genschow made kits are also seldom encountered. All of the examples that I have recorded are marked identically to Antoni's with the Geco logo, RG 34, product number, and date on the side/body. The Geco cans most closely resemble the wartime versions constructed with a thicker gauge sheet metal and have the earliest date observed (1/57). It is also interesting that these cans retain the rg34 designation instead of Rg. f. Gew. The date information compiled provides a range beginning with 1/57 running to a high of 5/63. The largest number of dated kits recorded were in the years 1962 and '63. There are also enormous numbers of cans that are completely unmarked. It seems the maker marked examples are much scarcer than those which are unmarked. Some recorded maker/date information as well as photos below.

Appel - 4/62, 7/62

Geco - 1/57

P&E - 5/59, 8/59, 11/59, 12/59, 1/62, 3/62

WBC - 12/59, 2/62, 3/62, 4/62 6/62, 7/62, 8/62, 9/62, 10/62, 11/62, 1/63, 2/63, 4/63, 5/63

No Maker - 12/59, 4/62, 6/62, 7/62

Of interest is the lack of dates in the years 1960 and '61 but I'm sure that other dates and probably makers are out there.
 

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Excellent appraisal of the Post-WW2 Rg34 manufacturers! Have at least seen photos of most except the P & E marked one. Regarding the "GA" kits, there are more of them around as I have seen several for sale (although no seller either referred to, or likely knew, whom the manufacturer was). Problem is many sellers offer multiple kits, and you might not get the one pictured. One told me the kits were "pre-packaged" and it was a crap-shoot what you might actually receive. I noted 1962 was a banner production year for the Rg34. This would seem to coincide with increased production of the HKG3 and quite possibly expansion of the Bundeswehr as well.
 
@Slash.

do all the post war cleaning kits you encountered have the single line reinforcing groove?

Thanks
 

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