Search results

"From research I have found that these "converted" rifles were made up by local shops from rifles that were stored in warehouses and not able to be shipped due to allied bombing. GI's frequently came across warehouses full of unissued rifles at the end of the war (so much for German logistics)."...

With the understanding that I am not recommending or suggesting that rifles deactivated that way can or should be restored to firing condition, I think it could be done. It looks like the receiver and barrel tang were drilled through and (probably) a steel pin inserted and the head welded in...

At least the son didn't decide to turn the guns into the police for destruction as so many heirs have. Jim

I don't know much about holsters either, but that one looks like it was cut down and reworked. I think it might have started out as an American holster, possibly for a revolver, that the owner had customized by a shoe shop. Jim

I know a little about factory production, both in the U.S. and elsewhere and, in general, factories never cared much about serial numbers. In military production, serial numbers were usually considered a means of inventory control by the user, rather than as a means of production control. I...

I wonder what that irate Sturmbannführer was mouthing off about; I bet it didn't get him very far. (He was probably lucky not to be shot.) Jim

IIRC, that rifle was actually called the Model 1950. It is one of the few Mausers that was made to take the U.S. Springfield clip because that is the way the Belgians received their ammunition from the U.S. My 1951 date is gray Parkerized; it is not, and never was, painted black. Jim

How did they use the clips? Was there a clip adapter for the magazine, like the "spoon" the U.S. used for the carbine magazine? Jim

The main thing, IMHO, is not so much the order-of-battle info, but the numerous "hooks" Soldbuch info would give an interrogator. Imagine this conversation (in German, of course): Interrogator: Sit down, Heinrich. Prisoner: I refuse to tell you anything, Ami schwein! I: Of course you feel...

Hi, guys. I am a newbie here so maybe the question has been answered; if not maybe Peter U. can reply. My question is why the German Soldbuch contained so much information. It is not just a pay book and ID but contains the soldier's unit, previous units, hospital stays, weapons issue, etc...

Hi, Amberg, I am not German, but I know the language well enough to know that, like English, many words are subject to different meanings. But here are the duties of an "Amtswart/Amtswartin" from a German career opportunities web site: (I don't accept responsibillity for the translation...

Hi, Feldmütze, The numbering went from 1-9999 (four digits), then 1a-9999a, etc. My misunderstanding on the suffix. I see the "1" Stephen is talking about, but have no idea what it means. Jim

Not much of an official. In the name of the Führer and Reichskanzler (very impressive), one Adolf Stammberger is being promoted from Hilfswart, or general dogsbody, to Amtswart, which is the equivalent of administrative assistant or office manager, in the office of the Bavarian Interior...

That is not the number 1 (one), it is a lower case suffix letter, q. German numbering started with 1, went to 9999, then 1a to 9999a, 1b and so on. Jim

An 8mm round fired in an 8mm-'06 chamber will have a very short neck. That kind of combination, like firing a .308 Winchester (7.62 NATO) in a .30-'06 chamber, is not dangerous, even if the case splits, but it certainly is not recommended. Jim

Swapping bolts First, swapping or replacing bolts can always result in headspace problems, so it is best not to do it unless you have headspace gauges. That being said, years ago a friend and I decided to play games with Mauser bolts. We had between us (IIRC) some 11 Mauser rifles, ranging...

If a newbie to this forum can chip in, the reason seems to have been that with the stacking hook taking up space, and the thin stock for light weight, there just wasn't any place for the conventional Gew 98 band spring. I am not sure why the Germans considered the stacking hook so important...