Chapter 10 Pages 495-511: SS Gewehr Conversions
- Thread starter ugafx4
- Start date
Ok, just read through it. It's all still right, one thing I've come to realize since which I didn't connect in the book:
Paul Hausser was put in charge of the training of the SS-VT in 1936 (I put that in there) during the big buildup, but what I didn't have was the connection to the SS Gew conversion rifles. The earliest I have on my list are from 1936, most about 7/36. This would mean that once the SS got serious about building up the SS-VT they initiated the rifle conversion program. Prior to that many just used Standard-Modell rifles or Gew.98 rifles. It's items like this that help you collect certain genres - study the organizations that used these weapons and learn the basics at least. I see so many that want to collect SS yet have never cracked a book open about the SS organization. It helps.
Second, I no longer personally feel that the SS did the majority of the conversion work in their own shops, in the book I eluded to the possibility that the rifles were probably converted by gunsmiths in the Suhl region. Some could have been done in the Berlin area by Gunsmiths, but I suspect the bulk were done in shops in Suhl. Proofing was done at Suhl I believe. So my current stance leans to commercial conversion. No documentation, but the rifles were sent back to the depots for inspection (where the skulls were applied).
I didn't cover it in this book, but I believe the "Lazy S" skull is for Sachsenhausen camp, and the "Gull Wing" is Münich. These were the 2 main depots - at that time the Dachau camp was in its infancy, so the M for Münich was much more of a fit for that. At the time I wasn't confident on this but as time wears on I feel more sure. Its still just a guess, but better than most of the idiotic theories I've heard.
Paul Hausser was put in charge of the training of the SS-VT in 1936 (I put that in there) during the big buildup, but what I didn't have was the connection to the SS Gew conversion rifles. The earliest I have on my list are from 1936, most about 7/36. This would mean that once the SS got serious about building up the SS-VT they initiated the rifle conversion program. Prior to that many just used Standard-Modell rifles or Gew.98 rifles. It's items like this that help you collect certain genres - study the organizations that used these weapons and learn the basics at least. I see so many that want to collect SS yet have never cracked a book open about the SS organization. It helps.
Second, I no longer personally feel that the SS did the majority of the conversion work in their own shops, in the book I eluded to the possibility that the rifles were probably converted by gunsmiths in the Suhl region. Some could have been done in the Berlin area by Gunsmiths, but I suspect the bulk were done in shops in Suhl. Proofing was done at Suhl I believe. So my current stance leans to commercial conversion. No documentation, but the rifles were sent back to the depots for inspection (where the skulls were applied).
I didn't cover it in this book, but I believe the "Lazy S" skull is for Sachsenhausen camp, and the "Gull Wing" is Münich. These were the 2 main depots - at that time the Dachau camp was in its infancy, so the M for Münich was much more of a fit for that. At the time I wasn't confident on this but as time wears on I feel more sure. Its still just a guess, but better than most of the idiotic theories I've heard.
I think this likely the case, but what about the "Cross" skull? Any ideas?
Good question - and my answer is speculation, sort of "showing my cards" - from the dates I have seen so far (full disclosure, the observations are incomplete and this is a work in progress) the "+" skulls date 36-38, the "M" from 39. It's possible the "+" is early Münich depot. The "LazyS" dates 36-38 and "SS" from 39, so maybe "SS" is the last of Sachsenhausen. If you want to make it even more confusing, I think the first ones made may not have had a skull, and some skulls were added later on subsequent reworks, but finding an SS Gew conversion with no skull is probably impossible. And even more confusing, I have an example of a "+" marked rifle with a barrel that appears to have a "lazy S" acceptance of sorts near the barrel code markings, and other barrels with "lazy S" as if they were marked for depot spares. Very convoluted as many depot things are.
Roughly stated - "+" & "lazy S" are concurrent, then "M" & "SS" are concurrent. Don't even mention the "=" marked ones, I have no idea. I have been spending time just collecting dates/skulls as I have time, once done I will go back through the info for SS depots and shops and see what it looks like.
And "SS2" is Waffenwerkstatt Dachau, this I believe 100%.
