1908 DWM combat warhorse.

[Warrior1354]

Gew98 1908 DWM combat warhorse.

Thought I post this up tonight and show you guys what I'm dealing with a complete untouch warhorse. Working on it and cleaning it up as I'm posting this. Really is an interesting gun still has its original Barrel, original stock, and it's unit mark too. The bolt has been renumbered to match this rifle and the magazine floor plate is unnumbered but it is an armorer spare I believe. Buttplate is quite interesting too because it has like 3 or 4 different Depot's on it. Hoping to get a full photo spread and datasheet posted up sometime this week but it depends on my work schedule quite busy right now. I do want to give a word out to my buddy Mike who was essential in this purchase. He really was a big help and I hope he didn't mind me pestering him a little bit on a Saturday! Really thank you Mike you have really been essential in helping me with my collecting in this field these past few years. Of course I can't forget my buddy Paul either. Damn I'm going to have to buy you two a beer one day!

 

[feldmütze]

Yes, an honest warhorse for sure, good pickup I'd suggest doing some research on that regiment during wartime.

 

[Warrior1354]

I will have too read more of Jeff's book on the unit markings as well. Got the rifle cleaned up last night too. Took a couple hours with some bronze wool, ballistol oil, and some nylon brushes. Rifle cleaned up really well. Really amazes me how much some of these rifles can clean up in just a few hours with the right tools and patience.

 

[Warrior1354]

Got her all cleaned up and have a nice series of photos on this rifle. Its a legit depot reworked rifle with a renumbered bolt too match the rifle, a replaced unnumbered floorplate thats Imperial stamped, and a unnumbered firing pin. But you need too check out the buttplate on this rifle. Its went through many depots! Saw alot of service during its wartime career has some battle scars too show it. I'll be honest I really love these prewar unit marked Gew98 rifles especially when their combat warhorses. I am glad I do have a nice DWM made Gew98 in my collection now. As of now I own a nice Mauser made, and a WOK made Gew98 rifle. Which I think not having a DWM made rifle in that mix feels empty. Being that firm was so influential in German firearms development not too mention having so much too do with Mauser being what they were, plus starting WOK production. I do have one question about this rifle. There's an X on the front sight curious what this marked means. My depot Danzig 1904 Gew98 has the same marking?

Maker: Deutsche Waffen-und Munitionseabriken Berlin 1908

Receiver SN: 7710
Barrel SN: 7710 BI. 6508
Front sight SN: 10
Rear sight SN: 10
Sight Slider SN: 10
Ejector box SN: 10
Trigger Sear SN: 10
Front barrel band SN: 10
Rear barrel band SN: 10
Trigger guard SN: 10
Trigger guard screws SN: 10
Floor Plate SN: unnumbered
Follower SN: 10
Stock SN: 7710
Hand guard SN: 7710
Buttplate SN: 7710
Bayonet lug SN: 10
Cleaning Rod SN: 8
Bolt body SN: 7710 renumbered to match
Extractor SN: 48
Safety SN: 48
Cocking piece SN: 48
Bolt sleeve SN: 48
Firing pin SN: unnumbered

 

[Warrior1354]

More pictures:

 

[Warrior1354]

Last ones:

 

[mauser1908]

Really nice DWM! Very scarce year, great find.

 

[Loewe]

I agree, looks like a nice rifle, - is the highest pre-war year for DWM though; also the last big production year for them. They would make rifles in 1909 & 1914, but they are really hard to find. I believe DWM and Mauser undertook large foreign rifle contracts after this time frame and this accounts for the scarcity of G98's made by the two firms after 1908 or so (earlier for Mauser, - pre-war Mauser is far and away scarcer than pre-war DWM, Mauser only had two big pre-war production years, probably due to their contract sales, especially to Turkey I would think; though it is also a product of the German government preferring to mfg rifles at their arsenals, keeping government employees active is always a chore of bureaucrats, they have the need to justify the expensive arsenals existence, worse yet, Loewe/DWM had a terrible reputation for luring the best workers from the arsenals, so you had to keep them busy as a layoff probably had consequences for the best workers...)

As for the "x", not everything can be explained, especially such vague markings that could mean anything? Perhaps some check done when it passed through a depot. I would think the rifles were adjusted and tested at such times and the Imperial Germans were less prone to coming up with tedious and impractical forms of acceptance than their National Socialist brethren.

Though I am a tad bias, I find Loewe/DWM the most interesting of the firms that made the G98 (even beyond Simson), there is certainly an argument to be made that Mauser & DWM were the foremost rifle makers in Europe 1898-1918 (though ÖWG enthusiasts probably disagree! I like them too!)

 

[Warrior1354]

As always thank you for the info Paul. And I hope the barrel code was very helpful. I also tried too make sure I didn't miss anything in the picture series!

 

[Wolfsburg]

Really cool old warhorse for sure! That’s a nice acquisition! Congrats!

 

[Loewe]

You covered everything I needed for my research. Generally, I trend less characteristics on Imperial than Republican or NS era, for one pre-war is so rare it is practically pointless to try and develop a comprehensive trends study; second pre-war shows a great diversity of inspectors cycling through the factories and arsenals, I assume this is a product of inspectors taking a more active role during peace, both for a cost savings and also training new inspectors. Greater consistency existed in the war time periods where delegation probably played a larger role.

So, I generally only trend the larger patterns, RR, stock and bolt.

Thanks Jordan!

As always thank you for the info Paul. And I hope the barrel code was very helpful. I also tried too make sure I didn't miss anything in the picture series!

 

[rickdiehl19]

Great piece of history, congrats!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

 

[heavy_mech]

Great pre-war rifle and thanks for showing so much.

 

[Warrior1354]

Great pre-war rifle and thanks for showing so much.

Come now have I ever not posted a rifle without showing everything lol! Well I try too at least.

 

[gew8805]

Very nice. Your regimental marking - 37.R.8.182. - indicates that it was issued as "weapon #182 of the 8th Company of the 37th Reserve Infantry Regiment".

 

[Warrior1354]

Thank you. Is there anywhere I can research to find more information on this regiment?

 

[Tom H]

That rifle is rad, thanks for sharing!

 

[gew8805]

Thank you. Is there anywhere I can research to find more information on this regiment?

Yes, all the information you will need can be found in the book Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army Which Participated in the War 1914 - 1918 . It can be read on line here:

http://archive.org/stream/cu31924027835317#page/n5/mode/2up

or it can be found at AbeBooks.com at:

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Se...articipated+in+the+War+1914+-+1918+&kn=&isbn=

Having the actual book in hand is much easier than trying to find the information in the internet link, believe me.

 

[Warrior1354]

Thank you very much for the information I'll have to check this out. I believe finding the history of the particular unit that had this rifle brings more light too the overall history of this rifle.