1915 dwm gew 98

H

Hesh

Active member
Just got home with a matching numbers DWM, GEW 98, everything on this rifle is matching. From the butplate to the floorplate and bolt.

From what I understand in similar posts a reasonably un common rifle, the date is 1915 and some patches through the barrel and she is easily a 9/10.

Looking forward to getting some photos together with my Eurfurt KAR98. :thumbsup:

P6140609_zps6994cdf9.jpg
 
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Dwm gew 98

Will post more detailed photos as soon as it stops raining outside, its been constant for the last 2 days!!
 
Looks like a nice honest gewehr. Nice find. Looks pretty nice, a lot of 1915 and 1916 DWMs were used VERY hard.


Hesh said:
Will post more detailed photos as soon as it stops raining outside, its been constant for the last 2 days!!
Click to expand...
 
1915 dwm gew

To be frank I was impressed with this one as soon as I handled it. I spent the last few evenings looking at every photo I could on the web and didnt have high expectations on the condition.

The bore is excellent and all I have done is soak in Hoppes a couple of times followed by a very careful wipe down with oil.

There is 60% of the bluing left so someone has looked after it, everything is stamped 8517 or 17 incuding the bolt.

My Grandfather was on the Somme amoungst other places in WW1, I hope this is an example of a rifle captured by Aussie Troops and returned after the war?

I guess I will never know?
 
1915 dwm gew

Thank you for you interest, yes he was an ANZAC, a commisioned officer with the 4th Light Horse. He landed in Gallipoli and saw service in Egypt and France. A long way from his dental practice in Bendigo Victoria.



https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1607501/

The above link is for the Australian War Memorial, his name and rank Maj Thomas W Williams
 
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Well it does look like a nice rifle, the stock acceptance looks right for a DWM/15, nearly identical to a DWM/15 "w" block I bought from Bruce over a decade ago, but no longer own... finding 1915 dated rifles that are 100% original, no signs of rework or repair is pretty tough, even for the large makers like DWM (they made a lot of rifles 1915-1917 -during 1915 they had the highest production known, not by much but more than even the arsenals, though less actual examples are known than Danzig or Spandau)

What block is your rifle, I can't make out the character under your serial number, seems like it might be an "x" but hard to tell, DWM used an elaborate script on many of their suffixes, but this tells you whether it is a late or early rifle, - I would say it is a later 1915 rifle, its stock acceptance matches my "w" block well, but too few have been recorded with original stocks to be sure how consistent DWM was on RS stock acceptance. Do more pictures? The right receiver acceptance would be nice too if you can.
 
Dwm

Thanks for the response Loewe, I have had a look at the mark under the serial number on the barrel. Looks like a cross between an x and a k, will take some better photos with my DSLR sooon.

Must apologize for the quality of the photos thus far, snuck out between showers, its been raining here all weekend!!
 
Dwm gew

Thanks Loewe South Eastern Australia is a very pictuesque place, Arizona is very nice spent some time around Prescot in the 90's.

The stock is stamped on the underside in front of the rear swivel 8517 matching the rest of the rifle. cant say the same for the handguard as I havent removed it yet!!
 
Arizona is a very diverse state, probably one of the most diverse, deserts, mountains, snow and lots of agriculture, - and a lot of losers moving to the big cities turning it slowly into Kalifornia... anyway, I would like to hear what you find if you ever take it apart and examine the rifle closer.

No need of course, but if you do get curious enough! You might look at the buttplate, if it cycled through a depot it might be marked there. Looks and sounds pretty original though.
 
Happy to say the serial number on the butplate below the bottom screw matches the rest of the rifle!!

Was planning on taking this down, but by the look of the floorplate and screws, they have never been tampered with, i am tempted to leave as is!!
 
Depot markings would be a series of letters & numbers, they are usually more in the middle of the buttplate, above the screw, but vary.

I agree, if you are not sure about disassembly it is best to leave it alone, - unless there is signs of moisture along the woodline and then that should be addressed immediately, but that is rare with original rifles that have been stored in a decent environment.
 
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