Spartaner545
Senior Member
Hello guys
this is probably not new to some of you who are really into german colonial rifles but it was new to me so maybe it will be interesting for some others as well.
I was reading an article about the first german carbine 98, the Einheitskarabiner 98. Since the K98 played an important role in german colonial warfare the author did a quick research on german colonial weapon in general.
And one topic that was interesting to him was the question when the bolt was bent on the Schutztruppengewehr 98. He quoted the former Schutztruppe gunsmith Joseph Port who was in charge when the bending was done. Joseph Port wrote some letters in the 1950s about the life and the weapons of the Schutztruppe on DSW.
According to Mister Port the bolt was bent in 1908 in Windhuk. It was done due to the fact that the rifle would now fit the leather saddle holster much better. Port also wrote in one of his letters that the bending was a mistake. The troops didn't liked the bent bolt on Schutztruppengehr 98. It was much harder and slower to work with then a regular straight G98 bolt.
Port also remembered that the Kaiserliche Schutztruppe didn't used the new S-Catridge until the end of the Hottentotten war in 1907. Directly after the war they would upgrade their rifles to the new 8x57 IS.
I hope that some of you learned something new. I just found it very interesting to read about a former gunsmith who was in the Schutztruppe at the time the famous Schutztruppengewehr was "designed".
My source is the DWJ (Deutsches Waffen Journal) 06/1984 Page 741 and 742.
With kind regards
Vincent
this is probably not new to some of you who are really into german colonial rifles but it was new to me so maybe it will be interesting for some others as well.
I was reading an article about the first german carbine 98, the Einheitskarabiner 98. Since the K98 played an important role in german colonial warfare the author did a quick research on german colonial weapon in general.
And one topic that was interesting to him was the question when the bolt was bent on the Schutztruppengewehr 98. He quoted the former Schutztruppe gunsmith Joseph Port who was in charge when the bending was done. Joseph Port wrote some letters in the 1950s about the life and the weapons of the Schutztruppe on DSW.
According to Mister Port the bolt was bent in 1908 in Windhuk. It was done due to the fact that the rifle would now fit the leather saddle holster much better. Port also wrote in one of his letters that the bending was a mistake. The troops didn't liked the bent bolt on Schutztruppengehr 98. It was much harder and slower to work with then a regular straight G98 bolt.
Port also remembered that the Kaiserliche Schutztruppe didn't used the new S-Catridge until the end of the Hottentotten war in 1907. Directly after the war they would upgrade their rifles to the new 8x57 IS.
I hope that some of you learned something new. I just found it very interesting to read about a former gunsmith who was in the Schutztruppe at the time the famous Schutztruppengewehr was "designed".
My source is the DWJ (Deutsches Waffen Journal) 06/1984 Page 741 and 742.
With kind regards
Vincent