If you are talking about the Karabiner 98k (a 1935 model) it had a bent down bolt handle.
Out of the Trenches! Very Interesting Imperial German Kar98az
- Thread starter ArtyMan
- Start date
If you are talking about the Karabiner 98k (a 1935 model) it had a bent down bolt handle.
Hi Ganderite I used to wonder about the Polish Mauser Kar 98 AZ Carbine and the straight and bent bolt handles.
My conclusion, right or wrong, was that the Poles only made one type of stock.
The infantry got ones with a straight bolt handle and the cavalry got ones with bent bolt handles.
https://www.libertytreecollectors.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=4939
Polish Mauser's, A Short History.
http://youwillshootyoureyeout.com/polish-mauser/
My conclusion, right or wrong, was that the Poles only made one type of stock.
The infantry got ones with a straight bolt handle and the cavalry got ones with bent bolt handles.
https://www.libertytreecollectors.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=4939
Polish Mauser's, A Short History.
http://youwillshootyoureyeout.com/polish-mauser/
NavyShooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- XMU Local .303
Well written.
Having visited numerous WWI battlefields, this is a well written tale of a rifle with no way to truly know its history.
I have in my collection, a relic condition WWI MG-080/15 for which I do have history...I know that it was captured on the 2nd of September, 1918, by the 7th Bn, west of a certain town in France.
I've found trench maps and war diaries from that unit and time, and found the 35 machine gun positions in the area...and this gun came from one of them.
Fascinating to be able to put a gun in a place and time in history.
NS
Having visited numerous WWI battlefields, this is a well written tale of a rifle with no way to truly know its history.
I have in my collection, a relic condition WWI MG-080/15 for which I do have history...I know that it was captured on the 2nd of September, 1918, by the 7th Bn, west of a certain town in France.
I've found trench maps and war diaries from that unit and time, and found the 35 machine gun positions in the area...and this gun came from one of them.
Fascinating to be able to put a gun in a place and time in history.
NS
Thanks for the compliments! Here are the references, legend and other notes around the map:
A quick google search indicates "GSGS" stands for "Geographical Section, General Staff", and were British military maps used by air and land forces.
Front cover when folded
Last edited:
Good evening,
Here is a close up of the cracked stock repair. I concur it was not done by the German military and was almost certainly repaired later. There are also no depot marks or signs of overhaul at all on the rifle. How the stock became cracked in the first place I suspect we will never know. Whoever did the work did a fairly decent job though!
Here is a close up of the cracked stock repair. I concur it was not done by the German military and was almost certainly repaired later. There are also no depot marks or signs of overhaul at all on the rifle. How the stock became cracked in the first place I suspect we will never know. Whoever did the work did a fairly decent job though!
That sounds like an exceptional piece of history - please post some pictures!
While digging into the digital Archives Canada collection I was able to find a few pictures of Canadian soldiers and captured or "leftover" arms.
1916
Cambrai 1918 - lots of MGs lined up....
Arras 1918
Canadian soldier with a captured Gewehr 98. I've cropped out the photo to exclude the deceased.
- Location
- Leduc County, Alberta
My 1909 Danzig Kar98AZ has a crack in the same spot at the wrist.
I’m wondering if they have this damage from being in capture piles? I think mine is unit marked to an Uhlan unit which fought on the Western Front.
Gorgeous Kar and great write up!
I’m wondering if they have this damage from being in capture piles? I think mine is unit marked to an Uhlan unit which fought on the Western Front.
Gorgeous Kar and great write up!
Thanks! They certainly are a neat rifle! I’m not sure if we will ever know but it seems to be a common cracking spot from what I’ve seen. I’m quite confident that captured arms and equipment weren’t handled gently and were likely tossed into large piles.
Post some pictures of your rifle!
Post some pictures of your rifle!
Hey guys,
I was watching the YouTube series “The Great War” and quickly noticed a frame in some video that’s quite interesting. The video clip showed two allied soldiers - British I believe, who were escorting surrendering Germans out of a trench position. What’s interesting is that one of the Allied soldiers is clearly carrying a German Kar98az.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/185391768@N06/
Seems these handy carbines were favoured by quite a few soldiers.
I was watching the YouTube series “The Great War” and quickly noticed a frame in some video that’s quite interesting. The video clip showed two allied soldiers - British I believe, who were escorting surrendering Germans out of a trench position. What’s interesting is that one of the Allied soldiers is clearly carrying a German Kar98az.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/185391768@N06/Seems these handy carbines were favoured by quite a few soldiers.
- Location
- Algoma, ON
Phenomenal post! Very informative and interesting. I'm going to have to go back and look thru some of your older stuff now!
Well done ArtyMan---interesting thread!
You requested photos of other WWI German weapons. (This is not the first time this Artillery Luger that been presented on CGN.)
This stuff was written by Jan Still for his Luger Forum back in December 2004.
Historic- tradition information on the 122 Füsilier Regiment, from “Ruhmeshalle unsere alten Armee”. Listed are battles and dates as far back as Napoleon. This regiments honor name is “Kaiser Franz Josef von Österreich, König von Ungarn (4. Wurttembergisches) Nr. 122”. Its headquarters/base is Heilbronn (I & III) and Mergentheim(II) and it was founded in 1806.
The percentage of national contingents in the German Army during World War I is as follows:
Prussia and the smaller states 78 percent
Bavaria 11 percent
Saxony 7 percent
Wurttemberg 4 percent
From “German WWI Identity Tags/Disks”, Peter Meinlschmidt, page 56.
Lugers unit marked to Wurttemberg Regiments are rare.
During World War I the 122 Füsilier Regiment was part of the 26th, 105th, and the 243rd Infantry Divisions. The LP08 discussed here in probably went into service with the 122 Füsilier Regiment sometime during August-September-October 1917. It spent the rest of 1917 and 1918 battling as part of the 243 Infantry Division on the Western Front. The issuing Regiment controlled and distributed these Lugers to the troops. The history of these Lugers is the same as that of the Regiment that issued them and the troops that carried them.
History of the 122 Füsilier Regiment during World War I, written by surviving members of the Regiment and published in 1921. It details the World War I battle history of this Regiment in 312 pages of text and three fold out maps.
You requested photos of other WWI German weapons. (This is not the first time this Artillery Luger that been presented on CGN.)
This stuff was written by Jan Still for his Luger Forum back in December 2004.
Historic- tradition information on the 122 Füsilier Regiment, from “Ruhmeshalle unsere alten Armee”. Listed are battles and dates as far back as Napoleon. This regiments honor name is “Kaiser Franz Josef von Österreich, König von Ungarn (4. Wurttembergisches) Nr. 122”. Its headquarters/base is Heilbronn (I & III) and Mergentheim(II) and it was founded in 1806.
The percentage of national contingents in the German Army during World War I is as follows:
Prussia and the smaller states 78 percent
Bavaria 11 percent
Saxony 7 percent
Wurttemberg 4 percent
From “German WWI Identity Tags/Disks”, Peter Meinlschmidt, page 56.
Lugers unit marked to Wurttemberg Regiments are rare.
During World War I the 122 Füsilier Regiment was part of the 26th, 105th, and the 243rd Infantry Divisions. The LP08 discussed here in probably went into service with the 122 Füsilier Regiment sometime during August-September-October 1917. It spent the rest of 1917 and 1918 battling as part of the 243 Infantry Division on the Western Front. The issuing Regiment controlled and distributed these Lugers to the troops. The history of these Lugers is the same as that of the Regiment that issued them and the troops that carried them.
History of the 122 Füsilier Regiment during World War I, written by surviving members of the Regiment and published in 1921. It details the World War I battle history of this Regiment in 312 pages of text and three fold out maps.
Thanks for the comments!
David that LP08 is the find of a lifetime! Unit markings by 1917 were quite rare weren’t they? Being able to track a particular item to a particular unit is such a neat element of Imperial German firearms. One day I’m hoping to add a Gewehr 98 and Imperial P08 to my collection.
Any one else have pictures of their Imperial Milsurps?
David that LP08 is the find of a lifetime! Unit markings by 1917 were quite rare weren’t they? Being able to track a particular item to a particular unit is such a neat element of Imperial German firearms. One day I’m hoping to add a Gewehr 98 and Imperial P08 to my collection.
Any one else have pictures of their Imperial Milsurps?
