[Betonfahrer]

I was wondering about this....I have seen pictures of German Soldiers with Mosin nagants,Tokarevs, Every type of 8mm mauser.Carcanos,lots of carcanos and Straight pull rifles.I have seen pictures of POW camp guards with P-14 Enfields.I know they occupied the FN factory that had full rifle making capacity.I cant belive it was all just for parts,FN-35 and Fn-22 pistols.Did they just break up all the Belgian 7.65mm rifles? or issue some in Belgium to police?OR did they just get stored and then reused by Belgian Army after WW2??I have a Belgian M-89/36 that has a renumbered bolt and a large U stamped in the stock.For Ubung? practice.cant find anything to proove that .I had an 89 rifle that was marked the same way.I have seen WW1 German modified Belgian rifles in the 88 mauser cartrige.Has anyone seen A Belgian Mauser with waffen amts?or with the LK5 marking in the stock?

 

[Carcano]

As one can read in the Luxemburg military museum in Diekirch, the FN Mausers of the Luxemburg volunteers (and maybe of the gendarmerie) were also taken over by the Wehrmacht.

Carcano

 

[vonmazur]

Mausers Belgique

Guys: According to prior posts by Belgians here, they do not know for sure, just that there are rumors of a trainload of Mausers going to Germany late in the war..

I have never seen a Belgian Mauser with any signs of German Stempln on them, but I have a Mle 35 that was brought to the US by a returning Veteran....No Nazi marks of any kind...

Dale

 

[Wapruf2]

I've seen several photos of Luftwaffe personnel on guard duty with M89/16s. I have one with a barely visible WaA struck at the toe of the butt. I've seen at least one photo of Werkschutz (factory guard) personnel armed with Belgian rifles.

 

[John Wall]

Several months ago, WaPruf2 pointed out to me that some German-used Belgian M1935 FN-made rifles can be found with a second bayonet notch, which accomodates the German Sg84/98 bayonet for the Kar98k. I went and check my '35's and found that I had one just as he described.
Regards,
John

 

[Wapruf2]

Notch is on oppoasite side from the original one.
Take care; I've seen at least one faked,.

 

[moblotaire]

Hello

I have seen mictures of German soldiers surrendering their weapons after the Marseille "battle" (Big city south of France) some of them were Belgian long rifles.
I saw and handled near Royan (a city on the Atlantic where the German troops fought for a long time) a Belgian rifle that had been used by German soldiers. Even if it was rusty I remember it had been made in US but I don't remember maker.

Moblotaire

 

[John Wall]

Hello
I saw and handled near Royan (a city on the Atlantic where the German troops fought for a long time) a Belgian rifle that had been used by German soldiers. Even if it was rusty I remember it had been made in US but I don't remember maker.

Moblotaire

Hello Moblotaire,
Thank you for this intersting information. I have a Hopkins and Allen Mle 1889 long rifle (made for Belgium in Norwich Connecticut in 1918) which has a barracks back cut in its stock. This usually indicates that the rifle was a WW II souvenir.
Regards,
John

 

[bartbandy]

I have a book called "Axis Pistols, Rifles and Grenades" by Peter Chamberlain and Terry Gander.
This book mentions that the Belgian rifles became part of the german armoury and were issued to troops in Belgium and other second line units. Also interestingly, it states that Belgian rifles were captured in North Africa and that many were issued to Volksturm units in late 44 and 45.
The following german designations are also shown.
Fusil 1889 - 7.65mm Gew 261(b)
Fusil 36 - 7.65mm Gew 263(b)
Carabine 1889 - 7.65 Kar 451(b)
Carabine 1916 - 7.65 Kar 453(b)

Regards

 

[Betonfahrer]

Hey Moblotaire,thanks for that interesting story.First hand examples are very interesting.Were there may discarded rifles around Royan or in the country from Soliders throwing the weapons away?Bartbandy-Thanks for that info.I still find it odd that you always find pictures of Germans with Nagants(Of course) Carcanos,French rifles but very few with Belgian Rifles.Even in the "Desperate Measures" book there are many Carcano,Steyr and Mosin nagants but no one with a Belgian Mauser.

 

[mauser_collector]

LW soldier with belgian mauser (?)

It seems that this german LW-soldier carries a belgian mauser.

Regards,
Olaf

 

[John Wall]

Hi Olaf,
Many thanks for posting this excellent picture! It would be interesting to have a file or sticky maintained here of just photographs which document the re-use or reissue of captured Mauser rifles.
Regards,
John

 

[Alpenflage]

Never seen that pic before. Thank you for sharing it.

 

[mauser_collector]

I wonder if this is the right forum to post pictures, however I'd like to share these two as well: The first one is dated 1920 and shows belgian reservists with their M.89 Mausers. All the equipment of the soldiers can be clearly identified. The second one is a picture of a german "Beutewaffensammelpunkt" in Belgium just after in the german WW2 invasion. It shows captured belgian rifles, especially M.89 Mausers. All scans taken from original pictures which I own. Hope you enjoy them like I do ...

Best regards,
Olaf

 

[John Wall]

I wonder if this is the right forum to post pictures, however I'd like to share these two as well: The first one is dated 1920 and shows belgian reservists with their M.89 Mausers. All the equipment of the soldiers can be clearly identified. The second one is a picture of a german "Beutewaffensammelpunkt" in Belgium just after in the german WW2 invasion. It shows captured belgian rifles, especially M.89 Mausers. All scans taken from original pictures which I own. Hope you enjoy them like I do ...

Best regards,
Olaf

Hi Olaf,
Thanks again for these great photographs! Please post more of them! In looking at the picture of the pile of rifles, I can't help wonder why they didn't have them surrendered indoors in one of the warehouse-type buildings in the background...or at least leaned against the wall! Piled on the grass? OMG.

I have an M1889 rifle which has a barracks bag cut which was brought home after WW II. I wonder if it is in this mound? It's a Hopkins and Allen rifle delivered after the end of WW I. Now I understand why someone refinished the stock.

Did you notice the M1893 long rifle in the foreground above the FN BAR? I'll bet that was one of the Mle 1893 Mausers made by FN 50 years earlier. And isn't that a Chauchat on the pile?

Regarding the group photo of Belgian reservists, it looks like they are wearing British web gear (ammunition pouches and belts), no? And one of them seems to be wearing Swedish-type leather ammunition pouches. Most important however are the bayaonets, which appear to be the Mle 1916 type without a hooked quillon. The rifles however lack the third barrel band and stacking swivel often found in M1889 Mauser long rifles and most Mle 1916 carbines after WW I.
Regards,
John

 

[insle]

A friend recently aquired two 89/16 carbines both of which were smashed against something very hard at the top comb of the cheekpiece breaking the stocks. One of them had a small waffenamt mark on the wrist just behind the triggerguard. One was an FN rifle conversion to 16 the other was a Birmingham.

 

[Azrael]

Hello,

Very nice pictures there mauser collector! It is hard to find info about captured Belgian Mausers but the second photo let little much room to think they were treated nice..

Thanks to share them.

Regards.

 

[mauser_collector]

I have to admit that I really like the picture of piled mausers. Because whenever I look at it, I find another detail I did not notice so far. I had a similar picture of french weapons but gave it to a collector of french firearms.

I am pretty sure that this picture has been taken just after disarming the belgian forces. Usually the captured rifles were put on stock and to some extend reissued.

Best regards,
Olaf