[sakorick]

Hello all. I need some help on the ID. First, I am very pleased with the rifle as it seems alot better than I could have imagined. Here are the numbers...SN 6868, barrel 6868, trigger guard 6868, front and rear sights, floorplate, and both guard screws marked 68. Both barrel bands, bolt and floorplate mismatched. The bolt SN5829, all bolt parts marked 29. The cartouches are vivid and the large crest is marked 6888. Many crowns and proof marks. The stock is very good with war hits but no major chips and no cracks. The guard lock screws, rear sling loop and cleaning rod missing. The buttplate has 2 SN's 6546 and 2027 with numerous strike outs, initials and crowns. And last but not least the bore is bright and shiney and has strong lands and grooves.....I wanted a shooter and it looks like I found a beauty. Info and comments welcome. Regards, Rick.

 

[Black Bart]

Congrats Rick, looks like a nice one. What help do you need on the ID. Also, floorplate looks matching to me?

 

[sakorick]

Congrats Rick, looks like a nice one. What help do you need on the ID. Also, floorplate looks matching to me?

Hello Black Bart....yes, the floorplate matches. I was wondering about the stock and buttplate. Also, Is Sarco or Numrich a good place to get the parts I need....Rear sling ring, cleaning rod and lock screws for the action? The only thing I can compare it to is my Oberndorf which is all matching but not in as good shape overall as the Danzig(especially the bore). I assume but don't know for sure if this SN matches the 1915 era serial numbers. Regards, Rick.

 

[DudleyDR]

Maybe it is not missing a bail. Is there a hole in the forward portion of the trigger guard? Maybe it took one of the quick-detachable sling swivels that enabled it to mount in both positions. DDR

 

[sakorick]

Maybe it is not missing a bail. Is there a hole in the forward portion of the trigger guard? Maybe it took one of the quick-detachable sling swivels that enabled it to mount in both positions. DDR

Hello DR....nope, no hole in the trigger guard. Regards, Rick.

 

[Hans Jahn]

Need any of these for the Mauser?

 

[Black Bart]

Honestly Rick, I would watch Ebay, GB, AA, & the trader for those parts. It might take some time, but the hunt would be fun You can definitely get an unnumbered Gew cleaning rod, barrel bands, & butt plate if they bother you. The problem with ordering something sight unseen is getting the patina right. I would rather have a mm band with the right patina then a correctly numbered band that looks completely out of place. I would try and shake Hans down!!! I'd be willing to bet that he's got a few more Gew parts up his sleeve!

 

[The Great Billdildoe]

Your triggerguard looks to be from a kar98a. That would mean you have a kar98a trigger assembly in it too. It may have very well been through a period depot salvage , or a postwar salvage by some country other than germany - I say that as the receiver has hints of blue on it from the pics at least.
I do have a # 68 front band and rear screw on hand. Gew98's never had loops or bails on the rear sling boss - like the gew88 they had a quick detach swivel as pictured next to some parade loops in this thread.

 

[TuscoTodd]

sakorick -
Glad to see it arrived there safe and sound.

 

[Oldbrass]

Very nice find! Makes me want to start adding to my collection again.http://forums.gunboards.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

 

[madboy357]

Odd to see a karabiner triggerguard on a gewehr.

Here's another 15 Danzig just a wee bit older than yours (it looks as though yours is a no-letter block as well?). This one's a 98m though, with updated rear sight and a new stock. Matching but the front band and bayonet lug. Quite cool to see two so close in serial....

Hey Hans, open up your email or PM----I could use the slings bits you're offering!

 

[Oldbrass]

Here's a pic of a Danzig Gew98 1915 that used to have. It was my first Gew98 and though I got a good trade for it, I do miss it. Alas, it wasn't a great shooter, which is what I wanted. It is all matching with the exception of the unnumbered cleaning rod. It rounded out someone's collection and the rifle I traded it for looks a bit nicer and is a great shot, so everybody won on that deal.

 

[sakorick]

Need any of these for the Mauser?

I would sure like to have a quick detach swivel you have. My email is [email protected] Regards, Rick.

 

[ab4ka]

nice rifle. Seeing all this good stuff on here, I've got some work to do!

 

[SimsonSuhl]

Looks like a suffix on this 15 Danzig; drop the wood and it very likely will have a suffix, - you can see the top of it as it is..

 

[sakorick]

Hello all... I greatly appreciate your candid comments in regards to my 1915 Danzig. Isn't the 1915 GEW one of the more hard to find dates? After reading all these posts, I am rather confused. Here is what I don't understand.....My rifle has a matching barrel and SN with a very nice bore. How could this have happened??? It sure looks like it saw action but obviously wasn't fired much. It also looks like the barrel was blued at some part in time. How did all the pieces that match, stay together? The really cool thing to me is that I have a WWI German rifle in such good condition that should be a great shooter. Finally, what would be a safe reload for this piece and what was the twist optimized for as far as the bullet weight? I would like to harvest a Whitetail with this rifle....assuming it's a good shooter. Regards, Rick.

 

[fergus]

Dieter Storz, in his book "Riflle & Carbine 98", has a production chart from the German war ministries showing daily production output of the various manufacturers from July to December 1915. DWM, Danzig and Spandau had the highest daily production. By late in 1915 these arsenals were producing over 1,000 rifles per day. Rare for 1915 would be the private contractors Simson and Oberspree.

 

[SimsonSuhl]

Ferg is right, most 1915 are not remotely rare or even scarce.. Simson Suhl easily the rarest with a 1915 Erfurt (Gew98) a close second, the rest are not rare in my opinion, WOK is certainly scarce in 1915 but we have half a dozen reported rifles on file.. (Simson Suhl in 1915 is a whole nother story, and Dr. Storz elaborates why they are so scarce the first year.. only 2 are known as far as I can tell and both are way under the 1k mark in population. (15 Erfurt we have 3 known, but certainly can qualify as a bit more than scarce in my book..); the rest of the 1915 production runs are in the many thousands by serial extensions, even the somewhat elusive Suhl makers are not "rare" by serial study evaluations.

As to your barrel, it was originally blued from the factory, as to apparent lack of use this is no revelation as ole Ludendorf himself lamented on the lack of use of rifles and encouraged marksmanship training for soldiers at the height of the war.
As with any army, most soldiers rarely used the rifles, and in the Great War the rifle was a bit down the line for the average frontline soldier to utilize, - handgrenades, pistols & mg's were the preferred weapons.

I suspect your rifle got carried more than fired, and after the war most rifles got a bit abused stacked away in piles in warehouses or worse.. or leaned against walls in closets, basements, next to heaters and in smoky veteran halls..

 

[sakorick]

Interesting. I have a dumb question.....what, if anything, does the S stamp on top of the barrel signify? Do any of you reload for the GEW? If so, can the same pressures be used in the GEW as in the WWII Carbines? Regards, Rick.

 

[r.e.morris]

SARCO has many parts for your rifle, but you'll need to ask if if they have any guard screws in stock. They will have repros in stock if not the original screws.