Seeking information on Wehrmanns Gewehr

[otto nebel]

I posted this request for information today on the DGF and thought that I would post it here as well. I recently acquired a GEW 98 rifle chambered for the 8.15X46R. It has the expected bolt and follower changes to handle the rimmed cartridge but I don't see any magazine changes to handle the smaller rimmed cartridge. The action has no makers name or serial number. The barrel has the number 624 but no proof marks. I assume that the rifle was assembled after WW-1 from available parts and have attached photos of most of the markings. I have several questions that I hope the forum members can answer.
1. Any idea who may have manufactured this action?
2. Any explanation for the absence of barrel proof marks?
3. Does anyone know if all of these rifles were single shot and if not what magazine changes were made to handle the smaller rimmed cartridge?
Thank you in advance for any information that you may be able to provide.
Otto
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[germanguns1234]

Here are some good articles on the rifles, if you don't mind the German. http://feuerbixler.de/

[mike ford]

Otto,
For some reason, the photos didn't come through.
Mike

[otto nebel]

Missing Pictures

Otto,
For some reason, the photos didn't come through.
Mike

Mike. I'll try to add the the pictures as attachments. The action doesn't appear to have been ground. I wondered if the #5 on the action side indicated where it was made. Could the proof marks be hidden under the rear scope mount?
Otto

[otto nebel]

Here are some good articles on the rifles, if you don't mind the German. http://feuerbixler.de/

Thank you for the link to what appears to be an excellent reference. My German is not up to the task of translation but I've downloaded the pages and will ask my friend to translate them for me.
Do you know if all of the Wehrmanns Gehwr rifles were single shot rifles or were some modified to use the magazine?
Otto

[otto nebel]

Missing Pitures

Here are the missing pictures.

[mike ford]

Otto,
I found the photos on the other Forum, and answered a little bit, the best I could. There I'm der ami . Without proof, I think the 5 is the serial number, added by whoever made the conversion, after cleaning the original markings off.With the Lange rear sight and GEW98 marking, I'm convinced it's a WW1 era rifle, so the 624 would fit for the date of conversion, again w/o proof.As before, I defer to the site Germanguns1234 cited. I too have some trouble with German, but find that the "machine translations" are so poor,with tech.terms,that they are worse than my german. Be aware that unless your friend is "into guns", he may also have a little trouble with the translation. If something doesn't make sense( like" the length of the running of the can is 650mm"), just ask us.
Mike

[otto nebel]

Mike,
I think that your explanation makes the most sense. I wonder why the markings were removed when they made the conversion?
Thanks again for your help.
Otto

[Axel E]

I wonder why the markings were removed when they made the conversion?

Really quite simple: After the so called "Versailles peace treaty" of 1920 allied disarmament comissions, especially French ones, swarmed Germany to cofiscate any military equipment except the limited treaty allowance for the 100 000 - men army, the Reichswehr. The allies did not want any more military rifles to remain in German hands, as they feared the establishment of reserve stocks that would allow a quick expansion of the small army.. At the Mauser factory even wood blanks long enough for stocking a Gew98 military rifle were ordered to be cut down, making them usable for sporters and small bore rifles only. At that time many military rifles, leftovers from WW1, were floating around in private hands. To save them from confiscation they were torn down to mere "parts". To further hide the military origin of the receivers, most often obvious signatures were removed so they might pass as civilian, sporter rifle parts. Before WW1 Mauser sold about two thirds of their commercial production as "actions only". After the great war the use of scrubbed ex-military actions came into almost exclusive use, as these were plentifull and much cheaper than new commercial Mauser actions.

[otto nebel]

Axel,
It is quite simple but only if you know the history.
I find that I enjoy researching the histories of these old guns as much as working on them or even shooting them.
You and the other members of this and other gun forums certainly deserve our gratitude for the information that you provide.
Thank you.
Otto

[germanguns1234]

All of these rifles were, by definition, single shots. Apparently, most were made for the 8.15, but some were also made for the 8mm and 22lr. From what I know, Axel is correct about why some have scrubbed serial numbers. Some guns were made to be WGs but many were redos to conform to DSB rules and range requirements.

[mike ford]

Otto,
Jon Speed's "The Mauser Archive" has a short discussion of Wehrmanns Gewehrs and how they used parts "in stock" to produce them.It also discussed other firms making them using war surplus mauser rifles.They scrubbed the original marks, but some of the larger firms added their own ID, seemingly others did not.
Mike