Reichswerke Erfurt 7mm Rifle

[morganp10]

Thanks Axel, great info. I think I'm convinced the barrel is US from later also. My family has had the gun since the 70's, I think.

I think my rifle has the military eagle stamps you mentioned, but only on the receiver and the bolt (as the original barrel is lost), and perhaps not where I think you are indicating is the normal place?

2017-04-29 15.05.29.jpg
2017-04-28 11.08.32_mark.jpg

[mike ford]

Peter,
No, the 6.5x55 will not work in a 6.5x57( nor 6.5x58 Port., for that matter). In addition to the difference in case lengths, the 6.5x55 has a slightly larger head diameter than the other two.
Mike

[Axel E]

Älgmule, the 6.5x55 SE was made for export to Skandinavia only by the German guns and ammo makers. It was virtually unknown in Germany until the 1970s, when the market here was flooded with the military surplus Swedish rifles and Husquarna sporters. As Mike noted, the 6.5x55 will not work in a 6.5x57 barrel without rechambering.
Morganp10, the eagle on your rifle is part of the civilian proofmarks. The different shape and placement, visible on the receiver ring, of the military acceptance eagle may be seen in Älgmule's post above, second photo from top.

[Nathaniel Myers]

Thanks for the added info Axel and algmule, I appreciate it.

These rifles are generally under appreciated in the US, I think generally due to the lack of information about them. Similar to the Danzig Gewehrfabrik rifles?

[algmule]

Hello

The following marks are visible on my RwE rifle: underneath the stock;

right side of the receiver just ahead of the bolthandle is a P and forward of P is a marking DM;

receiver ring has full serial and so has the barrel just ahead of barrel ring. Barrel also has the military bird with an N above it;

receiver just ahead of the of the trigger assembly slightly to the left there´s an J and also a marking RP or KP with the P slightly to the right;

underside of receiver has a second 3-digit serial(?) and another 2-digit whatever plus the usual "Hieroglyphs";

trigger guard, left side, has full serial;

bottom of magazine well, at the back, has full serial;

larger parts of trigger assembly (sorry, my English is not up to match here) have full serial(s);

bolt release and trigger both have one of the really, really small acceptance marks. The one on the trigger is a crown;

behind the trigger assembly there´s an S with 94 under it;

back of (outside) magazine well - see image has a stylized B.

Here are some images:
1.jpg
2.jpg
3.jpg
4.jpg

Here are some of the marks on the parts that are from the scrapped rifle:

trigger guard and parts of trigger assembly have serial 997 but magazine well and barrel channel have 465. Left side of trigger guard has an H and right side has an N.

Here´s are two images. The last one in next post:

5.jpg

Also: Nathaniel, if you have a Danzig sporter, please show us.

Kind regards
Peter

[algmule]

Hello again

Here´s the last image:

6.jpg

Also: the image of the magazine floor plates, the one on the left is the one that goes with my rifle.
Also again: could someone, very slowly, please, explain what the tiny screw next to the trigger in one of the images perform?

Kind regards
Peter

[mike ford]

Peter,
For your information, since you are interested in these rifles, Simpson Ltd., currently has one listed, in not the best shape, chambered for 8x57IS. Go to "Long Guns" and click on "Mauser", then scroll down to find it. As to your question about the screw, It is difficult to tell, from just the photos. The photo immediately above, looks like a double set trigger, with the rear( setting) trigger removed and a military trigger, replacing the "kick off" in the sear. I don't think this goes together, and don't believe it would work. In one of the other photos, a trigger guard assy. looks like double set triggers were removed and the "insert" opened up for a military trigger. Another looks like a double set trigger modified to function as a single set trigger. I don't know if this would work either. However, such a screw, whether in double or single set triggers, is used to adjust the sear engagement( in the trigger set, not the rifle). This is often misunderstood to be an adjustment screw, for the unset "trigger pull". Misuse of this screw often results in the trigger not functioning due to the trigger's sear not engaging, making it seem that the triggers are defective when they are only out of adjustment.
Mike

[chapmen]

if you have a Danzig sporter, please show us.

Kind regards
Peter

The scoped one is an Amberg sporter, the other an Danzig one.
Both 8x57.

[algmule]

chapmen,

Thank you very much. Is the Danzig rifle a small ring?

Kind regards
Peter

[chapmen]

The Danzig system is an former military carbine system, as usual by carbines with the "small ring".
Amberg and RwE used systemes from the normal "Gewehr" 98.
Al rifles made by the three state factories had the 8x57 IS caliber- easy reason for this is that they had
no tools, gauges, reamers and so on for other calibers.
Interesting point on the Amberg models is that they used an single stage trigger- absolutely unusual for german hunting rifles at this time.

Top Amberg, below Danzig


Top Amberg, belo Danzig


Danzig double set trigger


Amberg single stage trigger

[chapmen]

Different bolt shapes:
Left Amberg, right Danzig

[chapmen]

I have researched some years SN of these rifles:

Highest SN on Amberg : 970 , only one model ( there is an notice that half stocked and fullstocked models where made, but i never saw an fullstock type)
Highest SN on Danzig : 7200 , there are some factory scoped rifles (military WW1 "Danzig mount"), different stocks
Highest SN on RwE : 3655

Amberg started the production in November 1918.
Amberg and RwE production ended in Oktober 1920.

In November 1919 Amberg would be able to build 50 complete rifles in one day.

I have written an article about these rifles in the German Gun Magazine "Visier", issue 7- 2014.

[algmule]

Chapmen.

Thanks for your input. I´m ever so grateful.

As stated in the thread earlier serial on my RwE is 4396. My RwE is a small ring. However, the shotgun conversions marked RwE are large rings and so are the Geha conversions. My rifle did not fit 100% into the replacement stock I bought. Perhaps the GwFE rifles were large rings?

When you say RwE production ended in October 1920, do you mean all production or just sporter rifle production. I like to believe that Reichswerke Erfurt was no longer after October 1920 but if hard stretched I would open up for early November 1920 as when Reichswerke Erfurt ended.

You wouldn´t happen to have a date, and a source, for when the the former government plant became Reichswerke Erfurt?

EDIT: sorry but forgot. Mr. Greenbaum speculated that some of the shotgun conversions had serials from the original Gew 98´s. Perhaps some of the sporter rifles also had/has the original Karabinen 98 serials. I´ve never heard before that the sporter rifles marked RwE were from large rings. EDIT again: floor plates on my RwE and replacement stock rifle GwFE are however the same size.

Kind regards
Peter

[chapmen]

Source for me is Dr. Storz " Gewehr & Karabiner 98".
He gives the date 01.10. 1920 for the ending of the former buildet liquidate company that Amberg and Erfurt joined.
But - we are speaking about one month in the backlook of nearly 100 years........
I think the "RwE" sporter and shotgun production have to bee seen as individual things.


In my post #25 i said the Amberg sporters had an " singel stage trigger"- ist this the right term???????? The trigger is called "french trigger " in germany. You have to push it forward to set it.

[algmule]

Hello

chapmen,

again, thank you.

About a year ago I contacted a gentleman that was heavily into typewriters. In a reply to me he claimed that in this book https://books.google.se/books?id=nwh...briken&f=false there is a date for when the former Königlich Gewehrfabrik became Reichswerke Erfurt. The date is October 11, 1919. I have not been able to confirm this information as my local library doesn´t have the book. Also, there is a box with info on Reichswerke Erfurt in the book and I hope the link works. You´ll have to scroll down.

Anyone living in Germany is welcome to visit his or hers local library to see if there is the claimed date in the book.

Kind regards
Peter