kuduae
(.400 member)
18/01/13 08:47 AM
Re: Danzig Sporters ???

As you complained, I'll try:
When WW1 ended November 1918, the Königlichen Gewehrfabriken = royal small arms factories Danzig (Prussian), Erfurt (Prussian)and Amberg (Bavarian)suddenly found themselves without kings and orders. To save as many jobs as possible and to earn money for their workers they converted to civilian production of hunting rifles on their existing machinery and parts. Soon they were renamed to "Gewehrfabrik Danzig" and "Reichswerke Erfurt = RwE". Danzig produced their rifles on small-ring Karabiner 98AZ actions, as you may have noticed. As there were no proofhouses working then the rifles were proofed by the former military acceptance staff. As a proofmark the military acceptance eagle stamp, crown removed of course, was used. Nobody in Germany had money to buy new rifles then, so they tried to export the rifles, hence the stamp "Germany" on the stock. Some simple .22 bolt actions marked "Gewehrfabrik Danzig" are also known. Production only lasted for a bit more than one year. In early 1920 the Versailles so-called "peace treaty" came into force and all the factories were closed down by the allies. The Danzig factory was dismantled, all machines, parts and tools given to Poland. This started the Polish arms factory at Radom, where they resumed to make the Kar 98AZ military carbines with very minor changes for their own army.
The scope mounts on these three rifles were originally called the "Berliner Montage". These mounts were developed at the end of WW1 for sniper rifles. They are now better known in Germany as the "Reichswehrmontage", as they were also used by the post-Versailles 100000-men army.



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