Another DWM gun - 1908 mauser

sheepherder · 09-25-2012, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skeeter4206

Any ideas on the markings. As for the "B" with a circle around it on the reciever?

Sounds like the same marking as on the Brazilian contract Lugers...

Douglas Jr. · 09-27-2012, 10:22 AM

This rifle was part of a huge purchase agreement made in 1908 by the Brazilian Army in Germany. According to some sources, the purchase was for 400,000 rifles, all of them chambered for the 7X57 caliber. The rifle is almost an exact copy of the Gewehr 1898, with the most obvious difference being the rear sight, which has a lower outline in the Brazilian version.

The guns were numbering in the German military style, in batches of 10,000 guns, followed by a cursive suffix (a, b, c ...) and, after running all the letters, by two suffixes (Aa, Bb, Cc ...). The letters Beta (Greek) and circled-B refer to the contract: Beta being the Brazilian Inspector's final Acceptance mark, and the B in Circle is a DWM Contract designator. All rifles from this contract were made by DWM and they stay in active duty for decades. Many were sold in the international surplus market still with the original grease.

It was at the same occasion that the Brazilian Army bought 5,000 Luger pistols (also marked with the circled-B, extractor "CARREGADA" and using its own serial number range) in what became known as the "Brazilian Contract" Luger.

Hope it helps.
Douglas

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09-27-2012, 10:22 AM	#2
Douglas Jr. User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: South America Posts: 948 Thanks: 598 Thanked 584 Times in 254 Posts	This rifle was part of a huge purchase agreement made in 1908 by the Brazilian Army in Germany. According to some sources, the purchase was for 400,000 rifles, all of them chambered for the 7X57 caliber. The rifle is almost an exact copy of the Gewehr 1898, with the most obvious difference being the rear sight, which has a lower outline in the Brazilian version. The guns were numbering in the German military style, in batches of 10,000 guns, followed by a cursive suffix (a, b, c ...) and, after running all the letters, by two suffixes (Aa, Bb, Cc ...). The letters Beta (Greek) and circled-B refer to the contract: Beta being the Brazilian Inspector's final Acceptance mark, and the B in Circle is a DWM Contract designator. All rifles from this contract were made by DWM and they stay in active duty for decades. Many were sold in the international surplus market still with the original grease. It was at the same occasion that the Brazilian Army bought 5,000 Luger pistols (also marked with the circled-B, extractor "CARREGADA" and using its own serial number range) in what became known as the "Brazilian Contract" Luger. Hope it helps. Douglas