The RW stamp on Mauser lugers
 

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This RW stamping is a quality control inspectors stamp found on the bottom frame rail and the back of the reciever slide and the middle toggle link. Noted on 38 thru 41 mausers. Some think the inspector was Richard Weiss.

IMHO I also accept the theory that this was the symbol (initials) of a Mauser inspector. His stamp was later used during the French occupation of the Mauser plant as a proof mark on the left side lower trigger guard web of post war HSCs. Th

Pat,

This mark is controversial. For many years it has been associated with Mauser. It has been identified as the mark of Mauser Factory principal inspector Richard (?) Weiss (Walter, 1986); and Costanzo notes that it is found on the middle toggle link of 1938 through 1941 models.

In the August 2005 issue of AutoMag Jim Cate presents it as present on Saur drillings and postwar Mauser HSc, and assigns it the meaning "Werksreparatur". In the October 2005 AutoMag Alan Burnham notes its presence on a WWI era Rheinmetall Dreyse, and reports that Dr. Prof. Rolf Gminder asserts that the letters signify "Werks-Revision".

I have a Simson rework of a 1908 First Issue DWM http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthre...son+AND+rework wich has the RW mark stamped underneath the rear toggle. The part itself may originate at Erfurt, and in any case there is no evidence that the gun ever got anywhere near Mauser. Although the presence of this mark on this pistol does nothing to confirm any particular theory, it does tend to reinforce speculation that it is something other than a Mauser-specific mark.

It is worth noting that some of the examples reported are not of the same configuration as the traditional RW monogram; mine, however, is.

--Dwight

Hi,

1945 reports on the organizational structure of Mauser offer a bit of insight on the who's who of the Oberndorf site.

The only Weiss present was our wellknown mr. August Weiss, listed as 'Foreman Weiss' in the report.

For completeness sake:

Oberndorf location:
General Manager: Dr. Ingn. Kurt Fleck.
Assistant: Wilhelm Rieker
Secretary: Toni Keilbach

General administration:
Staff and social department: Dr. Reinhold Lutz
Economic plant / catering: Ernst Schattle

Business administration:
Sales, purchasing, stock: Dr. Eugen Riedl
Weapons sale: Herbert Unterkofler
Calculator sale: Walter Wisch
Measuring tools sale: Konrad Probst
Purchasing: Hugo Wittig
Stock: Christian Brehm
Finances: Dr. Karl Werle

Technical administration:
Special technical tasks: Obering. Helmuth Groepper
Organisation: Chief Engineer Dr. Julius Malkomes
Department of education and apprentices: Chief Engineer Hans Buhring
Testing of materials: Chief Engineer Dr. von Graff
Building department, including workshops: Master builder Ulrich Hutten
Power: Chief engineer Josef Mittnacht

Manufacture of weapons including the forging
Director: dr. Gerhard Harnisch
Manufacture of guns: Chief engineer Konrad Rauch
Manufacture of pistols: Foreman (August) Weiss
Manufacture of machine guns: Foreman Ender (20mm flak 38) and Foreman Figge (MG151 and MG81).
Forge: Foreman Schneiderhan
Tools and equipment production: Chief engineer Theodor Koch
Manufacture of measuring tools: Chief engineeer Emil Meier
Construction matters: Ing. Haug
Manufacture: Foreman Schmelzer
Embossing and stamping: Obering. Heinrich Starmanns
Manufacture of calculating machines
Chief engineer Josef Berrendorf
Construction mateters: Dipl. Ing. Hirth
Manufacture: Foreman Hoffmann.

No mr. R.W. or Richard Weiss can be found in the 350+ page report.

Dwight, If I were inspecting your Erfurt PO8, I would assume that it had a Mauser inspected replacement rear toggle link. TH

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Tom,

You might, unless you saw the Simson Eagle/6 stamped on the top...

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/simsonreartogg.jpg

--Dwight