Grandpa's guns

Scratch · April 18, 2001, 10:05 PM

Anyone have any info on my grandpa's gun. His dad picked it up in the Arden forest during WWI.
Here are the markings.
8mm mauser
Waffenfabrik
Mauser A-G
Oberndorf A/n
1914

It has a crest on the top of the barrel and "crowns" on top of the rt side of the mag.

Any ideas on the history of this rifle?

The other gun he picked up there was a Fritz Langen self loader in .32 ACP. The barrel is below the guide rod on this pistol. It is rather stange looking. We need a mag for this one

Thanks
Scratch

Herodotus · April 19, 2001, 08:22 PM

Obviously the first rifle is a Gewher 98 Masuer made at the factory indicated in 1914.
It should say Gewher 98 on the side rail.
It was the standard infantry rifle of the German army during WWI.
You said it was picked up during WWI. If so, it should have the 29" barrel, though you did not say it was still in military configuration. Many were reworked after WWI for the shorter 24" barrel.
It is very odd for a military rifle to actually say "8mm Mauser": Military rifles usually do not have the cartridge marked on them, as they are all the same. Sporting rifles are so marked.
I know very little about pistols.

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April 18, 2001, 10:05 PM	#1
Scratch Member Join Date: October 20, 1999 Location: Bakersfield, Ca, Posts: 86	Anyone have any info on my grandpa's gun. His dad picked it up in the Arden forest during WWI. Here are the markings. 8mm mauser Waffenfabrik Mauser A-G Oberndorf A/n 1914 It has a crest on the top of the barrel and "crowns" on top of the rt side of the mag. Any ideas on the history of this rifle? The other gun he picked up there was a Fritz Langen self loader in .32 ACP. The barrel is below the guide rod on this pistol. It is rather stange looking. We need a mag for this one Thanks Scratch

April 19, 2001, 08:22 PM	#2
Herodotus Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2000 Posts: 743	Obviously the first rifle is a Gewher 98 Masuer made at the factory indicated in 1914. It should say Gewher 98 on the side rail. It was the standard infantry rifle of the German army during WWI. You said it was picked up during WWI. If so, it should have the 29" barrel, though you did not say it was still in military configuration. Many were reworked after WWI for the shorter 24" barrel. It is very odd for a military rifle to actually say "8mm Mauser": Military rifles usually do not have the cartridge marked on them, as they are all the same. Sporting rifles are so marked. I know very little about pistols.