I am inhereting a Mauser sporting rifle that I am pretty sure was put together in Germany before WW2. The receiver is marked Gewerfabrik Danzig with a three digit serial number. It has claw mounts (that are a little loose) with a DRGM? scope. My question is; What is the general consensous on the quality of these actions? Am I correctin my assumption that it was made in Poland?
I think that it is an 8mm, but I don't have it at the moment. The original stock broke through the wrist and was used as a pattern for the replacement made by Fajen about 30 years ago. Overall condition is pretty good. I'll post pics once I have it. I couldn't find much on it in a search. So, your thoughts?

I can’t help on the action but DRGM is Deutsche Reichs Gebrauchs Muster. A model registration, quicker and cheaper than a patent registration. A full patent would be DRP the abbreviation of Deutsches Reich Patent.

Is there a number after DRGM?

Michael,

I don't have the rifle or scope yet, and DRGM is the only thing I have in my notes from about a year ago. Hopefully have them in a couple weeks. I am pretty sure there was some other writing on the scope. I am just trying to get an idea on the action quality at this point.

Radom was the plant in Poland.

Danzig, Erfurt and Spandau were German state-owned arsenals prior to WWI, not WWII. Other early manufacturers were DWM (Loewe) in Berlin, Mauser at Oberndorf and Amberg in Bavaria.

Any action that has the location name on the reciever ring, is most likely a pre-WWI case hardened one.

quote:

Originally posted by KurtC:


Any action that has the location name on the reciever ring, is most likely a pre-WWI case hardened one.

Are you implying that post WWI production is not case hardened? Or simply saying receivers so marked are Pre WWI production?

Both, sort of. There was no post WWI production of military 98's in Germany. All of their machinery was parted out as war reparations. Only one company was still allowed to manufacture military arms, possibly Simson & Co, in Suhl.

When the Nazis resumed manufacturing of 98's in the early '30s, the metallurgy had improved and the actions were heat treated instead of case-hardened.

I believe Mauser continued to make commercial 98's throughout this period, but cannot say with certainty when they switched from case-hardened early steels to heat treated modern steel. I would guess the late '20s or early '30s.

Somebody correct me if I have any names and dates wrong, several of the web sites that I use for research are no longer active.

quote:

Originally posted by KurtC:

When the Nazis resumed manufacturing of 98's in the early '30s, the metallurgy had improved and the actions were heat treated instead of case-hardened.

No they didn't, they were still casehardened. Only the methods changed.