A Special Offer Item! A Rare German DWM Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken Berlin, 1896 Boer Infantry Rifle, Boer War and WW1 Issue. Matching Serial Numbers 2685

A very rarely seen Imperial German service rifle, especially from the early ZAR contract, it’s journey from Germany in 1896 to South Africa, then,WW1 and eventually to England in WW2 is most intriguing. With matching serial numbers still makes it even rarer. It cocks well and dry fires. It also bears a British BNP proof stamp. Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken Aktiengesellschaft (German Weapons and Munitions public limited company), known as DWM, was an arms company in Imperial Germany created in 1896 when Ludwig Loewe & Company united its weapons and ammunition production facilities within one company. In 1896 Loewe founded Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken with a munitions plant in Karlsruhe (Baden), formerly Deutsche Metallpatronenfabrik Lorenz, and the weapons plant in Berlin. Shares that Loewe had in other gun- and ammunition plants were transferred to DWM. This included Waffenfabrik Mauser, Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre (FN) in Belgium and Waffen- und Munitionsfabrik A.G. in Budapest. The DWM was orchestrated by Isidor Loewe (1848–1910), as his brother Ludwig had died in 1886. Karl Maybach (who was part of the Maybach company) was employed by the Loewe company in 1901.

One of the first rifles made and shipped to the South African Republic in 1896. The Z.A.R. purchased 47,000 rifles and carbines from Ludwig Loewe and DWM. The low four figure serial number places it within the earliest part of the contract. Distinctive by their lack of receiver markings and German Imperial Military-type inspection marks. Ladder rear sights with open “U” sight picture graduated from 400 to 2000 meters, with matching serial number. Stepped muzzle to accept bayonet with lug on front band underside. Cleaning rod stored under barrel. Full length stock with straight wrist.

DWM introduced the Pistol Parabellum ('Luger Pistol') in the early 1900s. It was worked on by Georg Luger and Hugo Borchardt. DWM manufactured the Maschinengewehr 01 and Maschinengewehr 08, licensed version/clone of the Maxim machine gun. The MG08 would be the main German machine gun of the First World War, alongside the somewhat different, air cooled Parabellum MG 14/17 for aviation use. Along with being one of the main arms suppliers of Imperial Germany, the company was at the forefront of small arms technology. They also supplied the world with the Mauser rifle system, becoming one of the world's largest arms manufacturers. Because the Mauser rifle was one of Germany's main exports before the First World War, DWM proved to be an important part of the pre-war German economy. Many of their weapons were still used by German troops up through the Second World War. And curiously the 1896 rifles were also used by some merchant navy crews in WW2, possibly captured guns from the Boer War or WW1.

UK Deactivated with certificate. Overall: 1232mm (length)

We do have a Spanish Mauser contract bayonet that fits, {at extra cost}

Code: 25183