Third Party Press

Erma Wenzel Karabiner

flynaked

flynaked

Repo Field Gear Collector
I decided to swing by a small local show, and one of these came home with me. I wasn’t aware of what model it was at the time, the “Wenzel“ aspect didn’t ring a bell for what I was thinking it could be. I only have a couple of small bore books to check, and the information I can find has been limited. Does anyone having a better understanding of these? I would presume they were likely produced in the 1933-35 window, but I am only guessing. The limited examples I’ve been able to find so far seem to have a decent variation to them, noting slightly different stock lengths, stocks with and without finge grooves, as well as differences in serial numbering conventions. I’ll try and take some pictures this week of serial 7500.
 
here is # 8973. IIRC there is a thread on gunboards concerning them. I’ll have to try to find it and refresh what little I remember of them.
 

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Cool thanks! I must have missed that thread in my searches. How is your bolt numbered, mine has a different number under the root, but the entire rest of the bolt is numbered matching, kind of weird. Also my receiver isn’t numbered there, I only see a serial on the buttplate.
 
Bolt body, handle, cocking piece and safety are numbers matching, same number as the receiver. I’m looking through the thresds there, there is one with 212 replies, it got off topic that includes lots of different ERMAs but may have some useful info on the Wenzels, just got to wade through all the bs, or at least I think there may be useful info…
 

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Have not been aware of this rifle. Thanks for the pictures. I noticed the similarity of the receiver and bolt with the EL24. Both Erma products so not surprising. Any thoughts on whether the training device was derived from the rifle design or was the rifle likely the basis for the EL24?
 
Good observation, it really does look like like the lineage to the design of those, I’m unsure which came first.

Thanks oldwing, that helps, and that thread had a bit of info for sure, I missed it before.
 
You are welcome, I just found the info in that thread.https://www.gunboards.com/threads/erma-information-wanted.152438/page-6. Post 102 and answer post 104. Seems that was ERMA’s first rifle model, started production 1922.
 
Yes, A very nice Wenzel. Several years ago I had a problem reinstalling the bolt after disassembly , some examination showed match marks on the parts, they must align.
 

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Sorry for reviving this older thread but I have one of these WK Wenzel Karabiner rifles and it appears the bolt is missing the firing pin. I need to ask if it would it be possible for one of the owners of the same rifle to take pictures of the firing pin and post it here? If not, does anyone know if it is similar in shape and dimensions to the one in this thread. https://www.k98kforum.com/threads/erma-22lr-firing-pin.55623/

Also, this one has a different rear sight than those 80-200 marked ones. It is only marked "DRGM", has anyone see one like this?

LtvrM3.png


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falcon007, the bolts of my el24 and my Wenzel look similar externally but firing pins definitely will not interchange. I’ll get mine out and get you some measurements and photo, it may be a few days though
 
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You are welcome. I was double checking my measurements before reassembling and found the tip of the firing pin has a very slight slant that I had missed seeing. Remeasuring gives me a total length of 14.15mm. The drawing has the slant exaggerated, it is a very slight slant
 

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