Third Party Press

Odd colonial Gew 98.

MichaelWC

Senior Member
Hello everyone. I need some help from you wonderful sniper experts on the mounts and scope on this rifle. I believe the mounts and scope are post World War I. Kaiserliche Schutztruppe of the German South-West Africa didn't deploy snipers or use snipers.
I would like to know what some of you guys think.

Little background about the rifle:
I first saw this rifle back in 2019. It was brought to my attention again last year. When my friend Trevor got to see it in person and sent me the photos. The unit mark on this rifle has been discussed on Schutztruppe forum back in 2005. That forum has been dissolved but has been archived.
Recently I watched a clip from a German movie called the Measures of Men. It came out in 2023. I believe it is the same rifle. Mainly because Trevor is friends with the owner or head of the prop house that helped with props of the movie. Thank you

Gew 98 details: 1902/Spandau/9301/Sch.A.11 (Sch.A could be Schutzpolizei Anhalt-Scheinwerfer-Abteilung. There were two in DSWA.) This rifle has a scope mounted on it. This rifle has been claimed to be a sniper rifle used by Schutztruppen but the Schutztruppen didn't deploy or use snipers. Rifle belongs to B. Wentzel
Gew 98 photos.
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Scope mounts.
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Photo from previous owner Alan.
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Unit disc
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Movie screenshots.
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Photo credits: T. Dawes and one photo from previous owner Alan
Movie screenshots: Measures of Men
 
By Scheinwerfer Abteilung it would have reality by shooting done the Artill. balloons or some airplanes teoretically, question is You could confirm a Colony background also Schutztruppe.
 
Is there any information on the scope tube? Maker, model a pic of the dial marking?
Interesting grain in the stock. Has the 200m mark on the rear sight.
 
By Scheinwerfer Abteilung it would have reality by shooting done the Artill. balloons or some airplanes teoretically, question is You could confirm a Colony background also Schutztruppe.
Hmm I never really thought of it that way.
Is there any information on the scope tube? Maker, model a pic of the dial marking?
Interesting grain in the stock. Has the 200m mark on the rear sight.
I can double check for you. If I have any more photos of the scope. I will post them. I'm not really sure who the maker of the scope is.
 
Man, they really ground that rear sight to accommodate the scope! I would imagine the bolt was bent when the scope was added. It is there any chance you can ask him for pictures of the actual scope markings? I think that this is a commercial optics rig and that this was post-war modified. The scope markings will really help date it.

The unit marking is pretty cool.
 

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