Hi All,
I've been meaning to post this thread for a while, but kept getting sidetracked.
In any case, the Gewehr 98 rifle grenades were always of interest to me. My representative inert collection is small, but these are rather difficult to locate in the US. I noticed that these did not appear to be well documented here in the past, so I thought I would change that. I welcome any additional information, period pictures, or photos of ones any of you may own.
The earlier designs (1913 and 1914 models) required the use of a rod, which was forced down the barrel of the rifle and launched with a special blank. This system was far from perfect and was particularly hard on the barrels. The later 1917 model was launched more akin to the k98k grenades, requiring use of a cup mounted on the muzzle.
The M1913 was the earliest model- This version was only fielded for a short time. The fuse was an impact type, but the projectile's sleek appearance actually made it rather ineffective; it would bury itself too far into the mud before it ignited.
The M1914 was an updated model that was intended to fix the shortcomings of the M1913- The projectile was heavier, contained a fuse that armed from the force of launch, and had the option of using a range limiting cup. The idea of the cup was to slow the projectile to better control the where and when the grenade ignited. I have seen photos of the limiter being mounted both ways (concave and convex to the grenade). The second example has a transit plug in place of a fuse-- the idea being transportation safety.
The final model fielded was the M1917. This system was a vast departure from the rod based system. A cup was counted on the muzzle and an inkpot-shaped grenade inserted into the cup. This was then fired with a special cartridge from the rifle. I have a rough inkpot grenade, but have not yet acquired the launching cup. Pictures of the cup system are from allied docs provided by one of the good friends at Archival Research Group.
Another interesting accessory was the quadrant used for setting the proper angle of fire. This slid onto the rear sight base of a Gew98 and clipped in with a piece of spring steel. While grenades couple be fired by hand, there was also a specialized stand to secure the rifle for firing grenades- the quadrant was used for rifles mounted in such a device. This one was a tough accessory to find-- my example also appears to be possibly unit marked?
Thanks for looking.
I've been meaning to post this thread for a while, but kept getting sidetracked.
In any case, the Gewehr 98 rifle grenades were always of interest to me. My representative inert collection is small, but these are rather difficult to locate in the US. I noticed that these did not appear to be well documented here in the past, so I thought I would change that. I welcome any additional information, period pictures, or photos of ones any of you may own.
The earlier designs (1913 and 1914 models) required the use of a rod, which was forced down the barrel of the rifle and launched with a special blank. This system was far from perfect and was particularly hard on the barrels. The later 1917 model was launched more akin to the k98k grenades, requiring use of a cup mounted on the muzzle.
The M1913 was the earliest model- This version was only fielded for a short time. The fuse was an impact type, but the projectile's sleek appearance actually made it rather ineffective; it would bury itself too far into the mud before it ignited.
The M1914 was an updated model that was intended to fix the shortcomings of the M1913- The projectile was heavier, contained a fuse that armed from the force of launch, and had the option of using a range limiting cup. The idea of the cup was to slow the projectile to better control the where and when the grenade ignited. I have seen photos of the limiter being mounted both ways (concave and convex to the grenade). The second example has a transit plug in place of a fuse-- the idea being transportation safety.
The final model fielded was the M1917. This system was a vast departure from the rod based system. A cup was counted on the muzzle and an inkpot-shaped grenade inserted into the cup. This was then fired with a special cartridge from the rifle. I have a rough inkpot grenade, but have not yet acquired the launching cup. Pictures of the cup system are from allied docs provided by one of the good friends at Archival Research Group.
Another interesting accessory was the quadrant used for setting the proper angle of fire. This slid onto the rear sight base of a Gew98 and clipped in with a piece of spring steel. While grenades couple be fired by hand, there was also a specialized stand to secure the rifle for firing grenades- the quadrant was used for rifles mounted in such a device. This one was a tough accessory to find-- my example also appears to be possibly unit marked?
Thanks for looking.
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