The Machinegunner Sharpshooters Badge

[Brian S]

...like it or not Tony, you're as close as they come...

If the material matches exactly I'm inclined to think this is a nice badge. Not a Juncker, something else, but something else.

[Paul B]

The backing cloth on my example is also identical to the material used for the two issue M1915 blusen in my own collection.


Paul.

[MH184]

Only to glad to help Don

[Don D.]

my opinion

Tony, I've had a chance to compare your badge to mine and the Juncker proof. First I'll say that yours isn't a Juncker. Secondly, I have some concerns about the features that I've circled (you told me too ). Either this badge had extensive handworking or it is a poorly done cast badge. The parts where the metal didn't fill in (grips, chassis, and front leg) are thin areas and the metal must have cooled before reaching those spots. Also, parts of the chassis appear "soft."

[Don D.]

The backing plate appears to be an attempt to make it a Juncker with the oval/round hole combination. The thin pins don't bother me as much as the fact that the holes should be the same (shape wise) as on mine. Definately different tooling involved here. I would be interested in knowing if your badge is hollow stamped or solid. (my badge is the left upper half)

[Don D.]

Paul, can you show the reverses of your badges. I like the detail on both of them. My only comment is that I don't think the first one is a Juncker.
Thanks
Don

[Brian S]

Cast? Is the back solid Tony or has it been stamped.

[Paul B]

Thanks for your time and your opinions on this one, Don.

The second badge (from the Kraus book) is apparantly a Juncker, according to the caption, but frustratingly there isn't a shot of the backing plate.

The backing plate on my badge is pictured below. It's unmarked -like the one Chip posted- and I'm with you on this one in that I don't think it's a Juncker either.

Cheers

Paul.

[Don D.]

Cast? Is the back solid Tony or has it been stamped.

Brian, That is the only way I can explain the missing metal. What are your thoughts?
Don

[Tony & Kaiser]

First I'll say that yours isn't a Juncker.

Of course not. This is not a Juncker badge so it really should not be compared to a Juncker. Like comparing a Juncker made flight badge with another maker. Similar, but different.

Don, I had NO idea what I was looking at in thread #125, then clued-in it was a badge "morph" of yours and mine. Busy boy............

First off, the front insignia is not brass, it is magnetic, and it is painted a gilt color. Metal used to replace brass whenever possible is not at all uncommon and falls in line with the 1918 directives. The thin leg actually now appears to be corrosion that has eaten some of that leg away.

The areas on the lower right trail, and the upper pistol grip are not casting flaw; the ends are rounded and finished. So we are looking at a different maker here. The details are actually very crisp, the photo hides that I am afraid. they are not at all soft.

It killed me to do it, but I pried a few of the pins up so I could see under the ring. It is not full like a cheesy cast, nowhere near as crude as Marcus's badge in posting #103.

The full shape of the cartridges are visible from the rear. But, it is not a thin stamping like a Pickelhaube Wappen for example. Could explain the poor detail on the top ring of cartridges and the leg, which is also now corroded as it is not made from soft brass. I see this exact same missing detail and edging problem very often on stamped steel M15 Pickelhaube Wappen.

You know, I have not given my MG badge a second look in 25 years. I dug it out of a box a flea market as mentioned along with some M15 straps and walked away with the lot for around 10 marks. In the last 24 hours, it has been out of the Riker mount five times.

[Don D.]

Tony, you have it in hand so you can tell better than I. I wish we had a data base of all the makers to compare these to. The big plus to this badge is the depth of it vs the flat almost 2 dimensional quality of the fake. I'm half way thinking I need to take mine apart and document the details for posterity. Let me have another beer.....

[Brian S]

I still have a positive feeling about this one.

[Don D.]

Some detail scans of my Juncker badge for use as reference. First up is the trigger grips. These are a good representation of period grips found on most medium and heavy machineguns.

[Don D.]

A portion of the ammo belt. Note the bullets are distorted because they are higher in the middle (convex) then on either end. Also note the thickness of the finish.

[Don D.]

The travering wheel, again note the thickness of the finish.