1944 Shooting Badges - Need Info

[MP716VN]

Bought a collection of German Item at the SOS. I'm in the process of sorting it out. With that being said, I will be asking a lot of question about items I don't recognize.

Starting with these 2 "KREISSCHIESSEN 1944" IMST Badges. Neither appear to have maker marks on the back.

Can anybody tell me what the IMST Stands for? Any other info on these would be appreciated. Thanks, CHUCK

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE A LARGER PICTURE

1. SILVER COLOR - Measures about 1 3/4" in diameter.





2. GOLD COLOR - Measures about 2 3/8" in diameter.

[Dmv]

A city in Tirol, Austria where these shooting competitions were held in 1944

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imst

[Don Scowen]

Indeed Imst is one of the main areas that held the Tiroler Kreisschießen festivals between 1938 - 1944.

The Kreisshießen were the preliminary shoots that led up to the National shoot (Landesschießen) held in Innsbruck each year. Originally the Tiroler Kreisschießen were held in 9 areas, Bregenz, Landeck, Schwaz, Reutte, Bludenz, Imst, Kufstein, Kitzbühel & Dornbirn.

However, in 1944 it was extended to the Ost & Süd Tirol areas & 7 more held them, Lienz, Bozen, Brixen, Schlanders, Salurn, Meran & Bruneck.


The badges you show are achievement badges for which minimum scores had to be reached to obtain the badge (they came in 4 grades bronze, silver, gold & gold with oakleaves).

The Imst badges were manufactured by Carl Poellath of Schrobenhausen, however the badges themselves were not marked. Occaeionally the pin plates will have the makers name on them.

As you can tell, this is my area of interest . If you have any further questions on them feel free to drop me a PM.

Hope this helps a little.

Cheers
Don

[MP716VN]

Thanks for the information! I appreciate it. Can you give me a ball park value for the Gold & Silver Medals I have? CHUCK

[Don Scowen]

Hi Chuck,

I think that you would be looking at about $200 for the gold with oakleaves (Kreismeisterzeichen) & $170 for the silver.

Are you thinking of selling them?

Cheers
Don

[elfr3ako]

Gauschiessen Salzburg 1943

Do you have an idea what I can expect for a Gauschiessen 1943 from Salzburg in silver?

Thanks in advance.

[Don Scowen]

Good morning,

Unfortunately for some strange reason the Salzburg pieces seem to be less desirable than those from the Tirol. Unless you can find a 1944 piece with the Swastika still intact. Most of the 1944 badges have had the Swastikas damaged in an attempt to de-nazify them.

So a 1943 Gauschießen would be certainly less than $100 (however if you find a gold grade let me know).

Cheers
Don

[Rick C]

As a sidebar - while I’ve never researched the subject, there seem to be a hell of a lot of shooting awards within the Third Reich collectables field. It would seem every town or burg hosted civilian shooting competitions. This is interesting from the standpoint that the statist myth is that the nazis outlawed gun ownership yet, it would seem, everybody had plenty of guns to both practice and participate in these competitions all over the Reich.

So, collectors of ‘shooting awards’, how many gun clubs were there during the nazi era and how come if the nazis outlawed gun ownership as the folks on both sides of the current gun control question claim, why were there so many shooting competitions throughout nazi Germany right up until the end?

Just wondering...

[JoeW]

I don't know if it has been a myth of any particular political association, though it seemed some in the pro-gun ownership camp liked to perpetuate the myth of total outlawing of private gun ownership in Nazi Germany.

I know of no way to tabulate the total number of shooting clubs in Germany. Many more were introduced with the Anschluss with Austria. But there were restrictions on gun ownership as to race. And also, military caliber firearms (9mm Para in handguns/military in rifles) were forbidden private citizens. So you could shoot away with .22s or such in handguns and the Wehrmannsgewehr rifles, as long as you secured your permits from the police authorities.

[Barry G]

I think "restrictions on gun ownership as to race" is the issue. Who makes the rules?

[sciatore91]

Indeed Imst is one of the main areas that held the Tiroler Kreisschießen festivals between 1938 - 1944.

The Kreisshießen were the preliminary shoots that led up to the National shoot (Landesschießen) held in Innsbruck each year. Originally the Tiroler Kreisschießen were held in 9 areas, Bregenz, Landeck, Schwaz, Reutte, Bludenz, Imst, Kufstein, Kitzbühel & Dornbirn.

However, in 1944 it was extended to the Ost & Süd Tirol areas & 7 more held them, Lienz, Bozen, Brixen, Schlanders, Salurn, Meran & Bruneck.


The badges you show are achievement badges for which minimum scores had to be reached to obtain the badge (they came in 4 grades bronze, silver, gold & gold with oakleaves).

The Imst badges were manufactured by Carl Poellath of Schrobenhausen, however the badges themselves were not marked. Occaeionally the pin plates will have the makers name on them.

As you can tell, this is my area of interest . If you have any further questions on them feel free to drop me a PM.

Hope this helps a little.

Cheers
Don

Hi,
a friend found the IMST badge (1944 variant) in the Italian Alps, in a strategic location of Littorio Division (RSI). Was it granted only to the Germans? In what month was the competition in 1944?

Regards

[Don Scowen]

Hi,
a friend found the IMST badge (1944 variant) in the Italian Alps, in a strategic location of Littorio Division (RSI). Was it granted only to the Germans? In what month was the competition in 1944?

Regards

Hi, Welcome to the forum.

No, the Kreisschiessen & Landesschiessen festivals were open to all marksmen under the influence of the Reich. However in reality the vast majority of the marksmen who took part were either Austrian or German.

The 1944 Kreisschiessen in Imst was held on the 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th May, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 10th 11th & 12th June....

Do you have any pictures of the badge found?

Cheers
Don