Tankgewehr Mauser M 1918 (#2854)

[Adler 1]

That's a very beautiful T-Gewehr you have there Alan. It's indeed a hard to find piece of history... I searched for about 3 decades and a few years ago, I was lucky to find two in a few months time...

Adler 1

[Alan Smith]

Adler1,

Thanks for the nice comments. You may remember a while back when you first posted photos of your WWI collection, I spotted the muzzle end of one of your T-Gewehr and asked you to post more photos (which you did, including the above photo). I had always wanted a T-Gewehr, but the nice photos of your guns really set me off in a dedicated search for one. Luckily, a fellow WA Forum (Col. Klink) alerted me to this one and I made the deal.

Do you mind posting the serial numbers of your T-Gewehr (if they are not already listed in the German book about T-Gewehr)?

Alan

[JoeW]

Hi Alan, I missed your post on the T-Gewehr. Awesome. You got the bug bad.
This is about all I can add right now. In the second side photo, the cartridge on the left is the 13mm for your gun, the center is a .50 cal. US round and the right one is a .60 cal. US round. Supposedly when Pershing saw examples of the German 13mm, he pushed US Ordnance into the development of the .50 cal. Don't know if that is fact or fiction.

Oh, sorry for the blur.

[Alan Smith]

Joe,

Thanks for the contributions to the thread - the U.S. .60 caliber round is really interesting (I've heard of them but never seen one before). Any idea what sort of gun it was developed for?

Yes, the "bug" has bitten. Of course, it actually bit me some 25 years ago when I was about 13 years old and purchased my first military relics (2 WWI German EM tunic buttons for .25 each at a Memphis, TN gunshow attended w/ my dad). Cutting grass, washing cars, newspaper route, etc. by about age 16 I was able to get my first pistol (a ratty '20 commercial Parabellum). The "bug" however, has intensified as the years (and income) progressed and, of late, I have been very fortunate to pick up some nice stuff like the T-Gewehr.

Later,

Alan

[JoeW]

The .60 cal was intended for an upsized caliber machine gun. The Museum at West Point had never seen or heard of one either. At least the gentleman in charge of that department hadn't. I donated on of my cartridges to them.

[RED LION]

wow my favorite gun i have see 4 for sell last 10 years the last in LA GLEIZE unfortunately caliber changed in hunting cal 12 or so when i have the chance for buy one i will take it instand
i have only 8 rounds an the amo chest but is better than nothing
last year a box similar to mine is sold on e bay at a phenomenal price i tink near 2000 euros i like to show my chest with this tread .
if anyone like to trade a T GUN i have a lewis auto gun for trade ww 1 too

[RED LION]

pics of labels

[Alan Smith]

Red Lion,

Your crate for T-Gewehr cartridges is wonderful - thanks for adding it to the thread! The only time prior to now that I have seen such a crate is in the photo contained in the German language book about T-Gewehr.

Again, great stuff and thank you very much for sharing it with us.

Alan

[ottodog8]

Great thread. I own one of the AT rifles as well. What a beast! Regarding the ammo crate, I was under the impression that the Tuf gun was an entirely different weapon, a semiauto if i recall, "Tuf" standing for "tank und flieger",
Could be my memory playing tricks on me, but could I have seen your AT rifle in the Utica NY area a few years ago?
Steve

[Wolfsburg]

Is the T-Gewehr considered a NFA weapon?

[Col.Klink]

Is the T-Gewehr considered a NFA weapon?

Nope

[Adler 1]

That's indeed a magnificent crate you have there mr. Red Lion!
Alan, they have nrs 6785 and 7889... Maybe you can find the production date?

Adler 1

[Alan Smith]

Steve: Yes, I bet this is the gun you saw in the Utica, NY area as it was, for a time, on display at a local gunshop. The gunshop owner subsequently took it off display and kept it at his home, later deciding to sell it. As I mentioned in the history of the gun at the beginning of the thread, the gun is a WWI bring-back by a soldier from that area of NY. The gun was acquired by the gunshop as a "walk in", when the vet's elderly son drove up about 10 years ago with the gun in his car and offered it for sale to the shop owner.

[JoeW]

Alan, I wish I had kept my "extra" tubular bi-pod for the 08/15. After I sold it, I discovered it was intended for the T-Gewehr. Rats.

[Alan Smith]

Joe,

Yes - I too wish you had kept it, as I would be bugging the heck out of you to sell it to me for the T-Gewehr! If anyone comes up with a late-war tubular type MG08/15 bipod that is for sale, I am interested.

Actually, based on the period photos I have seen, the T-Gewehr seems to have been used about equally with both types of bipods. Also, in a number of photos the gun is being used with no bipod at all. Think about it: if you are trying to set the gun up and fire from a protected and/or concealed position, the bipod is a big hinderance. Plus, the bipod weighs several pounds and makes the gun awkward to carrry.

Per the vet's son, there was no bipod with this T-Gewehr when his dad acquired it in after-the-battle cleanup work. In fact, the son's recollection was that his dad looked diligently for the bipod, even having the German POW's he was supervising on cleanup detail look around for it. No bipod could be found and that is the way it was brought home and stayed for 80+ years.