Volksturmkarabiner 98

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7,92mm
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Volksturmkarabiner 98

#1

Post by 7,92mm » 18 Feb 2005, 00:03

Can anyone give me info, pics ++ on the Volksturmkarabiner 98? What kind of rifle was it?
Hoping for some good answers. :D

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Uninen
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#2

Post by Uninen » 18 Feb 2005, 01:01

I havent ever heard of such weapon nor the book which i have of the K98 mentions a word of weapon by this name ( "The K98k Rifle" ) maybe this is some name somebody just made up for the late war lower quality / faster manufactory K98's or for the ww1 K98 rifles that were issued for "Volksturm"?


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fusilier1944
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#3

Post by fusilier1944 » 18 Feb 2005, 01:12

does this help?
http://www.vvm.com/~histpart/vk98.htm
it has a "picture" at least. the guy is doing a survey for a book so not much info. it did exist at least and it appears that he'll cover the late war k98's in his book too. good luck...

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WW2 Fact Files Says

#4

Post by Bill 13 » 18 Feb 2005, 07:47

Sorry can not scan picture as it would cause the spine of the booklet to break so.
"Sometimes referred to to as the VG2, the VK98 was another last ditch weapon, this time based on Mauser components. In this case the VK38 was produced by assembling Mauser actions and barrels and using very roughly finished stocks.The barrels came from elderly German and foriegn rifles, but the bolt action came from existing production lines and thus were not as crude as those on the VG1. No magazine was fitted. Some VK38 rifles were issued to Volksturm units during the very last days of the war, but there usefulness must have been very limited, and captured examples proved unsafe to fire."
Data below is taken from one example and should not taken as typical for all preduction examples.
Calibre 7.92 mm 0.312 in
Length 1031 mm 40.6 in
Length of barrel 528 mm 20.8 in.
Weight 3.13 kg 6.9 lb
M.V (approx) 731 m/s 2400 ft/sec
Magazine capacity Single shot

All info from WW2 Fact Files Axis Pistols, Rifles and Grenades Arco Publishing Co. New York
Copyright 1976 Peter Chamberlain & Terry Gander

Typing Error Mine :roll:
Picture looks like line drawing on above link


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#5

Post by Patrice » 18 Feb 2005, 10:18

Hello.
Two pictures, one of Volksturmkarabiner 98 and an other of 7.92mm VG 2 with 10 round Kar 43 magazine from "Small Arms,Artillrry and Special Weapons of the Third Reich" Macdonald and Jane's.
Patrice.
Attachments
7.92mm VG2.JPG
7.92mm VG2.JPG (31.04 KiB) Viewed 9384 times
7.92mm VK 98.JPG
7.92mm VK 98.JPG (31.11 KiB) Viewed 9384 times

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#6

Post by 7,92mm » 18 Feb 2005, 12:14

The VK98 looks like a friggin hunting rifle....why was the stock cut short?
BTW thanks for the pics

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Boone Vidricksen
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#7

Post by Boone Vidricksen » 23 Jan 2006, 23:59

What about the vg1, vg3, vg4, and the vg5?

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Rogerbutthead
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"Desperate Measures" by W Darrin Weaver

#8

Post by Rogerbutthead » 24 Jan 2006, 20:26

According to this book which covers the last-ditch weapons of the Nazi Volkssturm:

VG1 - page 129 - is a primative bolt action design using the ten round magazine of the G43 rifle
VG2 - page 171 - is as pictured in the post above - most also used the ten round magazine of the G43 rifle
VG3 - page 185 - is a primative bolt action design using the 7.92 Kurz round and using the MP44 type of magazine
VG4 - page 195 - is a simplified mauser - with a short stock - only handmade prototypes being built
VG5 - page 207 - is as pictured in the post above - a primative bolt action rifle.

An interesting book to add to your collection.

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#9

Post by Boone Vidricksen » 13 Feb 2006, 20:35

So the vg5 is really the vk98? thanks
Also Ive seen this picture in the book "volksturm" of the vg1 with a bent barrel at thirty degrees( there were also 30, 45, 60, and 90) could someone help me with al the options the vg1 family could have??

Thank you

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#10

Post by Boone Vidricksen » 11 Mar 2006, 01:05

ok so far Ive come up with the vg family could have bent barrels, slings and some of these rifles could have rifled grenades if they were built well enough.

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Re: "Desperate Measures" by W Darrin Weaver

#11

Post by kfbr392 » 14 Nov 2021, 22:10

Rogerbutthead wrote:
24 Jan 2006, 20:26
According to this book which covers the last-ditch weapons of the Nazi Volkssturm:

VG1 - page 129 - is a primative bolt action design using the ten round magazine of the G43 rifle
VG2 - page 171 - is as pictured in the post above - most also used the ten round magazine of the G43 rifle
VG3 - page 185 - is a primative bolt action design using the 7.92 Kurz round and using the MP44 type of magazine
VG4 - page 195 - is a simplified mauser - with a short stock - only handmade prototypes being built
VG5 - page 207 - is as pictured in the post above - a primative bolt action rifle.
interesting!
does Mr. Weaver state when serial deliveries of VG 1, VG2, and VG 5 started, and total amounts produced?


According to my research:
Walther VG 1 in 8x57:
10.44: accepted for production
09.02.45: (first?) 500 guns reported completed by Walther company
total production: ?

DIW/Spreewerk VG 2 in 8x57:
12.44: tested at Kummersdorf
total production: 16000-18000

Rheinmetall VG 3 in 8x33:
only prototypes

Mauser VG 4 in 8x57:
only prototypes

Steyr VG 5 (aka VK98) in 8x57:
12.44: prototype undergoing competitive trials
total production: ~9600

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Re: Volksturmkarabiner 98

#12

Post by ThatZenoGuy » 18 Nov 2021, 09:05

I got to admit I really like the appearance of the VG2. Sure she's crude, but that 10 round magazine and how the receiver is designed is quite aesthetically pleasing.

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Re: Volksturmkarabiner 98

#13

Post by Hans1906 » 19 Nov 2021, 16:58

Recommended german book:

Volksgewehre: Die Langwaffen des Deutschen Volkssturms
Toward the end of World War II, as the coming defeat of the German Reich became increasingly apparent, the German leadership raised a popular militia: the German Volkssturm. It soon became clear that there was far too little material available to arm Hitler's last contingent. Since there were already too few rifles for the regular soldiers, the party leadership looked for ways to arm the newly created combatants. The idea soon arose to create a single-use weapon that would serve its purpose at least until the immediate danger was averted from the Reich's borders. Thus began the Volksgewehr program, and German industry began working at full speed to develop such a simple-to-produce rifle. This book provides an overview of the long guns actually built as part of the Volksgewehr program. It reconstructs the genesis of each of these Volkssturm rifles and shows the respective variants. At the same time, it examines which weapons were actually used and wielded by Volkssturm men in combat.
Link / Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/342 ... lksgewehre

I had some of these guns in my hand decades ago, from the collections of collector friends.
Even then, we no longer shot with these weapons, purely objects for display, to shoot with them, irresponsible.


Hans
The paradise of the successful lends itself perfectly to a hell for the unsuccessful. (Bertold Brecht on Hollywood)

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