DWM M1908: Good Barrel Condition
The two barrel profile videos on this page show the inner surfaces of the barrel of the following weapon:
- Weapon: DWM M1908
- Caliber: 7×57
- Barrel length = 29.3 inches
- Number of grooves/fields = 4
- Twist length = 8.66 inches
- Year of manufacture: 1908
- Number of shots fired: approx. 650
Overall – and especially considering the age of the weapon – the barrel is in good condition. The history of the weapon cannot be fully verified, but the following assumption seems reasonable:
- The weapon was produced by Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) in Oberndorf am Neckar as part of the Brazil contract in 1908 (manufacturer, Brazilian coat of arms and year stamped on the system sleeve).
- The weapon was stored by the Brazilian military as an ‘arsenal weapon’ – and thus well protected against corrosion.
- At the end of the 1970s, Frankonia purchased the weapon from the Brazilian military and sold it to a collector in Germany (stamped FWW on the barrel, Ulm proof mark, 9/80).
- At the beginning of 2022, I purchased the weapon from a dealer and documented the above-mentioned firing performance.
LA-L (linear axial barrel profile video)
In the LA-L, ‘streak-like’ colour changes in the barrel surface are visible in the axial view, but the barrel surface appears smooth.
RR-L (rotating radial barrel profile video)
With the RR-L, each groove/field pair can now be traced from the muzzle to the transition cone. Only a few corrosion scars are visible.
