World War 2 Firearms
German Gewehr 98 Rifle
The standard rifle of the German infantry soldier in World War 1. A shorter version, the K98k carbine, was the German standard rifle in World War 2.
Gewehr 98 Find State
Gewehr 98 Find State.
Gewehr 98 Cleaned State
Gewehr 98 Cleaned State.
Gewehr 98 Manufacturer"s logo (Mauser)
Gewehr 98 Mauser logo.
Gewehr 98 Upper Side
Gewehr 98 Upper Side.
Italian Carcano Rifle #1
The Carcano 6.5 mm was the Italian standard rifle in World War 2. It is considered inferior to its French, German, or Russian counterparts. In the last days of World War 2, when everybody and everything was pressed into service for Germany, secondary units like Volkssturm (boys and old men) received that type of equipment.
According to the suspiciously superficial official investigation report, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was shot with such a weapon. Would somebody planning to assassinate a US president not spent some extra dollars for a decent rifle?
Carcano Rifle Find State
Carcano #1 6.5 mm Find State.
Carcano Rifle Cleaned State Detail
Carcano #1 6.5 mm. Cleaned State Detail.
Carcano Rifle #2 Bent Barrel
This find is a nice symbol for the war and its best part – the end. Usually people are most enthusiastic about a war in the very beginning. In World War 2, in contrast to World War 1, the Germans were not enthusiastic, not even at the beginning. Too fresh were the memories of the horror of warfare. In the end people were glad it was over.
Note: Even this item was considered a firearm by the authorities. Since the condition did not justify the costs for a gunsmith it was necessary to turn it over to the police.
Carcano Rifle #2 Find State
Carcano 6.5 mm #2. Bent barrel.
Find state.
Carcano Rifle #2 Cleaned State
Carcano 6.5 mm #2. Bent barrel.
Cleaned state.
German MP 40 Submachine Gun
MP 40 Cleaned.
For close range combat like in Stalingrad the submachine gun is the ideal weapon. The German MP 40 was inferior to its Russian counterpart, the PPSH 41. So German soldiers at the Eastern Front used captured PPSH when possible.
This find was exposed to violence. It was torn into two pieces when found.
When I found this item everything that even looked like an automatic weapon was prohibited in Germany. (A foolish law originating in the terror hysteria of the 1970s). So I handed the weapon over to the authorities. Later, in 2003, a revised version of the weapon law came into effect that allowed to keep disabled World War 2 submachine guns.
Russian PPSH 41 Submachine Gun
The PPSH 41 was a highly successful Russian submachine gun. Reliable, accurate, easy to manufacture. German soldiers used captured PPSH 41 whenever possible. This one was found near the retreat route of a SS division. This find was reported to the BKA, the German equivalent of the FBI.
PPSH 41 Find State
PPSH 41 find state
PPSH 41 Cleaned State
PPSH 41 cleaned state
German K98k Rifle
The K98k carbine was the standard rifle of the German soldier in World War 2. It was a slightly shortened version of the Gewehr 98. A highly successful weapon construction, in spite of its age of some 100 years still in use by sport shooters and even some third world armies.
K98k Rifle Find State
K98k carbine find state
K98k Rifle Cleaned State
K98k views 2
German Mauser Hsc Pistol
Mauser HSc Find State
Mauser HSc and accessories. Find state.
The weapon was cached with some accessory.
Mauser HSc Cleaned State
Mauser HSc. Cleaned state.
Mosin-Nagant and Carcano Rifles #3 and #4
The Mosin-Nagant was the Russian standard rifle in World War 1 and partly World War 2. The Russian weapon engineers have a very good reputation and the Mosin-Nagant was a good rifle. Long but accurate. Selected specimens were equipped with a rifle scope and given to snipers. The Germans, too, rated this gun and especially the sniper version.
Carcano # 3 Find State
Carcano rifle 6.5 mm. Find state.
Carcano # 4 and Mosin Nagant Find State
Carcano and Mosin-Nagant rifles.
Breechblock 2 cm Gun, Possibly MG 151/20
Breech block automatic gun.
Calibre possibly 20 mm.
At first considered this item some obscure machinery part. Total length some estimated 25 cm. Later I was informed that this is the breech block of an automatic gun. Judging by the find spot it probably belonged to a small calibre anti aircraft gun, possibly the 2 cm gun MG 151/20.
Legal note: Since this item is covered by the war weapon law (Kriegswaffenkontrollgesetz) it was necessary to part with it.
German and US Small Arms Ammunition
Cartridges of the 8- 13mm / 0.3”-0.5”calibre range are the most often found ammunition type. Here are some examples.
Group 1
Ammunition and small parts group.
World war 2.
Found on a lonely hill that served as a hideout for German soldiers at the end of World War 2, this group comprises various sort of rifle ammunition as well as tent stakes, gas mask eye rings and many small parts. Four different types or rifle ammunition were found, French Lebel cartridges among them, which is typical for the chaotic state of the German armed forces in the last phase of the war.
Group 2
K98k, Carcano, and BMG 50 ammunition.
The Italian Carcano 6.5 mm ammunition bottom left and the German 8 mm K98k cartridges on the right belonged to the German forces.
The big 12.7 mm projectiles and the empty cartridge bottom center belonged to the US Heavy Browning Machine Gun BMG 50. A successful construction of Mr. Browning, it is in use still today in many armies of the world. A single bullet of this devastating weapon has a kinetic energy of some 25000-30000 Joule which is sufficient to lift a car by 2 m. For comparison, the average .30” rifle has some 8000 Joule and a pistol some 500 Joule. By the way, every weapon with more than 7.5 Joule requires a special permit in Germany.
Today, ultra long range sniper rifles are often based on the BMG 50. In recent years, such a weapon was used for a confirmed 2000+ m hit by a Canadian sniper in the Iraq conflict.
Unlike other projectile in this calibre range, the BMG 50 projectile was manufactured in variants potentially dangerous to the searcher. For instance, there is an incendiary version marked with a blue head and two rings. The color marking is often gone after 6 decades in the ground.
The tiny particles left of the BMG 50 cartridge were its content. Tiny black cylinders, some 2 mm long and with 1 mm diameter, of some organic explosive. They appear black because they are carbon coated to avoid static electricity.
BMG 50 cartridges are much more common finds than smaller US calibers. In vast contrast to their German opponents the US soldiers had supply in abundance. To this day material is the biggest pro of the US armed forces.
It is also typical for the last phase of the war that the German ammunition is dropped whereas the US ammunition is fired.
BMG 50 cartridges
BMG 50 bottom markings.
Some bottom plates of BMG 50 cartridges. The marks indicate place and year of production. For instance, “SL 4” means Saint Louis Ordnance Plant, 1944.
K98k cartridges
K98k ammunition group.
A group of discarded K98k cartridges.
German Panzerfaust Anti-Tank Weapon
Panzerfaust find state
A cheap and light anti tank weapon.
German 88 mm Cartridge
88 mm cartridge.
The German 88 mm gun is considered by many to be the best gun of WW2.
A fired cartridge of the famous German 88 mm gun.
Related topics
See also World War 2 Bayonets Metal Detecting Finds
See also World War 2 Other Military Items Metal Detecting Finds
See also Metal detecting on the retreat route of the 17. SS Panzergrenadierdivision 'Götz von Berlichingen' Part 1
See also Metal detecting on the retreat route of the 17. SS Panzergrenadierdivision 'Götz von Berlichingen' Part 2
Legal note: Weapon law
See disclaimer, section weapon law
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