Gustloff Werke Weimar’s rifle production was unique among the German rifle makers in several ways, and in many ways it would be the model for the others to follow by the wars end. Beginning in October 1938 the decision to rationalize the concerns industrial activity resulted in the formation of a “consortium” of sorts where smaller firms would supply components for rifles that would be assembled in the corporations Weimar’s operation.
These firms would be called the “Sachsengruppe”, a group of 18 smaller firms making components for Gustloff Werke Weimar (at the time BSW Weimar) to assemble under their ordnance code “337”, later this code would become “bcd”. This was not a new concept of course, not even amongst the German rifle producers, the “Suhl Consortium” had long existed where J.P Sauer, V.C. Schilling and C.G. Haenel collaborated in rifle contracts, indeed, their World War One production was a collaboration, all their Gewehr98’s were made with “collective” activity.
However in this context it was a rather new concept because the new firms really had no previous experience with rifle manufacturing, for many it was a radical deviation from their previous manufacturing experience. These new firms were a wide mix of firms, many sewing machine makers, bolt & screw makers, furniture manufacturers, bicycle makers, even steel makers. The list of firms would expand during the war, as this concept was broadened industry wide, within and outside the small arms industry.
Many of these firms were not thriving firms, this expansion certainly enabled some of them to continue in business, as was true of many firms that had struggled along between the wars, – the rearmament programs begun under Hitler’s regime saved many firms in the early 1930’s from bankruptcy, even if it were a temporary reprieve. Soon these firms, and indeed all Germans, were to find out that the price of this government inspired “economic security” would become slavery worse than bankruptcy. The severe regimentation and economic controls imposed upon them would take all independent action, with every element of their business and livelihood strictly controlled.
By late 1938 the process was underway to consolidate rifle production at the corporations Weimar branch, allowing the Suhl operation (the old Simson & Co. Suhl main site) to focus on machine gun production (MG34, later MG42). The process would take several months to implement, and in the meantime BSW-Gustloff Suhl would continue manufacturing rifles. There has long been speculation to what became of Suhl’s rifle making machinery, most of it clearly did not move to Weimar. Some think the machinery was dispersed, some to Walther in nearby Zella-Mehlis, but others believe much of the machinery may have been used to outfit the new “Sachsengruppe” of firms, most of which do not seem to be equipped to supply the components they were to supply to the new operations at Weimar.
There is no proof of any of this process, but the German machine tool industry was fully committed to rearmament projects in more critical sectors, and the process seems to have been completed very quickly, – BSW-Gustloff Suhl’s rifle production did not linger on at Suhl for very long, and it does seem BSW-Gustloff Weimar actually began assembly of rifles late in 1939.
Even though wartime production at Gustloff-Werke Weimar was to exceed a million rifles during the course of the war, it was not a raging success, at least by comparison to other firms engaged in similar activities with far less access to resources. Mauser Oberndorf (byf) and Brno (dot), both dedicated rifle manufactures greatly surpassed them in rifle production, but most of the smaller firms, or firms with similar production methods (assemblers) like J.P. Sauer and Steyr-Daimler-Puch, had comparable numbers with much less effort expended.
BSW-Gustloff Weimar (337-bcd)
1939 – 14,000 (est.)
1940 – 110,000
1941 – 143,000
1942 – 219,000
1943 – 321,000
1944 – 261,500 (plus 31,700 G/K43)
Mauser Oberndorf (42-byf)
1939 – 300,000
1940 – 350,000
1941 – 420,000
1942 – 450,000
1943 – 550,000
1944 – 665,000
Brno (dot-dou combined)
1939 – 280,026
1940 – 251,870
1941 – 154,414
1942 – 193,486
1943 – 409,532
1944 – 729,625
JP Sauer (147-ce)
1939 – 210,000
1940 – 230,000
1941 – 220,000
1942 – 200,000
1943 – 320,000
1944 – 240,000 (drops Kar.98k during 1944)
SDP (660-bnz)
1939 – 28,801
1940 – 118,452
1941 – 232,425
1942 – 202,400
1943 – 286,807
1944 – 279,562
The Military Rifle Journal 