Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik
The Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik (English "Royal Württemberg Gun Factory") was a state owned firearms manufacturer from 1812 to 1874 and the predecessor of the Mauser arms manufacturer. Creation The armoury was created when Württemberg, as part of the Confederation of the Rhine, needed to outfit troops for Napoleon Bonaparte. Workshops to get independent from foreign weapon shipments were first created 1805 in the steel mills of Christophsthal near Freudenstadt (Black forest); stocks were added in the Württemberg arsenal in Ludwigsburg. The king of Württemberg ordered those independent workshops to be merged in a former monastery in Oberndorf am Neckar the 31-JUL-1811. This newly created factory began production the 6-NOV-1812 with approx. 100 employees. The first weapons were variants of the flintlock muskets Modèle 1777, caliber .69". Vereinsgewehr 1857 In April 1856, Baden, Hesse and Württemberg were to adopt a new rifle using percussion locks and Minié balls for their troops of the 8th Bundesarmee corps. This led to the Vereinsgewehr 1857 (union rifle, M/1857) in cal. .547". The rifle for the line infantry was, with minor modifications in the sights, adopted by all three states; pistols and carbines for the cavalry and sharpshooter rifles for the Jäger were, however, developed