RWS M89

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Detachable Mounts

The History of RWS

The history of RWS goes back to the year 1855 when Heinrich Uttendoerffer started to manufacture ignition charges in Nuremberg. About thirty years later, he decided to sell his company to the ‘Rheinisch Westfälische Sprengstoff-Actien-Gesellschaft’ which would later become known under the abbreviation RWS.

Changes in ownership happened again at the beginning of the 20th century, when Alfred Nobel established Dynamit Aktiengesellschaft, leading to a collaboration between GECO, which was already a well-established ammunition manufacturer at the time, and Dynamit company in the late 1920s. This partnership was a precursor to Dynamit's eventual acquisition of RWS. In fact, Dynamit acquired GECO in 1963 and RWS in 1966. Both GECO and RWS have been a part of the Dynamit Nobel group since then. Thereafter, the turn of the century saw the Dynamit Nobel's transition to RUAG, which still runs the RWS operations in Germany as of 2023.

Especially after the Second World War as the demand for civilian hunting equipment and ammunition became increasingly more popular, their sales started to grow drastically. In those years, the RWS conducted most of their business through catalogues and for some time they also offered a RWS bolt action rifle called the model 89 that was manufactured for them by the Howa company. They even offered sports optics in the past, including products like the RWS Night Pro line and the RWS 4X32 Airgun Scopes. The scopes, however, were not directly manufactured by RWS as they supposedly outsourced the production in Japan, according to some sources.

Unfortunately, there is a very limited amount of data on the firearm, as they mostly remained focused on the production of ammunition which they were best known for.

Today, RWS remains at the forefront of the ammunition industry, specializing in hand-loading premium ammunition for sports shooters, and offering a wide range of centerfire and rimfire cartridges, air gun pellets, and reloading components on their website. Their bullets are sealed with up to five different specialized coatings and are tested by using the in-house collection of over 2400 firearms before being released to the market. The selection now includes more than 115 bullets, and 40 different calibers users can choose from. As of 2023, RWS is still renowned as Europe’s biggest manufacturer of bullets and shotgun cartridges.

RWS M89 Rifle Review

RWS M98 is a bolt action rifle manufactured by Howa for the RWS company. Unfortunately, as the primary business of the company was and still is ammunition manufacturing, there is almost no data whatsoever about the M89 available.

The rifles were stamped RWS after coming from the Howa factory and feature some general similarities in the overall construction such as the bolt with an M16-style ejector and extractor that has two opposing locking lugs that lock up with the action housing. The M89 rifles used wooden stocks in classic Monte Carlo shape that had forend and pistol grip handles checkered and had sling swivels. The free-floating barrels were usually supplied without preinstalled iron sights.

The internal magazine is capable of holding up to five standard-sized cartridges and is covered by a hinged steel floorplate. In terms of safety, the rifle uses a two-position lever that is positioned on the right side of the receiver and is easily reachable with a thumb. It blocks the bolt and the trigger when engaged. The top end of the receiver comes with drilled and tapped holes which can be used for scope mounting purposes.

Despite the action being produced by Howa, the company supplied several different brands with their actions during the second half of the 20th century and has adapted the shape and various minor details in the design of the actions to the specific needs of these companies. Therefore, it is difficult to tell whether or not the scope mounts on these specific brands are completely interchangeable or not. Should you have any additional information about the RWS M89 rifle, we kindly ask you to share it with us, as it would help us expand our current database.

RWS M89, chambered for .243 Win.

Figure 1: RWS M89, chambered for .243 Win. (Source: https://www.fishingmegastore.com/rifles-and-accessories/rws-preloved---model-89-243-bolt-action-rifle-with-scope-sling-and-screwcut-12unf---used~80141.html)

RWS M89 Calibers

The rifle can be chambered for the following calibers:

.22-250 Rem.
.223 Rem.
.243 Win.
6.5 Creedmoor
7mm-08 Rem.
.308 Win.

The RWS M89 rifle comes with four holes on the top of the receiver which can be used for scope mounting purposes. There are two holes on the front and two on the rear mounting surface.

The receiver of RWS M89, chambered for .22-250 Rem,

Figure 2: The receiver of RWS M89, chambered for .22-250 Rem, (Source: https://www.jrussellfirearms.com/2019/10/13/19019-rws-model-89-bolt-action/)

RWS M89

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With RWS M89

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With RWS M89

For one-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces on these rifles must match in every dimension.

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With RWS M89

To meet interchangeability conditions, two-piece mounts must match in all dimensions except the B distance. B distance can vary because two-piece mounts can be installed and adjusted closer or further apart.

Note that despite the action being produced by Howa, the company supplied several different brands with their actions during the second half of the 20th century and has adapted the shape and various minor details in the design of the actions to the specific needs of these companies. Therefore, it is difficult to tell whether or not the scope mounts on these specific brands are completely interchangeable or not.

Unfortunately, we were unable to find the exact dimensions of the RWS M89 mounting surface, thus we are unable to provide you with a list of interchangeable scope mounts. Should you happen to own this rifle and would be willing to share with us more information regarding interchangeability, we kindly ask you to contact us at info@optics-trade.eu

Thank you for your help!

Best Scope Mounts for RWS M89

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for RWS M89

For those looking to mount optics on the RWS 89 rifle, the EAW pivot mount with 30 mm rings is a suitable option. Manufactured in Germany, it is made from high-quality steel and comes with a 30-year warranty.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the scope mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu

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EAW Roll-off Mounts with foot plates, 34 mm

As low as $319.00

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EAW Magnum pivot mount, 34 mm, RWS M 89

As low as $459.00

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EAW XS pivot mount, 34 mm, RWS M 89

As low as $539.00

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RWS M89

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The History of RWS