Original German WWII HJ Enamel Shooting Award Badge Pin Frank & Reif – RZM M1/102 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice original German WWII jugend (HJ) Enameled Shooting Award Badge Pin, RZM Marked with M1/102 indicating it was manufactured by Frank & Reif of the Zuffenhausen district of Stuttgart.

AH believed German youth to be the future of his 3rd Reich. The HJ (AH Jugend or HJ) was formed officially in 1935, and with the exception of NSDAP ideology indoctrination was very similar to the Boy Scouts. Beginning at about the age of ten years, both boys aged 14-18 (AH Jugend) and girls aged 14-18 (Bund Deutscher Mädel) were enlisted in the Party-run organization. 

This award consists of a 21 mm round, semi convex badge with a raised edge line with three similar lines at 1 mm intervals, a very nice image of a shooting target. The whole “target”  is filled with opaque black enamel.  On to the center of the badge are superimposed crossed rifles, the tip of the butts and barrels just overlapping the edge of the badge.  These measure 22 mm long, and over them in the center is superimposed a small HJ membership diamond, which measures 13.5 mm by 9 mm. 

This example is in very good condition, intact plating on the front and back. There is some wear through and oxidation, as to be expected, but it presents very nicely. The back has a very nice functional “safety pin” style attachment, which would work on any type of clothing.

Ready to display!

Of Note: In late 1934 items manufactured for the NSDAP and other organizations, including membership pins, came under the quality control of the RZM, Reichzeugmeisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster) and as a result were marked with the RZM logo when appropriate. The registry was was based at the Brown house in Munich and NSDAP party headquarters in Berlin. The RZM ensured that the manufacturers of military items were consistent in design, quality of materials and other characteristics of the items. It also defined standards of design, manufacturing and quality and published an authoritative color chart for textiles. The M1 in the code stands for Metal Badges, with Frank & Reif of the Zuffenhausen district of Stuttgart being contractor number 102.

Reichsjugendführer Balder von Schirach, to stimulate competitive shooting amongst members of the HJ, instituted the award in 1936. The competitor had be of the age of 16 years or older. The HJ used .22 calibre small-bore rifles. The target is a circle divided into 11 rings and a bull’s eye. Outer ring was worth 1 point. Bull’s eye was worth 12 points. Distance for the HJ member was 50m. Target was changed after 5 shots.   The test was firing five shots from a prone position with rifle supported on a sandbag, five from the prone position with the rifle unsupported and five from a kneeling position with unsupported rifle.  Prone position with weapon supported the member must achieve 25 points with no single shot being worth less than 4 points unless the target is hit 5 times. Prone position weapon unsupported the member must achieve 20 points with no single shot being worth less than 3 unless target is hit 5 times. The results were recorded in a special shooting book. Authorized recipients were permitted to wear the badge on the left breast pocket of their uniform.  It appears that there was some early confusion concerning the manner of wear, as some recipients wore the badge on the right breast pocket.  Accurate figures of numbers awarded are available up to the end of 1943 and the number recorded is 273545.  A Schiessbuch or Shooting Book was given to the competitor and this was used to record the qualifications of the HJ member. This was then used as proof of attainment and allowed the member to wear the badge.