Boer War Mauser

Centurion

Centurion

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I have had this rifle for several years, only now doing some research. Looks like I have a South African Republic - Boer War relic.

Mod. Mauser 1896
Ludw. Loewe & Co Berlin

No crest on receiver, 37.5" overall length, barrel 18". Left hand side sling mounts.

Serial # on side of receiver is 4-digit (with same inspection mark as pictured on bolt handle). Unfortunately the bolt does not match, different 4-digit number and with letter "A" prefix. Other part numbers match receiver. No cleaning rod. Some interesting carving/scratcing on the stock, names and numbers, requires some advanced research.

Referencing "Mauser Military Rifles of the World" 2nd Edition (Robert Ball), it looks like a straight handle rifle bolt was swapped in for the original carbine curved handle some time in the past. Accoring to the book, both the receiver and bolt # match records for Loewe & Co. rifles shipped to ZAR (South African Republic). Action very smooth, have never had headspace checked or fired. Rifling condition good.

Interesting part of the story is that I bought this at a gun show where no one was interested in an old gun with lots of rough writing on the stock, no national crest. I remembered reading about the Boer habit of personalizing their guns and picked it up.

I am not a Mauser expert, just what I am reading in the book. Any agreement that this is a Boer rifle?
Any idea of how common these are in Canada?
Estimates on value? (no, I am not planning to sell)
Any additional information would be helpful.

Thanks

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Send me an enlargement of the "personalization" on the stock and I will translate for you.
Worth about $1000 in this country.
A good read would be a book called "Commando" by one Deneys Reitz.
The burgers prefered the Mausers over the Lee Metfords they captured later in the war and were forced to use b/c of a lack of Ammo for the Mausers.

Another interesting thing is I remember the old timers talk abou "mot-mausers" of course many did not speak english well and others (like my grandpa is fluent but refuse as it is the enemy's language) "mot" is the afrikaans word for moth. could not figure this out until I was told where it came from.
Most were inscribed with "MOD 1896"! hence Mod-mauser which became "mot"
 
I think the inscription reads w van Jaarsveld.
pic is too small to be sure but a common enough Afrikaaner name.
 
Thanks for the info, Boer seun. My first photo post to this site, sorry for the small size. The other markings are a variety of numbers and initials.

I find these historic guns "with character" much more intersting than a "factory new condition" example.
 
"...sorry for the small size..." Don't be. You take a good picture.
No crest just means it was never owned by any of the many countries that used 'em.
 
I just spent $65.99 for another Mauser book at the gunshop in Tincap ON. My travelling companion thought I was nuts to put out that much money for one book (actually for a lifetime reference book, that is a good buy). Let me see see if there is much more to add to the discussion.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
I just spent $65.99 for another Mauser book at the gunshop in Tincap ON. My travelling companion thought I was nuts to put out that much money for one book (actually for a lifetime reference book, that is a good buy). Let me see see if there is much more to add to the discussion.
Click to expand...

I agree that good reference books are a wise investment, can make the difference when you spot a real find at a show. A rare variety that others can not immediately appreciate. I am having fun now researching some of the guns I bought years ago!
 
For Boer seun - this is about the best I could get out of resizing photo of signature area. Are there archives (South Africa?) that I could contact to try to track down history on a Boer by this name?

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Riddle Solved

If I am not mistaken, the inscription details the location of a certain whorehouse in Johannesburg. I think the writer had a damn good time there.

No further research required.

BB
 
I still can't make out much if you could post the letters I could possibly tell.
The numbers does not make sense b/c the ZAR and OVS never considered these wepons to be the property of the state they became the property of the burger who it was given to. So It would not be a serial of some sorts.
As for finding out a name it would be almost impossible, as many of the last names (Van Jaarsveld if that's what it says) are very common and most first and middle names are usually a biblical name or a family name so there could be litrally hundred of people with the same name (6 people on facebook alone with the exact name i have as an example)

But that said the "W"that can be made out was very likely either "Willem" or "Wilhelm" could also be "Wikus" but those are probably the most common names that start with a "W" The "M" could be anything from "Markus" "Martin"
"Marthunis" etc. It would be like finding a needle in a hay-stack.
One thing I am 90% sure of is that the owner most probably died at one of the battles the Canadians were involved in.
As that would be the only logical explanation for it being in Canada, maybe reasearch the battle ot Doornkop, spioenkop and Paardeberg. Canadians fought in those battles
 
Boer seun - looks like some lighter markings & scratches that are no longer legible, due to bruising and handling, however can make out the following.

Left side of butt stock, about centre, 1/2" high numbers scratched in

675

Right side of stock, beginning just forward of bolt handle (also scratced in)

ART WA NO1036 M W V Jaarsveld 2A *

Thanks for all your info so far, my knowledge level on this item has increased 1000%!
 
Boer Mauser rifle blocks

maple_leaf_eh said:
I just spent $65.99 for another Mauser book at the gunshop in Tincap ON. My travelling companion thought I was nuts to put out that much money for one book (actually for a lifetime reference book, that is a good buy). Let me see see if there is much more to add to the discussion.
Click to expand...

From Robert Ball, Military Mauser Rifles of the World (4th Ed), Gun Digest Books, 2006 (pp.321 - 322). ZAR is the Boer abbreviation for Zuid-Africannasche Republick. Before the Boer War (1899-1901) the ZAR purchased 47,000 Mauser Model 1895 rifles and carbines in 7mm from DWM and Ludwig Loewe.
-Ten-thousand rifles (sn A1-10,000) marked Mod. Mauser 1896, Ludwig Loewe, etc. were shipped Jul, Aug and Sep 1896.
-Ten-thousand rifles (sn B1-10,000) and 5000 carbines (sn 1-5,000) were shipped in Sep 1896.
-Ten-thousand rifles (sn 1-10,000) marked Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken, Berlin, shipped late 1896
-Two thousand rifles (sn 5,001-7,000) shipped May and Jun 1897, no maker recorded but likely DWM
-Eight thousand rifles and 2,000 carbines marked DWM were received (no date or sn range)

Other shipments left Germany but were turned back at sea and ended up in Chile.

There. Satisfied? Now go buy your own books.
 
Boer seun said:
Send me an enlargement of the "personalization" on the stock and I will translate for you.
Worth about $1000 in this country.
A good read would be a book called "Commando" by one Deneys Reitz.
The burgers prefered the Mausers over the Lee Metfords they captured later in the war and were forced to use b/c of a lack of Ammo for the Mausers.

Another interesting thing is I remember the old timers talk abou "mot-mausers" of course many did not speak english well and others (like my grandpa is fluent but refuse as it is the enemy's language) "mot" is the afrikaans word for moth. could not figure this out until I was told where it came from.
Most were inscribed with "MOD 1896"! hence Mod-mauser which became "mot"
Click to expand...

I know where there is another owner-engraved Boer Mauser for sale. Missing a ring and in very grubby condition.
 
I saw a couple of very nice Boer war mausers in the museum at Ladysmith (Natal). There were also Geddes rifles, Lee Enfields, and various versions of Martinis.

One of the displays of artifacts from the siege of Ladysmith had what appeared to be a .223 cartridge in it. No one in the museum could tell me anything about it. I suspect it was from someone shooting a modern gun on the battlefield recently.
 
The "ART" and number could be an issue mark for the Staadsartillerie. The artillery were the only regular army units the Boers had.
 
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