CEWFG Kropatschek Steyr 1886? Value?

[sopranos]

I have a rifle in my possession that was given to me by my dad, whos had the rifle handed down to him by my grandfather. I wasnt 100% sure what kind of rifle it was a week ago, but a local gunsmith mentioned that he believed the rifle to be at Steyr 1886 Kropatschek. Ive just found some information on this rifle but dont know what it would be worth. It is in original condition and also has the original bayonette with it. This rifle is intriguing because it has many symbols including letters and numbers burned? into the stock.

Im looking to some insight from the local CGNers with respect to finding additional information and as well as potential value. I thank you in advance. Pics included in one album.

http://s881.photobucket.com/albums/ac12/jzappitelli/1886/

 

[Talquin]

Looks like a standard 1886 Steyr Short Rifle with a estimated 4800 made. I think the tube mag holds 5.

Are you looking to sell or just want to know what it's worth.

The Regular rifle or colonial models will sell on the EE for 3-5 depending on condition. Bayonets pop up at anywhere from 75$-150$ depedning on condition.

I would guess 6ish for this rifle. What holds the value down is that the only way you can shoot it is by getting 8x50 lebel brass and seating the bullet really far out.

Someone who knows these a little more than i do should follow up with some more info soon and maybe a better price.

Portuguese family backround at all ?

 

[sopranos]

talquin
thanks for your quick reply. was wondering where this rifle may have been made and now have a little more information for more research thanks to you.

i may look at selling this at a later time as i have a vault full of guns, am always looking for more. this really has no personal value to me as it wasnt something that was used in war by my grandfather, it was just something that was given to him...

thanks again for the additional info. ps. italian background.

 

[desporterizer]

I owned one of those two years ago. Bought it for $190, sold it for 200.

 

[smellie]

OEWG is Oesterreichische Waffenfabriks Gesellschaft: Austrian Weapons-making Company.

They built Kropatschek rifles for the French Marines in 11x59R, same as the Gras cartridge, and a couple of contracts for Portugal in 8x60R, all blackpowder rounds, of course. The Krop then served as the basic model for the French Lebel, and so has far greater historical significance than one might think. The Lebel uses the entire Krop design, including Alfred Kropatschek's magazine system with its special no-double-feed interruptor, just with 2 forward locking-lugs on the detachable bolt-head and a very heavy receiver, much like the Swiss Vetterli, witha 2-piece stock.

The Krop rifes served as the main Portuguese rifle until the adoption of the Vergueiro/Mauser in 1904 but served in Portuguese overseas colonies until the 1960s. Total Portuguese Krops manufactured seems to be 49,000 rifles, 4800 short rifles and 4000 cavalry carbines. A few hundred of the survivors came to Canada in the early 1970s, but our glorious Government of the time prevented the ammunition from being sold, even as components, because it coud not be guaranteed as 100% sure-fire..... so they protected us in fine Trudeauvian fashion by ensuring that we couldn't get ANY. A small amount of ammo did show up and one occasionally encounters ingle rounds at gun shows, usually at from $1 to $4 a shot.

Capacity of the rifle was 8 in the tube mag, 1 on the carrier and 1 up the spout for a total of 10 rounds.It was the 'high-capacity assault weapon' of the 1880s.

Talquin is quite correct: you can make the ammo from 8mm Lebel brass (see Trade-Ex Canada ad and link at the top of this page) and, I am sure he will also tell you, they ar a LOT of fun to shoot.

BTW, you just might want to decipher some of those stamping burned into the woodwork; mine has only a factory cartouche on one side and a Royal signet on the other, yet the rifles saw use in the entire Portuguese Empire at one time: Goa, Macau, Portuguese East Africa (now Angola), Mozambique, the Mozambique Company administrative areas and so forth. Also, some of them were used for a time by the Deutsche Ost-Afrikanische Schutztruppe (they held more than the German single-shot Mausers) during the Great War. Who knows? The markings will tell. There were more than 150,000 British troops in that little side-show war; was your Grandfather one of them?

Try posting the markings and see if someone knows.

Hope this helps.
.

 

[sopranos]

smellie

thanks for the great information. after using your info, and checking a few other sites, ive found this rifle to be carbine kropatschek with the original bayonette.

my dad seems to think that my grandfather was given this rifle even though he did fight in the second world war for the italians. other than that, i dont know the history of how it came to be.

the markings on the carbine, show the outline circle of the royal signet on the right side of the stock, as well as what looks like the burned in letter W near the trigger on the bottom of the stock. the letters DS are burned in the bottom of the stock near the sling swivel.. as well there is also three "hash" marks between the swivel and trigger on the bottom of the stock. ill post a pic shortly.

its too bad that ammo for this isnt readily available.... "Trudeauvian fashion" ...that was funny.

thanks again.