Early Mauser

H4831

H4831

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Was wandering around the Kamloops gun show, when i met a fellow wandering around with an old Mauser. We got talking, I asked if you could see through the barrel. He gave me a pretty bad look and said, "Look at it." He held my bore light while I looked down the barrel and saw one of the shiniest, brightest and sharpest bores you will ever look at.
My interest was perked, because at home I have a Springfield Trapdoor that has been in the family since the 1930s and which I hunted with when I was a teenager. In the 1960s I bought a Remington rolling block in tremendous good condition in 43 Egyptian and both of those old rifles have great bores. This old 43 Mauser with the shiny bore would fit right in with the other two.
Long story short, I carried the old Mauser home.
Upon examination I found something I have never seen on any other rifle. Not only is every part, little and big, marked with the last two digits of the four digit serial number, but every screw in the gun, including the two that hold the butt plate on, are marked with the serial number!
I will also add that not one screw shows any evidence of having had a screw driver on it.
Maybe some of you have seen this, but I never have.
It has a designation on the butt plate, probably showing what part of the militaray it was in.
50.R.3. 145
Can anyone decypher what that designation stands for?

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q65/H4831/71-
[URL=http://s133.photobucket.com/84005_zps3706e623.jpg


 
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50 Grenadier Regiment, 3rd Company, Weapon 145, for the 50.R.3.145. (?)

I have a 1913 Luger marked similar to that on the grip strap. (A Machine Gun Regiment IIRC). I have it written down as to what it means for the Letters and Numbers. Will have to check.
 
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Here's some examples for Lugers:

1908 Dwm 25.D.3.11 "Dragoner Regiment Nr.25 Wurtemberg Konigin Olga , 3rd squadron, weapon 11"

1912 Erfurt 145.R.1.6. "145 Grenadier regiment Prussia (infantry) 1st. company, weapon 6."

1913 DWM 15.U. "Ulanen 15th.Regiment Schleswig-Holsteinisches command staff"
 
What you have is a German model of 1871/84 repeating rifle. What is the maker and date ?

Your unit marking translates out as 50th Infanterie regiment, 3rd company, weapon # 145. Without a primary source of reference, I am unable to tell you more about the unit or where they were stationed. If the "R" is standard capital R then it is a line infantry regiment. If it is a italicized, it is a reserve infantry regiment.

The proof on the butt stock shows she belonged to Prussia under Kaiser Wilhelm (I or II depends on the date and sometimes even the serial number). You can see different state ownerships based on the butt stock and reigning monarch mark on the knox form.

At any rate, she looks good for her age. I run into a number of sporter examples up in my area and very few, if any, full military.
 
Nabs said:
What you have is a German model of 1871/84 repeating rifle. What is the maker and date ?

Your unit marking translates out as 50th Infanterie regiment, 3rd company, weapon # 145. Without a primary source of reference, I am unable to tell you more about the unit or where they were stationed. If the "R" is standard capital R then it is a line infantry regiment. If it is a italicized, it is a reserve infantry regiment.

The proof on the butt stock shows she belonged to Prussia under Kaiser Wilhelm (I or II depends on the date and sometimes even the serial number). You can see different state ownerships based on the butt stock and reigning monarch mark on the knox form.

At any rate, she looks good for her age. I run into a number of sporter examples up in my area and very few, if any, full military.
Click to expand...

Made in Erfurt, 1887.
It is a big, standard R

Can you, or anyone, determine what the stampings in the wood of the butt stock represents?
Could you, if you had a close up of them?
Bruce
 
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Great, she is proofed for Kaiser Wilhelm I (F.W. for Friedrich Wilhelm). It is interesting to note that this mark does not change in 1888 as you had three Kaisers upon the throne that year and rifles with an early serial number in 1888 are quite interesting. I am still researching into rifles from this time period to see if there indeed was any stamp change.

Here is some quick info if you are interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_of_the_Three_Emperors

The standard R means your rifle, at one point, was issued to a line infantry regiment.

I also have a 1887 Erfurt. Guess what ? She is marked to the same regiment as yours but to the 3rd company, weapon # 234. She is a sporter but the markings are still clear to read and pick apart her past military service.

I am on the hunt for an Amberg marked Gewehr 71.84 to study and compare the ownership stamps for the same time period.

Collecting 71.84s just never gets old ;).
 
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Cool. A VERY nice specimen.

I love the IG 71/84 rifles.

Mine is marked to the 50th as well, but the 7th Company. I believe my rifles owner was stationed in Posen. Mine is an 1887 Danzig manufactured rifle.

IMG_0376Small.jpg
 
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nice score! they are beautifully made rifles. a relic from, as john keegan puts it, the huge and magnificent machine that was the imperial german army.

i have a Kar71 marked to dragoons from the duchy of baden, other than the action of course, it is very similar to the mannlicher-schoenauer sporters 1903 et al.
 
Probably the single highest-quality bolt military rifle ever manufactured. A very real Work Of Art in Steel and Wood.

The marking on the side of the Butt is common to all of them: Royal cipher. (Think of a Broad Arrow with a spiked helmet!)

All you need now is a couple boxes of .43 Mauser ammo, the old DOMINION smokeless stuff. Shot beautifully.

Original ammo used 77 grains of Black powder with a 386-grain .433" bullet. MV was 1427 ft/sec.

That is just a little faster than a .22, but it has enough momentum to shove a slow freight off the tracks. It STOPS for NOTHING. GREAT in Bush!

You can get this precisely with 29-1/4 grains of SR-4759 and stay within safe pressures. Lee Precision makes dies, about $40.

You, Sir, have found a WONDERFUL Toy!
 
DSCF4279-1.jpg


here is one of my 71/84, it's a Danzig from 1887.

Seems to be from the same Regiment.
From my researches it is from the 17th brigade of Infantry, 50th regiment of Infantry, Lower Silesia, stationed in the City of Rawitsch, which is in today's South Western Poland.
 
smellie said:
Probably the single highest-quality bolt military rifle ever manufactured. A very real Work Of Art in Steel and Wood.

All you need now is a couple boxes of .43 Mauser ammo, the old DOMINION smokeless stuff. Shot beautifully.
Original ammo used 77 grains of Black powder with a 386-grain .433" bullet. MV was 1427 ft/sec.

That is just a little faster than a .22, but it has enough momentum to shove a slow freight off the tracks. It STOPS for NOTHING. GREAT in Bush!

You can get this precisely with 29-1/4 grains of SR-4759 and stay within safe pressures. Lee Precision makes dies, about $40.

You, Sir, have found a WONDERFUL Toy!
Click to expand...


You mean this...
it.jpg


These rifles are the single most fun of any Milsurp period!!!!

My reloads are :
30grs IMR4198
over
1 sheet bath room paper
and a
390grs RCBS cast bullet
(reload at your own risk)

Because these rifles are so much fun to shoot, I started to cast only for them. :)
 
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Since we're having "role call" I'd like to add my sporter 71/84.
1887, Spandau, S#8854 on butt plate 37R (large R) and 10.223.
---John
 
Now look what you made me do!

I went to the pile and pulled out a 71/84 that has been mildly "sportered". :mad:

Sn 2047. On the butt plate: 50.R.E.1.165. It's a DANZIG.

Most parts have either 47 or 2047. One part, the end cap on the magazine, has a 10.

Bruce, you lucky old feller you! :p. (or is it because you are so good looking?) :rolleyes:
 
Saw a carbine model at the show Saturday. Also had mirror like bore. I can't recall asking price.
H4831 said:
Was wandering around the Kamloops gun show, when i met a fellow wandering around with an old Mauser. We got talking, I asked if you could see through the barrel. He gave me a pretty bad look and said, "Look at it." He held my bore light while I looked down the barrel and saw one of the shiniest, brightest and sharpest bores you will ever look at.
My interest was perked, because at home I have a Springfield Trapdoor that has been in the family since the 1930s and which I hunted with when I was a teenager. In the 1960s I bought a Remington rolling block in tremendous good condition in 43 Egyptian and both of those old rifles have great bores. This old 43 Mauser with the shiny bore would fit right in with the other two.
Long story short, I carried the old Mauser home.
Upon examination I found something I have never seen on any other rifle. Not only is every part, little and big, marked with the last two digits of the four digit serial number, but every screw in the gun, including the two that hold the butt plate on, are marked with the serial number!
I will also add that not one screw shows any evidence of having had a screw driver on it.
Maybe some of you have seen this, but I never have.
It has a designation on the butt plate, probably showing what part of the militaray it was in.
50.R.3. 145
Can anyone decypher what that designation stands for?

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q65/H4831/71-
[URL=http://s133.photobucket.com/84005_zps3706e623.jpg


Click to expand...
 
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