Given Rifle

chinook

chinook

CGN Regular
EE Expired
Rating - 75%
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Location
Northern Newfoundland
Over the weekend I was given a rifle but cannot seem to determine what caliber or any other information this thing. It's a bolt action and the only markings on it that I can find are the initials F.W. with a crown over them, then J.G. Mod 71/84 and the # 1882. The bore is rather large. I can take a 30-306 round and put it down the top of the barrel and it goes halfway up the neck. Any help in identifying this rifle would be greatly appreciated.

If this doesn't belong in this forum feel free to delete.
 
chinook said:
These easy to come by or hard to find?
Click to expand...
I've seen some for sale at gun shows and in the EE. The going price seems anywhere from 300-600 in original configuration.
 
Mauser 71/84...

This is the magazine conversion model of the single shot Model 1871 Mauser in 43 Mauser caliber. Value depends on the condition....whether or not it is matching....even the screw heads had the serial number, and which model it is. They were made in a Cavalry Carbine....usually most value....a mid length and a full length rifle which were the most numerous. The single shots are antique, non registerable rifles while the magazine conversions must be registered. The FW stands for the Kaiser who was in power when it was made....Kaiser Frederick Wilhelm in this case. Nice piece of history. A fun rifle to shoot and interesting as most other shooters haven't seen one. Great rifle. Get a set of dies and reload. Dave
 
The 71/84 is not a conversion of the 71 Mauser. It is ( or was ) the next step in German arms development and was made from the ground up as a tube magazine repeating rifle. The 71 Mauser was also made as a carbine and there may have been some short rifles but nothing positive has been published. According to what information I have and collectors who have corresponded with me have told me is that the 71/84 did not have a carbine variant as the German army continued to use the Kar71 carbine until the 11MM calibered rifles were replaced by the 88 Commission rifle. There have been spurious 71/84 carbines on the market but these are rifles that were cut down to carbine length and marketed for their so-called handiness. The 1886 Kropatschek was made in an infantry length,a short rifle length and a carbine length and this excellent bolt action, tube magazine rifle is often confused with the 71/84 Mauser. When the 71/84 Mauser was introduced the bullet nose was changed to a flattened form to allow safer stacking of cartriidges in the magazine. Mine is an excellent shooter using either black or smokeless powder. Dominion and Kynoch used to make ammunition for these rifles into the 1950s if I am not mistaken but both makes of the 11MM or .43 Mauser are considered by many to be collector cartridges. New cases are available from Bertram and another company whose name escapes me at the moment. Brass can also be made using .348 Winchester brass fire formed. Bullet molds of the proper weight and diameter for sizing are available from several manufacturers. Canada actually purchased some 71/84s for some sort of home guard or militia purposes and I think they were shortened a bit. They occasionally show up on auction sites but apparently there were never very many purchased and modified. Along with other homeguard weapons they would be interesting to research and authenticate. Joe
 
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