January 2014 Purchases
- Thread starter Nyles
- Start date
Just got an awesome Mauser IG71 off of Gunbroker, made by Steyr in 1874. I had a great experience bringing this in from the States, being an antique on both sides there was no paperwork involved and it was at my door within 15 days of me winning the auction, which is damned impressive considering I paid with a money order. To be honest I don't even think customs looked at it, I had the seller include a copy of the FRT reference identifying it as an antique and it wasn't even opened.
It's in nice shape, only two mismatched parts (the cocking piece and an action screw), with a very nice bore. The single-shot 1871s are alot harder to find than the 1871/84s, which are surprisingly common. Interestingly they were issued in the white instead of blued like the 71/84, and they don't have an ejector, only an extractor - you have to tilt the rifle to the side to roll out the empty. The rear sight is a fascinatingly complex leaf I'm still trying to fully decipher. While the IG1871 was never used in combat by the German army (the JB1871 short rifle was used by the Schutztruppe in Africa in WW1), they were widely used by the Chinese during the Boxer Rebellion, and by the Irish Volunteers & Irish Citizen Army in the Easter Rising of 1916 - which is really where my interest in the rifle lies. I've got a real interest in the history of the Irish independence movement between 1916 and 1922 and the "Howth Mauser" is emblematic of it. Now to find some ammo! I've got two original German army rounds for it (one dated 1877 that was arsenal reloaded and another dated 1883), I'm trying to find a box of Dominion .43 Mauser I can actually feel good about shooting.
It's in nice shape, only two mismatched parts (the cocking piece and an action screw), with a very nice bore. The single-shot 1871s are alot harder to find than the 1871/84s, which are surprisingly common. Interestingly they were issued in the white instead of blued like the 71/84, and they don't have an ejector, only an extractor - you have to tilt the rifle to the side to roll out the empty. The rear sight is a fascinatingly complex leaf I'm still trying to fully decipher. While the IG1871 was never used in combat by the German army (the JB1871 short rifle was used by the Schutztruppe in Africa in WW1), they were widely used by the Chinese during the Boxer Rebellion, and by the Irish Volunteers & Irish Citizen Army in the Easter Rising of 1916 - which is really where my interest in the rifle lies. I've got a real interest in the history of the Irish independence movement between 1916 and 1922 and the "Howth Mauser" is emblematic of it. Now to find some ammo! I've got two original German army rounds for it (one dated 1877 that was arsenal reloaded and another dated 1883), I'm trying to find a box of Dominion .43 Mauser I can actually feel good about shooting.
Bird Blaster
Regular
- Location
- Northern Ontario
My Jan purchases include correct grade 1954 HRA garand and a correct grade 1954 IHC garand
HRA:
(sorry too much gun oil made pic blurry)
HRA:
(sorry too much gun oil made pic blurry)
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Bird Blaster
Regular
- Location
- Northern Ontario
IHC
That is SWEET...
I keep thinking I need another weird-ass calibre to reload for-one of those would fit the bill
