Original German Made M1891 Argentine Mauser Rifle Arsenal Converted to Carbine by Ludwig Loewe Serial G 1691 – Made in 1894 Original Items

Original Item: Only one available. This is a very interesting example of the Model 1891 Argentine Mauser carbine, one of many “export” models made for foreign governments, all based on the Mauser Model 1889. This carbine was not in fact original produced as one, but as a rifle, and then was arsenal converted to a carbine at some point in the early 20th century. We do not know why this was done, but it is something we have never seen before!

It is in the correct serial number range for rifles, and we can clearly see a plugged channel in the fore stock where the cleaning rod used to be, as well as a plugged barrel band spring slot and also there are plugged holes in the rear stock where the lower sling swivel. was. The stock was completely reshaped in the fore stock area to match the carbine standard, and a new handguard fitted behind the replaced carbine sight. There is also a shoulder on the barrel behind the front sight, which should not be present on a carbine. The bolt handle was even heated up and turned down, definitely far above the level of a hobbyist. It has the exact correct length (37 inches) as a carbine should have, and all the fittings are correct.

This example, like all of the Argentine Mausers made before 1896, was made by the renowned Company LUDWIG LOEWE of BERLIN, which from 1887 was actually part owner of Mauser Waffenfabrik. It is marked with “Mostly Matching” serial number G 1691 on the barrel, receiver, bolt, and bottom of the magazine. The stock serial number was worn away during the conversion. The serial numbers were issued sequentially with a single letter prefix. The Ludwig Loewe serial number records for the Argentine contract indicate that serial numbers G0000 to L4999 were produced in 1894, so this rifle was originally made made in early 1894. There were also surplus receivers made, which were then used later.

In late 1886, following the death of Ludwig Loewe, his younger brother Isidor took over the running of the company, and by the end of the year it became part of the legendary Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken Aktiengesellschaft (German Weapons and Munitions public limited company), usually referred to as DWM. All Argentine Mausers made after this point were DWM marked, so any Loewe marked Mauser rifles are definitively Pre-1899 and considered antique by Federal law.

The left side of the receiver is marked with the production information:

MAUSER MODELO ARGENTINO 1891.
MANUFACTURA LOEWE BERLIN.

Like most Argentine Mausers have seen, the the Argentine Crest was removed from above the chamber. This originally would have shown a Sun wreathed panel with a sun on top, and a “Phrygian Cap” on a pole in the center, with two clasped hands below. However, the “Clasped Hands” markings are still present on many of the metal components.

The metalwork displays a worn gray patina, faded from the original bluing, which was probably redone when the rifle was converted to a carbine. The markings are still crisp, so it does not look like it was heavily cleaned at any time. The bolt handle shows a blue color to it from when it was heated up and bent into a carbine shape. The stock must have been completely stripped when it was converted to a carbine, and it now shows a light brown color, with some great flame figuring in the butt stock area. There are no markings present whatsoever on the lower stock, however the replaced handguard still has a clear SUN over R A, for República Argentina. The installed rear sling loop is still under the wrist and has not been moved to the side. There is no front sling swivel, as is correct.

The rifle cycles correctly, with a crisp dry fire and no issues we can see, though we have no ability to check to see if the magazine still feeds correctly. The safety on the bolt is fully functional, locking the action closed and preventing firing when moved to the right. The bore is in very good condition, showing clear lands and grooves with a mostly bright finish. There is definitely some wear to the lands and past oxidation and fouling towards the muzzle, so this converted carbine definitely did see use during its life.

Another Military Contract from the Victorian era that Mauser managed to snag from all its European competitors. This very interesting Rifle converted to Carbine is ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1894
Caliber: 7.65×53mm Mauser
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 17 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 37 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 5 round box magazine

More on the Model 1891 Argentine Mauser:

After the Mauser brothers finished work on the Model 71/84 for Germany in 1880, the design team set out to create a small caliber repeater that used smokeless powder. Because of setbacks brought on by Wilhelm Mauser’s death, they failed to have the design completed by 1882, and the German Rifle Test Commission (Gewehr-Prüfungskommission) was formed. The commission preferred to create their own design, which was what became the Gewehr 1888, often called the “Commission Rifle”.

In the meantime, Paul Mauser created two different variations of the same rifle, one with a stock strengthened with a barrel shroud and a traditional design following the layout of the 71 series, in hope he might be able to overturn the commission’s decision, or at least sell his design to the Kingdom of Bavaria, which adopted its own arms. The two rifles became known as the 89 Belgian (with a barrel shroud) and the 91 Argentine (with a 71 layout) Mausers, identical in their function and feed system. The main features were the ability to use stripper clips to feed the magazine (a revolution in rate of fire), and its rimless cartridge (7.65 Argentine Mauser), advanced for the time.

The Mauser Company then set about trying to sell this new design. Unfortunately they failed to convince the Commission to reverse its decision, and the attempt to win over Bavaria did not succeed either. However, Mauser already had supplied arms to numerous countries, and when they were looking to update their rifles, they came back to Mauser. At the time, Belgium was looking to bolster its domestic arms industry, and felt that manufacturing a Mauser Design would really help them in this goal. This resulted in the founding of Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Guerre, owned in part by Ludwig Loewe, to manufacture the Model 1889 Belgian Mauser. This company would go on to become a major arms manufacturer, which exists today as FN Herstal.

At the same time, the Ottoman Empire had a contract for Model 1877 Turkish Mausers, which were based on the model 1871. The contract however had an “escape clause” that allowed them to change the contract in the event of a more advanced Mauser system being developed. This resulted in a new contract for the Model 1890 Turkish Mauser. While this was taking place, the Argentine Small Arms Commission contacted Mauser in 1886 to replace their own Model 71s. Since they wished to keep retraining of their armed forces to a minimum, they went for the Mauser 91, as the operating principles were identical. As with other early Mausers, most such arms were made by the Ludwig Loewe company, who in 1896 joined with other manufactures to form Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken.

One of the principal defining features of the Belgian/Turkish/Argentine Mauser was its thin sheet steel jacket surrounding the barrel—a rather unusual element not common to any other Mauser mark of note. The jacket was instituted as a feature intended to maintain the effectiveness of the barrel and the solid wooden body over time, otherwise lengthening its service life and long-term accuracy when exposed to excessive firing and battlefield abuse. In spite of this approach, the jacketed barrel proved susceptible to moisture build-up and, therefore, introduced the problem of rust forming on the barrel itself–unbeknown to the user. In addition, the jacket was not perforated in any such way as to relieve the barrel of any heat build-up and consequently proved prone to denting. As such, barrel quality was affected over time regardless of the protective measure. Furthermore, another design flaw of the jacket was its extra steel content. Not only was it expensive but it was also needed in huge quantities to provide for tens of thousands of soldiers. By many accounts, the barrel jacket was not appreciated by its operators who depended on a perfect rifle in conflict. Another defining characteristic, unlike most Mausers, was a spring-loaded cock on closing bolt action resembling that of the British Lee-Metford, which predates the Mauser 1889 by five years. This development allowed for faster firing and was well received.