Original German Mauser Model 1871 Rifle made at Erfurt Arsenal – dated 1874 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a wonderful example of the Mauser Model 1871 rifle. It is covered with Imperial German inspection and acceptance markings, even on the wood stock. The serial number 2087A appears on almost all parts of the gun, even the barrel bands, nose cap, and many of the screws. Only the bolt does not match, as it was common to replace worn bolts at arsenal. The receiver is dated 1874 and marked I. G. Mod. 71 on the opposite side

Complete with cleaning rod the rifle is in good condition overall. The exterior metal finish is somewhat worn, with the grayish color of aged bluing. There is a bit of light peppering, but nothing major. The bore is in very good condition, mostly bright with clear land and grooves, and just a bit of oxidation in places.

The top of the barrel knoxform is marked (CROWN) over ERFURT, indicating manufacture at the Royal Erfurt Arsenal, located in Thuringia. The Rifle also bears its original REGIMENTAL MARKINGS on the butt plate tang:-  3.G.L.R. / 4.174, for 3rd Garde Landwehr Regiment, Company 4, Weapon 174. 

Adopted as the Gewehr 71 or Infanterie-Gewehr 71, or “Infantry Rifle 71 (“I.G.Mod.71” was stamped on the rifles themselves) was the first rifle model in a distinguished line designed and manufactured by Paul Mauser and Wilhelm Mauser of the Mauser company and later mass-produced at Spandau arsenal.

Paul Mauser developed his bolt-action rifle from 1866 to 1871. During 1870-71 trials with many different rifles took place, with the “M1869 Bavarian Werder” being the Mausers’ chief competitor. The Mauser was provisionally adopted on 2 December 1871, pending the development of an appropriate safety. With support from the government’s Spandau arsenal, the improvements to the safety mechanism were completed and the rifle was formally accepted on 14 February 1872 as Infantry Rifle Model 1871 by the German Empire excluding Bavaria. The action was not based on its predecessor, the Dreyse needle gun which had seen service during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, and which was found to have a number of weaknesses.

The now well known Mauser “wing” type safety lever was developed for the Gewehr 71. The Gewehr 71 is a conventional looking bolt action chambered in 11mm using black powder cartridges. The action included only a bolt guide rib as its single locking lug, locking forward of the receiving bridge. The original design was a single-shot. The design was updated in 1884 with an 8-round tubular magazine designed by Alfred von Kropatschek, making this Germany’s first repeating rifle. This version was designated the Gewehr 1871/84. A version of this repeater was adopted by the Ottoman Empire. Designated the M1887, it differentiated from the M71/84 in that it had a side mounted cleaning rod, a second locking lug on the rear of the bolt, and it was in caliber 9.5×60mmR, which Paul Mauser touted as the most efficient (black powder) cartridge. In the early 20th century a few were converted to 7.65×53mm smokeless by the arsenal in Ankara.

Offered in very nice fully functional condition.

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