Original Dutch Beaumont-Vitali M1871/88 Bolt Action Magazine Conversion Rifle – Dated 1877 & 1890 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This Dutch Infantry Rifle was made by Stevens in Maastricht in the Netherlands, and is actually dated 1877. The model M-71 was a single shot 11mm rifle that was converted to a bolt-action magazine rifle with a capacity of four rounds in 1891.

This “attic fresh” example has serial number 2575 on the butt plate, while the barrel does not have a serial marking we can see. There are also serial numbers D / 412 on the bolt components, above the chamber on the receiver, as well as on the magazine floor plate. This is normal for the converted rifles, as the action had to be rebuilt. The barrel is dated 1877, and the receiver is faintly marked with maker P. STEVENS / MAASTRICHT. It is in nice condition overall with a nice stock, which may have been arsenal reconditioned at some point. It still does bear a faint MAASTRICHT / 1877 cartouche with CROWN / W in the middle. Additionally, the butt plate is marked 1890, indicating the year it was converted to the bolt-action magazine system.

The rifle is in very good overall “attic fresh” condition, and still retains both sling swivels, though both are currently frozen, and the cleaning rod is absent. The metal finish shows a lovely matured patina, with light oxidation and staining on much of the metalwork, which we have left intact to maintain the look. All components are solid and the bolt moves fairly crisply, though it is a bit stiff due to dried grease. The action looks to cycle correctly, and the magazine cutoff lever is present and functional. The bore is in very good condition, with strong lands and grooves and a bright finish on the lands, while the grooves show past fouling and oxidation. There does not appear to be any major damage to the rifling, which probably just needs a good chemical cleaning.

The wood stock is quite nice, with a very nice dark red brown color and finish. It has the usual dents and dings expected on a rifle used in service, but no major structural damage we can see. It has had a repair near the lower barren band on the bottom, where it looks like a chip broke off long ago. This definitely looks to be an arsenal level repair.

Still in use by the time WW1 came in 1914 but was much outclassed by the Mauser and Enfield rifle systems introduced in the late 1890s. An unusual system, the bolts spring is in fact housed inside the bolt handle, from an era of great firearms development worldwide, the dawn of the breech-loading period this is unusual and not easy to find. Ready to display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1877 – converted 1890
Caliber: 11.3mm x 51R Dutch Beaumont
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 32 Inches
Overall Length: 52 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 4 Round Magazine

History of the Beaumont:
Created in 1871 by a Dutch engineer named Messerecht, the Dutch Beaumont rifle was one of the first metallic cartridge bolt-action rifle to be adopted by any military. Firing an 11.3x50mm cartridge it was single shot only, meaning the user had to insert a new cartridge after every shot. Unlike other rifles, the mainspring of the Beaumont was located within the bolt handle, an exact copy of the Mauser Norris rifle, which would also be copied by the Japanese with the Murata rifle. This same feature, however, made it impossible to turn down the bolt on cavalry and carbine models.

While the Beaumont was state of the art for its day, by the late 1880’s it was obsolete as repeating rifles became all the rage in Europe. To make up for the Beaumont’s deficiency, the Dutch added a magazine to the rifle, the same type of magazine used by the Italians when they converted their single shot Vetterli rifles into repeaters. Since the Beaumont was outfitted with the Italian Vitali magazine in 1888, it was redubbed the Beaumont-Vitali Model 1871/88. The Vitali magazine held four rounds and was reloaded with an en bloc clip made of cardboard. When the clip was empty, an attached string was pulled to remove it from the magazine, no kidding.

Despite the upgrade the Beaumont-Vitali, much like the Italian Vetterli Vitali, was obsolete by the time it was introduced. By 1890 nations began to adopt smokeless powder designs which used smaller caliber high velocity cartridges firing conical shaped spitzer bullets. Eventually the Dutch phased out the Beaumont-Vitali and replaced it with the M95 Steyr-Hembrug.

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