Original German Mauser Model 1871/84 Magazine Service Rifle by Spandau Dated 1888 – Serial 8668 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a nice example of the Mauser Model 1871/84 rifle, which is covered with Imperial German inspection and acceptance markings on the metal work, though they are a bit worn in places. The serial number 8668 appears on the barrel and receiver, with the trigger guard, barrel bands, butt plate, and screws with shortened number 68. The bolt however is not matched, so most likely this rifle was reconditioned at arsenal during its service life.

The receiver is dated 1888. and marked I. G. Mod. 71/84. on the opposite side. The rifle is complete with all major parts intact and functional, and in good condition. The exterior metal finish has been worn down over the years from polishing and cleaning, so it now has an overall grayish patina, with wear in areas, and also a few areas of light peppering. However you can still tell that the barrel was originally blued, and the receiver was originally bright steel. The wood stock is good condition, with a very nice light brown color, and no major repairs that we can see. It has been reconditioned, so the proof marks on the stock are a bit faint. There are some dents and small gouges, but nothing out line with a rifle that saw long service.

The bore is in excellent condition, with clear lands and grooves and a bright finish. This was a gun that saw service, but not much actual firing. The top of the chamber is marked Crown over SPANDAU, for the Prussian (and later Imperial) Spandau arsenal in Berlin, a storied production plant that would produce weapons up until 1919, including the famous MG08 Maxim. Below this is the Crown over FW proof for Kaiser Wilhelm I, who used the F.W. monogram. 

The butt plate tang is stamped with regimental marking G. R. S. 3. 90, which as far as we can tell is the Reserve for one of the Guard Units, possibly the Garde-Schutzen-Battaillon. It was issued to the 3rd company, 90th weapon.

This gun is most likely a WW1 Veteran’s “bring back” souvenir. Great quantities of these 71/84 Rifles were pressed into service in WW1 since great piles of them had been put into storage in 1888 with the introduction of the M-1888 7.92mm German Commission Rifle. The action works well, as does the magazine cutoff and feed mechanism, though overall it is a bit stiff. Also the sling swivel on the trigger guard was removed, and another added below the trigger guard. It also looks like the trigger guard mounting hole may have been reamed out for use with a GEW 98 type sling.

Fully cleaned, very interesting and ready to display!

Originally adopted as the Gewehr 71 or Infanterie-Gewehr 71, or “Infantry Rifle 71 (“I.G.Mod.71” was stamped on the rifles themselves) this 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.

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1888
Caliber: 11x60mmR Mauser
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 32 inches
Overall Length: 51 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 8 Round Tubular Magazine

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