Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very interesting example of the Mauser Model 1871/84 rifle, the first Magazine rifle widely used by the German Empire. It looks to have been carried in service for a long time, but was not actually used very much. Additionally, it was for some reason shortened by 9 inches from the muzzle back, and fitted with a very nice bead front sight on a ramp. The middle barrel band was removed, the magazine shortened, and the nose cap fit about where the middle barrel band used to be. Otherwise it was left intact.

The stock does look like it was reconditioned at  some time, which removed some of the wood and has left the original stock cartouches faint. The exterior metal finish also saw oxidation and wear, with the blued barrel fading towards plum near the receiver., and the bright receiver now displaying a gray stained patina. In spite of this the bore is almost like a mirror, and is definitely in excellent condition!

The metalwork of the rifle is still covered with Imperial German inspection and acceptance markings, which are still fully legible. The serial number 3389 is marked on the receiver, barrel, and bolt, with shortened number 89 present on the trigger guard, safety, and some other small components. The other parts of the rifle are all non matching, so we suspect the modifications were done at arsenal.

The receiver is dated 1887. on the right and marked I. G. Mod. 71/84. on the opposite side in "Black Letter" typeface. The top of the chamber is marked Crown over DANZIG, for the Prussian (and later Imperial) arsenal in the Baltic Sea port city of Danzig, which is today known as Gdańsk, Poland. Below this is the Crown over F.W. proof for Kaiser Wilhelm I, who used this cypher during his reign 1861-1888. Next to this is a 11 designation, giving the bore diameter in millimeters.

The butt plate tang of the rifle gives the clear regimental designation G. F. R. / R. 210., which we believe is for the Guards Fusilier Regiment, known in German as the Garde-Füsilier-Regiment. First raised on March 30th, 1826 and garrisoned in Berlin, Guard regiments were usually staffed by the elite of German society, so it's not abnormal to find rifles that have seen very little active service marked to these regiments.

The rifle is complete with all major parts intact and functional, as well as some of the original finish in areas. The receiver was originally bright steel, but now has a mellow grayed patina, showing just a it of cleaning over the years. The barrel and other fittings are a nice faded blued finish, with some wear on the fittings but no major oxidation or peppering. It definitely looks like a rifle that was carried for a long time, but saw actual little use. It was probably then modified after WWI or WWII for personal use.

The bore is in excellent condition, showing crisp lands and grooves with a bright finish. There are just a few tiny spots of oxidation and fouling that we can see. There is also very little powder burn on the bolt face. The action cycles well, and the magazine cutoff selector works correctly. We checked, and the firing pin is still intact, and the safety on the bolt is fully functional. The rear sight is still present and fully functional, and the replacement front side is in great shape. The stock shows a lovely dark honey color, and actually shows a good amount of flame figuring on the butt stock and receiver area, which has made it VERY attractive.

This gun is most likely a WW1 Veteran's "bring back" souvenir, which was then modified.. 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.

This is a chance to add a very nice shortened Mauser rifle to your collection. Ready to hang on the wall and display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1887
Caliber: 11x60mmR Mauser
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 22 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 42 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 5 Round Tubular Magazine

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.

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