Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of the Mauser Model 1871/84 rifle, the first Magazine rifle widely used by the German Empire. The rifle is covered with Imperial German inspection and acceptance markings. The serial number 2158 appears on the frame and some other parts, but the bolt serial number is 7767 meaning parts of the rifle have been swapped out over the years. A very nice honest example that saw long service, but apparently not much actual firing use.

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 ERFURT, for the Royal Erfurt Arsenal, located in Thuringia. Below this is the Crown over FW proof for Kaiser Wilhelm I, who used this cypher during his reign 1861-1888. Next to this is a 11,05 designation, giving the bore diameter in millimeters.

The butt plate tang of the rifle has a faded regimental designation 1. G. B. 7. 119., which is a unit we haven’t been able to identify. Normally these would be for a grenadier regiment, but there are none we could find with this designation. Interestingly, there is a large letter C stamped into both sides of the buttstock and someone appears to have carved a floral design into the right side of the buttstock.

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 has acquired a gray oxidized patina over the decades. The barrel and other fittings are a nice faded blued finish, with some wear on the fittings and light peppering. Overall it has the look of a typical service used gun that was well cared for.

The bore is in very good condition, showing crisp lands and grooves with a still-bright finish. There are just a few areas of fouling, and very little wear of any kind, so this rifle saw very little use in service. The action cycles well, and the magazine cutoff selector works correctly. The stock shows the expected wear and small dents from service, in addition to some larger gouges and scrapes. There is a small chunk of wood missing to the side of the trigger guard. However, it may have been arsenal-reconditioned at one point as the stock cartouches are faded or absent.

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.

This is a chance to add a very nice Mauser rifle to your collection. Ready to display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1887
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

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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