The Very First Mauser, the 1871

[David LaPell]

I ran across a gun that I have had kind of a love affair with ever since I first saw one many years ago, the Model 1871 Mauser rifle. This was the first design by the Mauser Brothers and led to every design afterwards that we all know. The 1871 was a single shot, the later 1871/84 was a tube magazine version of this gun, and what was amazing is how these guns saw service well past the adoption of better and newer designs. During WWI the Model 1871's were present in Africa where the German backed local troops and police were armed with them.

The Mauser 71's were in the Boer War, Balkan Wars, and during the Boxer Rebellion, the Chinese troops were armed with the 1871 facing off against German troops armed with the 1871/84. The last real known use of the 1871 was when some were handed out to the Volkssturm in the last ditch defense of Berlin.

This particular gun was made in Amberg in 1878, has a really nice bore and rifling, The metal and wood were cleaned at some point, but that's fine, I plan on shooting it every so often. The serial numbers all match except for a couple of parts, which considering everything down to the screw heads is numbered, is a feat. The buttplate doesn't match, which sadly is where the stamping would have been of what regiment the gun was assigned to.

One thing about this gun is that it is HUGE. It's a good three inches longer than my 1891 Mosin Nagant and a couple pounds heavier. I'm trying to imagine what lugging this thing around a pre-WWI battlefield must have been like. I ordered a box of ammo for it, which is pricey, but I also got a set of dies so I can at least reload the brass for it. The quality of these guns is amazing, and you can see the early start of the famous Mauser bolt and the flag type safety.

 

[Gator89]

Nice piece of history.

 

[TDF]

They are a spectacular piece of history, and magnificently built. Have you measured your bore yet? I have a made in 1877 version of your gun, and like yours all my serial numbers all match except the bolt stop and the screw that holds the bolt stop in. Mine actually slugs out at about .455 or .456. And my bore is pristine. I was really surprised about that as they were supposed to be .446, or so. I did a ton of searching and eventually found that the very early ones had a deeper grove diameter than the later ones. Long story short, buying .446 bullets and using the standard 43 mauser dies results in a much undersized bullet wobbling down the bore, lots of leading, and not great accuracy. So I did some tinkering, I've been experimenting with .458 muzzle loader bullets. Specifically the 325 gr, Hornady HB-SP, and it takes a combination of 45/70 and 43 mauser dies, but I stretch the brass out, seat the larger bullet, and then actually have to run it back into the 43 mauser die to crimp it just enough to get the cartridge to chamber into my gun. I've been experimenting with xmp5744, and the results are cloverleaf groups at 50 yards with absolutely no leading. Got distracted by moving a couple of years ago, and haven't gotten back to that gun yet, to see what happens at 100 yds, or what happens when pointed at a deer. But it will happen one of these years. In the interim, I stumbled across a 71/84 at an auction, bought it, and then sold it to my brother. His slugs out at .446. He's yet to shoot it (not a reloader, so I'll likely have to make some for him), but has been getting very interested in giving it a go here one of these days. I told him to pick up his own brass, and some .446 bullets and since I've already got the dies, we'd give it a go.

TDF

 

[Valmet]

Those aren't too common, especially in that condition. Nice find for sure!

 

[reuben_j_cogburn]

I have a documentary on Mauser on my laptop. I just watched it last week..... This rifle was obviously featured!
When I was a kid, I had an 1888 commission mauser... But that was as close as I got until I got my Czech VZ24.....