Mauser Chileno Modelo 1895 Serial NumbersThe discovery of gold and diamond deposits in the Transvaal proved the final argument for imperial expansionists in London, and the foreign office set in motion events that led to open hostilities. Knowing war with the British empire was imminent, the Boers rushed to purchase firearms to arm their citizen- soldier commandos. All Boers between the ages of 1. Each man supplied his own horse, rifle, ammunition, and rations sufficient for two weeks. For over 2. 00 years this system had defeated large and well- organized Bantu armies, such as the Zulus, and had thoroughly embarrassed the British army in the First Anglo- Boer War of 1. Many of the rifles the Boers obtained were the popular, if obsolete, . Martini- Henry along with a mixed batch of smokeless powder Austro- Hungarian M. M. 9. 5 Mannlichers, Norwegian M/1. Krag- Jorgensens, and Portugese Mo. Guedes. But Germany was the primary supplier of guns to the Boers, and Kaiser Wilhem’s government, always anxious to cause problems for its British rivals, arranged for the two Republics to purchase tens of thousands of modern Mauser rifles. The most common of these, and the one that was to become a symbol of the Boer struggle against British imperialism, was the Model 1. Mauser Chileno Modelo 1895 Loewe BerlinMauser chambered for the 7. With this rifle the Boers would show the military authorities of the day the true potential of the new small- bore, smokeless powder rifle. Paul Mauser’s first smokeless powder, charger- loaded magazine rifle–the Belgian Mle. Mauser’s R& D work resulted in the development of an improved bolt and new- style magazine that held cartridges in a staggered, flush- mounted box. But just as important as the improved rifle would become, the cartridge it was chambered for would become even better known. The 7. The original load consisted of a rimless, bottlenecked case 5. FMJ bullet traveling at 2,3. The bullet had a high sectional density that gave it a flat trajectory, long- range accuracy, deep penetration, and light recoil. The first Mauser chambered for the 7. It had a new- style nonrotating extractor that prevented double feeding of cartridges and made bolt manipulation much smoother. Very few were made as it was superseded by an improved rifle within a few months. The Mo. 1. 89. 3 was the first Mauser to use a staggered- row magazine, which permitted the magazine to be charged with less effort, fed cartridges more smoothly, and since it was completely enclosed by the stock, was almost impervious to damage. This first major modification of the Mo. Serial · numbers · 1895 · chileno · mauser · modelo. My 1895 Chilean Mauser. Shooting the 1895 Mauser is like traveling back in time. This is an article from Shooting Times magazine about the Model 1893/95 "Boer Model" Mauser.
Model 1. 89. 5,” and it differed from the Mo. In addition, late- production Model 1. Like Mauser’s earlier rifles, the Model 1. Model 1. 89. 5s were produced by Mauser Waffenfabrik; the Ludwig Loewe Company (the corporate owners of Mauser); and arsenals in Austria, Belgium, and Sweden. In 1. 89. 6 the Boers ordered 7. Mauser rifles and carbines from Ludwig Loewe, later known as Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionfabriken (DWM), about 5. Despite being called the “Model 1. Because of manufacturing dates stamped on their receivers, South African sources often refer to them as “Model 1. DWM remarked many undelivered rifles and sold them to Chile. Many Boers personalized their rifles with carvings on the buttstocks. These might include the owner’s initials, full name, dates, home district, wives’ or girlfriends’ names, or decorative patterns. Model 1895 Chilean Mauser. Chilean Mauser made in 1895 in Loewe, Berlin for the Chilean army and chambered for 7x57 Mauser. The rifle has matching serial numbers. The 1895 Chileno is the only Mauser to have this feature. The Mauser system safety is about as perfect a safety as can be devised. The Boer governments sold Mausers at slightly above cost to anyone who wished to purchase one. The Boer governments and private dealers also imported sporting rifles, known in Afrikaans as “Plezier Mausers.” These 7. The Kortnek was apparently made by the Ludwig. Loewe firm from stockpiles of 7. In most cases they functioned as expected, but there were enough reports of burst barrels that some Boers refused to use them. Burst barrels were apparently caused when the lower portion of the bullet’s brittle steel jacket separated behind the crimping cannelure while the projectile was moving across the unsupported 4mm section of the chamber and remained in the barrel. Firing another round led to the expected results. Shooting A Boer Mauser. For this report I test- fired a Chilean Mo. DWM that bears a Transvaal contract C prefix serial number and the turned- down bolt handle common to late- production Boer rifles. It is in excellent condition with a bright, shiny bore, and all major parts except the bolt bear matching numbers. The Mauser was fired on my club’s 1. Remington 7mm Mauser ammunition loaded with 1. The narrow rear sight notch required care when aiming, but aside from that the Mauser’s handling qualities were excellent. Loading with chargers was quick and effortless, and rounds were chambered and spent cases were extracted smoothly. With a minimum rear sight setting of 4. Once I had the measure of that, I fired four targets, with my best having a well- centered 2. Running five rounds of ammo across my PACT chronograph gave an average velocity of 2,7. I found the Model 1. Mauser to be a well- made, excellent- handling rifle. They were rugged, accurate, and reliable guns, and I know why “die slim kerels” (the crafty fellows) of the Boer commandos thought so highly of them. The reputation they earned on the South African veldt over a century ago would seem well deserved.
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