Original Item: Only One Available. This is an exceptional all matching Bavarian Mauser Model 1871 Infantry Rifle, manufactured at the Royal Bavarian Arsenal at Amberg in 1883, serial number 4239. Chambered for the 11×60R black powder cartridge, the rifle retains matching numbers throughout the major components and even on numerous screws. Of particular historical interest is the buttplate unit marking B. / 2. A. F. 2. / 142., identifying issue to the Royal Bavarian 2nd Foot Artillery Regiment, 2nd Company, weapon number 142. This rifle also falls directly within a documented cluster of 1883 Amberg Model 1871 rifles bearing markings from the same Bavarian foot artillery regiment.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical or bore observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The Mauser Model 1871 was the first successful military rifle designed by Paul and Wilhelm Mauser and became the foundation of the Mauser bolt action system that would dominate military rifle development for decades. Adopted initially by Prussia and subsequently by the forces of the newly formed German Empire, the M1871 was a single shot bolt action rifle chambered for the large 11×60R black powder cartridge. The various German states retained some independence in military procurement, and Bavaria manufactured its own Model 1871 rifles at the government arsenal at Amberg.

This example is dated:

1883

on the right rear of the receiver. The left side is marked:

J.G. M / 71

in the distinctive lettering encountered on late Amberg production. This marking is generally understood as the Bavarian form of the Infanterie-Gewehr Modell 1871 designation. Surviving Amberg rifles from this late production group are variously transcribed by collectors as I.G. or J.G. because of the form of the first character, so we have preserved the marking here exactly as it appears on this rifle.

The top of the barrel knox form is marked:

Crown
AMBERG

identifying manufacture at the Royal Bavarian Arsenal at Amberg. Beneath this is the Bavarian:

Crown
L

acceptance or proof marking associated with the reign of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Ludwig II ruled Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886, encompassing the entire period in which this rifle was manufactured.

The barrel is additionally marked near the receiver:

10,95

This is the individual measured bore diameter in millimeters rather than the cartridge designation. Such bore measurements are commonly encountered on Model 1871 rifles and typically fall around 10.95 to 11.05mm.

Serial number:

4239

is found on the barrel, receiver, bolt, buttplate, nose cap, both barrel bands, and numerous other numbered components. Even many of the screws retain the appropriate abbreviated numbers 239 or 39. Based upon the numbered components inspected, this is an unusually complete all matching rifle with no obvious evidence of major numbered parts replacement.

The buttplate tang carries the especially desirable Bavarian unit marking:

B.
2. A. F. 2.
142.

This is consistent with issue to the Königlich Bayerisches 2. Fußartillerie-Regiment, or Royal Bavarian 2nd Foot Artillery Regiment, 2nd Company, weapon number 142. The regiment was formed on January 1, 1873, when the Bavarian artillery was reorganized into separate field and foot artillery formations. It initially consisted of two battalions of four companies each and was associated with the Bavarian II Army Corps. Its later principal garrison was at Metz, with elements also stationed at Germersheim.

The company designation is worth noting. Although later German artillery terminology commonly uses “battery,” the Bavarian foot artillery companies were not officially redesignated as batteries until 1908. For an 1883 rifle, 2nd Company is therefore the more period correct interpretation of the numeral in this unit mark.

The historical attribution is further strengthened by comparison with the Model 1871 research registry compiled by Craig Brown, hosted on the K98K forum here: RESEARCH PROJECT - Mod. 71 and Mod. 71/84 - Craig Brown. That registry records a distinct group of late Amberg rifles in the same serial range carrying B.2.A.F. markings for the 2nd Bavarian Foot Artillery Regiment. Recorded examples include serials 3823 and 3831 from the 6th Company, 4305 from the 3rd Company, 4391 from the 7th Company, and numerous rifles between approximately 4685 and 5767 assigned throughout the regiment. Serial number 4239 fits directly within this documented cluster.

The metalwork remains in very good condition overall. The barrel retains a substantial amount of its original blue, while the receiver and bolt remain primarily in their correct bright steel finish with scattered mottled staining from age and handling. The various arsenal, inspection, and serial markings remain crisp. Some barrel markings have been highlighted with white material to make them easier to read. The fittings are iron or steel with the exception of the brass trigger guard, as appropriate for this period of Model 1871 production.

The stock is particularly attractive and does not show obvious evidence of wholesale refinishing or aggressive sanding. The original inspection and acceptance marks remain quite crisp, and the wood has developed a pleasing aged color with strong natural grain and some attractive flame figure on the left side of the butt. There are numerous dents, dings, scratches, and handling marks from military use but no major structural cracks or significant graft repairs. A series of rounded dents around the level of the bolt handle is consistent with prolonged rack or stacked storage alongside other rifles, although the exact circumstances that produced them cannot be determined.

Both sling swivels remain present and move freely. The cleaning rod is also present, giving the rifle a pleasingly complete military configuration.

The bolt action cycles correctly during careful manual inspection and gives a crisp dry fire. The rear wing safety remains present and functions correctly. As the Model 1871 is a single shot rifle, there is no magazine or feeding system to test.

The bore is in excellent condition, with a bright interior and very crisp lands and grooves. There is remarkably little visible wear and only minimal evidence of old fouling or oxidation. The exceptionally strong bore is one of the most appealing condition features of this rifle, although bore condition alone cannot establish how much or how little the rifle was fired during its service life.

With its 1883 Amberg Arsenal manufacture, all matching serial number 4239, excellent bore, crisp Bavarian inspection marks, complete cleaning rod and sling fittings, and particularly desirable 2nd Royal Bavarian Foot Artillery Regiment unit marking, this is an unusually complete and historically well identified Model 1871 rifle. Its place within a documented group of similarly marked Amberg rifles adds considerably to its collector appeal and makes it an excellent addition to a collection of early Mauser rifles, Bavarian military arms, Imperial German firearms, or 19th century European service rifles.

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1881
Maker: Amberg Arsenal
Model: 1871 Mauser Rifle
Serial No.: 4239
Caliber: 11x60mmR Mauser
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 33.5 inches
Overall Length: 53 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: Single Shot
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

History of the Mauser 1871

Adopted as the Gewehr 71 or Infanterie-Gewehr 71, or "Infantry Rifle 71 ("I.G.Mod.71" was stamped on the rifles themselves) 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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IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

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Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.