Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of the rare Mauser Model 1879 G.A.G. Border Guards rifle, one of only approximately 4,000 that were manufactured in 1880. As the name implies they were intended for Prussian border guard use, and they utilized a unique 11.15×37.5mmR cartridge, a trimmed down version of the full-power military cartridge. These were pretty much a slightly scaled down Model 1871 Mauser rifle, and they are not a common rifle to come by at all. We have heard that some were later used in Tanganika (Tanzania) when it was under German control. 

The rifle bears many Imperial German inspection and acceptance markings, standard for German rifles of the period. The serial number 375 appears on the barrel, receiver, bolt, butt plate, nose cap, and many of the screws and other small components. That makes this a very nice "ALL MATCHING" example, with no parts swapped out at arsenal over the years! It has a wonderful polished look from years of cleaning that is impossible to duplicate.

The receiver is dated 1880, and the other side of the receiver is faintly marked G.A.G. Mod79, which stands for Grenzaufsehergewehr Model 1879 (Border Guards Rifle Model 1879). The top of the barrel nocks form is marked with the Imperial German Eagle above SP. & SR. / SUHL, for Spangenberg and Sauer of Suhl, Germany, a predecessor company of the famous J. P. Sauer & Sohn GmbH, which exists to this day as a top firearms maker in Germany. There are proof marks on the right side of the nocks form, and the left side is marked 10,95, the bore measurement in millimeters.

Our example looks to have been on display or carried for a long period of time, and has been cleaned much over the decades, which has made some of the markings on the metalwork faint, and also removed any markings that were on the stock. The stock shows a lovely color and great grain, even showing some great "flame figuring" in the butt stock area. The metalwork now shows a polished right steel patina, with little evidence of past oxidation. The bore is in excellent condition, showing a bright finish with crisp lands and grooves, and little sign of ever having been fired. The action functions correctly, with a crisp dry fire, and the "wing" safety is fully functional. The rifle still has both sling swivels as well as the cleaning rod.

Overall this is a lovely example of a rare variant of the German Mauser Model 1871 rifle, scaled down for use by Border Guards. The perfect addition to any German Mauser collection!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1880
Caliber: 11.15×37.5mmR Mauser
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 25 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 44 5/8 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: Single Shot

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.

A short version, the M1871 Jägerbüchse was developed for the Jäger or light infantry and served with engineers, fortress and navy units. It was a shortened and lightened M71. A Karabiner 1871 was also developed to equipped the German cavalry but did not enter full-scale production until 1876. A shorter version of the Model 1871, the M1879 Grenzaufsehergewehr, was issued to the border guards in 1880. It shot a unique 11.15×37.5mmR cartridge, a trimmed down version of the full-power military cartridge.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

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.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

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.