Item:
ON8143

Original WWI Issue German Mauser 71/84 Spandau Rifle with Adapted French M1866 Saber Bayonet

Item Description

Original Item: This is a fine example comes straight out of an old collection that includes not only a totally original matched Mauser 71/84 rifle but a rare adaptation of a earlier French bayonet that was specifically fit to this very rifle for use in WW1.

A truly fabulous original Model 1871/84 Mauser bolt-action rifle with tube

magazine under barrel. This rifle is actually dated 1888 on the receiver and the really

crisp wood stock still retains very clear inspector's stampings to the butt stock. The metalwork bears 95% heavy black finish and all serial numbers appear to match. There is only some slight old wood damage to 2-inches of right hand fore stock, most probably inflicted by a little boy.

No doubt a WWI Veteran's "bring back" souvenir this rifle even comes with it's modified

French Chassepot M-1866 brass hilted bayonet dated August 1879 that had to be machined across the pommel to fit this model German Rifle. The reground face of the brass

pommel has been stamped with the serial number of this very 71/84 Rifle showing it was an official German adaptation.

Great quantities of these 71/84 Rifles were pressed into service in WW1 since piles had been put into storage in 1888 after the introduction of the M-1888 7.92mm German Commission Rifle.

Bayonets, however, were in short supply. Masses of pre 1871 dated French Chassepot Bayonets had been captured in the Franco Prussian War of 1870/71 and to fill the need these were adapted in WW1 for use with various German rifles.

History of the Mauser 1871/84:

The Mauser Model 1871 adopted as the Gewehr 71 or Infanterie-Gewehr 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.

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 at the end of 1871, pending the development of an appropriate safety. It was adopted 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.

The now well recognized Mauser "wing" type safety lever was developed for the Gewehr 71. The Gewehr 71 is a conventional looking bolt action chambered in 11 mm 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 71/84.

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