1912 Chilean Mauser

Picked this up this past Sunday in a private sale. Really nice looking rifle based on the GEW98 so it's a large ring. 7mm, all matching down to the cleaning rod. Metal under the wood is perfect. Bore looks near mint also. Had been watching this for a couple of weeks and the price finally got down to where I could make him a reasonable offer which was accepted. I already have the bayonet for it but didn't try to find it prior to photos. Needs a sling.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...ou89fb5w-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...mxczzftf-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...oas5rqhn-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...7dpnthhz-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...ogf4lwu5-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...akpdavbr-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...g11o4ned-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...p9unu9nk-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...bcca0l6k-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...eqfjhtxh-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...iku9jrjl-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...uxxjrrla-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...jjrquavm-1.jpg

Wow. That is another beautiful rifle. With all the rifles you have picked up in the last year or two you are building a nice collection. (I imagine there were already a fair few too).

Any chance of a sibling pic with the 98a?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aragorn243

rifle based on the GEW98 so it's a large ring. 7mm, all matching down to the cleaning rod. Metal under the wood is perfect. Bore looks near mint also.

---

Isn't that nice...? I'd love to have my nose over it to get a good look too. Nice figure on the wood.

Very nice, Chilean Mausers are exceptionally rare to find all matching and in the original caliber. Excellent find. I love how it is made by my favourite pre-WWI company, Steyr and actually shows the true quality they put into them (usually the quality of those arms aren't nearly as appreciated as Mauser simply because most of what Steyr made ended up used and abused not preserved like say Brazilian or Argentinan Mausers).

Part of the attraction was the Steyr manufacture. Of course I didn't have a 1912, I don't have a nice looking rifle that is in the white and not a dull brown color, and it has possibly the nicest stock I now own. I usually put them in a corner by my chair when they are new and I'm looking for stuff like slings, etc but this one I put away. My cat has never scratched anything other than the sofa since we've had him but I don't want him starting on this rifle stock.

I have found slings and they aren't expensive but they are covered in white paint, ceremonial slings. I would think that my citristrip would take that right off. Any opinions on what they might look like under the paint? Paint at present is faded and cracked. Numrich has them. $15 for a "good" one.

Beautiful and & 7mm also! :bow:

Great stock, wonderful rifle. I just love Mausers.......
But I seem to love also a lot of other rifles too.
And then the calibre. Since I bought my Brazilian Mauser I really fell in love with 7x57.
Great deal, bravo!

Is it in 7mm? I have the 7.62mm version. Hard to believe Austro-Hungary went to war with the M95 Straight Pull.

Yes, 7mm. Nothing wrong with the M95, just not familiar to those in the US. Fairly advanced and fast action. Cartridge could be better.

The only real issues with the M95 system was the thickness of the barrel (too thin, however because of how thin it was it was light), the cartridge, and the fact you need to have really skilled armourers to keep the rifle running. Even the open bottom isn't the worst thing ever as many nations had that and many didn't see it as enough of a issue to change it.

Everything is a give and take. The cons of the M95 are made up by the fact the rifle is really light for its size, the ability to use rimmed ammo with no risk of rimlock (unlike pretty much every other repeating rimmed ammo rifle), and the really fast Mannlicher clip loading system.

I shot my M95/34 in a Bolt Match a few years back. I used my handloads and found the rifle inferior. My Gew98 was far superior. Not fast at all, as the bolt is difficult to operate fast. The round is a joke. The M98 had this design all beat. Sorry, I didn't expect this result, but that's the way it was.

You have to remember a M95/34 isn't in its original condition, and has likely been reworked at least 2-4 times in its life. When these rifles came from the factory they were much better fitted than the later reworkings as it requires a lot of skill to properly fit the bolt to the rifle. I have shot a fair bit of M95s now and some of them are like trying to beat the bolt open, well others are smoother than a Swiss straight pull.

Again there is pros and cons to everything. A original M95 would have been a much more practical rifle in WWI than a Gewehr 98, for the simple reason a Gewehr 98s range setting started at 400m and the Gewehr had brutal recoil with the Patrone 'S' ammo. The M95 had a 225m starting range, and with the Patrone 93 ammo didn't generate that much recoil, well still launching a 250grn bullet at the enemy.

I had 2 cases of Turk 8mm, mostly 1942 stuff. In my Gew98 it is rough. This Turk stuff is a clone of the WWI 8mm round. Hard to believe the Germans used that round all war long. The little 98 Cav Carbine was withdrawn from service due to the huge muzzle flash. Yes, the Gew98's were set at 400 meters and they are true to the range. I had a buddy used his Czech 98/22 with Turk ammo and had to sight in a foot below the bull. And then there was the recoil. It was a give and take issue, but I like my Gew98's.

As always you find such sweet deals.

Original sling arrived from Numrich yesterday. Covered in white paint. Had some cracking but overall not bad. I ordered the "best" at $15 or so. Citristrip took the paint right off with no fuss. Sling looked good condition underneath but had some stretch shape issues I hoped would work themselves with drying but they did not. Came with the quick connect and barrel band attached. I need to condition it now that it's dried.

The Dealers Warehouse in Modesto, CA has several thousand South American slings for cheap money. You might them.

Checked their website with no luck for any slings. If they have the green Argentine ones I'd be interested in a couple of those.

Sorry, the website is not the way to go. Call the boss, Rav, and talk to him. He can look at slings for you. I doubt he will be happy with an order for 1-2 slings, so make it real. Steve,

Inquired via e-mail. They replied what specifically I was seeking? To which I responded any South American Mauser slings?
No further reply yet.