-Vergueiro rifle

[arado]

It is not a Mauser. I know it is Portuguese. do I have a rare rifle? I will provide pictures.

Information

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[arado]

here are the pictures. need info. I know it was converted to 8 Mauser and why. This is the only one I saw and I bought it years ago....30.....

[Salt Flat]

Arado, Very nice condition! I do think they are somewhat rare. I seldom see them at the gunshows anymoe. They are an interesting variation of the Mannlicher type action with a staggered magazine and 98 type Ejector. If you look at the following rifles you can see the strong resemblance:
Gew 88 Commission rifle
M93 Romanian
M95 Dutch Mannlichlicher
Greek Mannlicher
Mannlicher Schoenauer sporting rifles
35M Hungarian
43M Hungarian
G98/40
The main differences being in the magazine configuration. Thus far I have only aquired a GEW 88 from this wish list.
Your's is a great find that you aquired in the good ole days of collecting! Salt Flat

[longbranch*]

Fine rifle's, but not a lot of collector-interest it seems. I had a very nice, matching including bayonet, example I sold eventually for about $340 recently. They started life around 1904 with a longer barrel in 6.5 Portugese then shortened and re-chambered to 8X57 and re-finished in about 1939. Appears most were not re-issued and many will show heavy pitting under woodline from their earliy days in Portugese Africa I suspect. Great Oberndorf built rifles, but they dont compare with "true" Mauser 98 value's IMHO.

[arado]

You mentioned Oberndorf built rifle. Mine says DWM. Were they made by both? Also how was your bayonet marked? I may have one. Thanks, Gary

[Badger]

I haven't had a chance to create a public Milsurp Knowledge Library entry for it yet, but my 1904/39 Portuguese "Vergueiro" Model 937/M39 Mauser (click here) is marked with the same crest.

It's manufactured by Deutsche Waffen und Munitions Fabriken, Berlin.

(Click PIC to Enlarge)

Here's a neat bit of trivia....

It's all matching except for bolt safety, c/w matching bayonet and original sling"

Why is bolt safety the only mismatched part?

Bolt Disassembly (click here)

"The complex nature of the M1904 Bolt and its difficult striping and reassembly process conducive to the loss of parts, contributed significantly to the demise of this Rifle as a Service Arm with the Union of South Africa, Defence Force. UDF Troops are documented as arriving on Parade with disassembled Bolts and their parts tied in a handkerchief and many surviving Rifles today are found with replacement Bolts, or the Safety flag having been replaced, as was easily lost. Today, many M1904 owners rather do not strip the Bolt assembly, or, hand this job to a competent Gunsmith."

Also, here's an older thread from 2011 started by Advisory Panel member dopter where he included a Vergueiro Portuguese Mauser Bolt Disassemble and Re-assembly Video.

Vergueiro Portuguese Mauser Bolt Disassemble and Re-assembly Video



Hope this helps....

Regards,
Doug

[polaris]

Appears most were not re-issued and many will show heavy pitting under woodline from their earliy days in Portugese Africa I suspect. Great Oberndorf built rifles, but they dont compare with "true" Mauser 98 value's IMHO.

I agree, all three Vergueiros I owned once wer heavily pitted.

I believe they were all built by DWM in Berlin.

[ArizonaBeagle]

Thanks for the video. I took one of mine apart years ago and never did it again.

The video sure helps in the event I forget how much fun it was and have to re-assemble it again.

At the time it was like the worst Chinese puzzle ever.

AZB