'Dovitiis' Mauser.

[Anzac15]

A guy came to me yesterday at the local arms show offering me a 'French rifle of some sort'. Never one to pass up a classic French military arm, I followed him out to hi's car, and he retrieved the rifle from a case. At first I thought it was a Gras, or a Chantellrault (sp), then I saw the Mauser M71 bolt, and realized it was an M71 that had been converted in France by the factory St. Denis. It is in superb condition, mirror bore, and all matching. I am planning on taking it back today to see if I can make a bit of a profit, but if it is something a bit rare, I may want to hold on to it. I have seen conflicting statements concerning 'rarity' and value. Just would like to get a few opinions on here. It really seems to be a well made and unusual rifle!

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[Patrick Chadwick]

I am planning on taking it back today to see if I can make a bit of a profit, but if it is something a bit rare, I may want to hold on to it.

Shame on you if you want to sell such a rarity for mere money
You have found something that is pretty close to the "hens teeth" category of Mauser. Money you can get some other way - and you don't need it really - otherwise how come you were able to afford the rifle? But what are your chances of finding another rifle like that? About 5/8 of FA, to use a British technical term, which might be translated as 0.0 x zilch.

Of course, you are going to have fun making cartridges for it

I eagerly await photos and, in due course, a range report!

[Anzac15]

Well Patrick, as Captain Edmund Blackadder once said "I believe the phrase rhymes with 'clucking bell'."
I paid $200 for the rifle, and made a measly $150 profit on it. Had no idea of it's rarity. The good thing though is that I know the fellow that bought it from me, and could probably buy it back at some point in the near future.
Serves me right!

[jmoore]

And with a mirror bore! Mine's fairly dark. Have yet to round up reloading dies, but one of these days... Don't let that one wander off. I might have to get back to you later on!

[RCS]

I saw a carbine sell last year and I believe there is a short rifle too -could be wrong

Buffalo Arms sells the bullets and brass, seems to be some variation as some use 45-70 brass while others use 7,62x54r brass ?

[burb1989]

I would've paid you $350 for it in heart beat since these mausers are considered the holy grail of South American rifles
From what I've researched on these rifles, and I'm sure an expert can correct me on this, there was only slightly more than 5,000 of those rifles converted during the 1890's and now there are less than 5,000 in existence. Also just try and find the correct bayonet for it (I think there are even less of those existing than than the rifles). A dealer friend of mine bought one last year for $70 and was going to sell it to me for $200 but after a week of having it he decided to keep it for his collection. Those rifles sell for at least double what you sold it for with the highest end I've seen sell was at $1800 for a rifle and bayonet together about two years ago.

[Anzac15]

Thats it! Im seeing the guy I sold it to this weekend..gonna try to get it back!

[jmoore]

Would really like to see a range report when you get it back! Would probably be a good rifle for shooting cast bullets.

[WarPig1976]

These where commercial.? Not much on the web on these.

[burb1989]

These where commercial.? Not much on the web on these.

Nope. These were military conversions done in the 1890s to update the caliber of the 71/84 mausers that Uruguay had purchased from a man only known in the records as Senior Dovitis. From what little I could find apparantly the Uruguayan government ordered a little over 5,000 of these rifles for their army and went to a Greek dealer known as Senior Dovitis. Later on when the 11 mm caliber became obsolete the Uruguayans once again turned to Dovitis to upgrade these rifles. He turned to the French Government, who converted close to 5,000 of these rifles at the arsenal at St. Denis just outside Paris to a somewhat experimental caliber used by the French navy at the time that would become known as the Dovitis cartouche #12, which is a 6.5 X 53.5 Daudeteau caliber. However once the newer calibers came as a result of the Great War the Uruguayans asked Dovitis to obtain some of these newer calibers and then the Uruguayans proceded to start dumping these converted mausers and their bayonets into the rivers, never to be used again. That is why these rifles are soooooo rare. I just hope the guy that Anzac sold it to has no idea how rare and expensive that rifle is and will sell it back