Assisting in the identification of this 7x57 Mauser ?

[Gert Odendaal]

Good day members.

I need some assistance in identifying a unique Boere Mauser.

Scenario: Correct me if I am wrong, the 7x57 Mauser my fore -fathers , the Boer fighters used in the Anglo Boer war used was the split-bridge Mauser? The Model 1893/1895 Mauser chambered for the 7×57 cartridge.

A very old person , 84 years of age handed a 7x57 Mauser in yesterday at the gunsmith shop. Attached to the 7x57 Mauser is a story. During the Anglo Boer war his grandfather used this Mauser in war. His horse was shot dead under him , the bullet traveled through his leg and through the horse.

He fell and was taken as prisoner by the English( British soldiers) Fortunately the Mauser rifle, the saddle with the hole in was recovered by his fellow Boer fighters. His grand child, the old person unfortunately do not have sons and can not hand the 7 x 57 Mauser to a son of his...so now he gave it to the gunsmith shop.

Coming back to the scenario: Split bridge Mausers, the Model 1893/1895....but what now if the 7x 57 Mauser has a M89 action, build by the Deutsche Waffen-und Munitionfabriken Berlin, the serial number being no 31. Another strange making is the three circles staggered as a triangle on every part of this 7x 57 Mauser.

Left hand side of back sights is a C7mm marking.
Left side of receiver 3 x crowns, 2,4 gG.B.P under this marking is ST.m.G

Is this a custom made Mauser in the 1889 era for someone to used in the Ango-Boer war, three year war in South Africa?

I really would like to hear from any one who can tell me more about this rifle.


My take on this rifle: It can be a O.V.S Mauser...

Regards

Gert

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Patrick Chadwick]

if the 7x 57 Mauser has a M89 action, build by the Deutsche Waffen-und Munitionfabriken Berlin, the serial number being no 31. Another strange making is the three circles staggered as a triangle on every part of this 7x 57 Mauser. Left hand side of back sights is a C7mm marking. Left side of receiver 3 x crowns, 2,4 gG.B.P under this marking is ST.m.G Is this a custom made Mauser in the 1889 era for someone to used in the Ango-Boer war, three year war in South Africa?

This seems to be a commercial Mauser, not a military rifle.
The 3 crowns are the various stages of the proof procedure. There should be a letter stamped under each crown.
2,4 gG.B.P is the proof load: 2.4 grams = 37gn of GewehrBlättchenPulver= rifle flake-powder.
ST.m.G = StahlmantelGeschoß= steel-jacketed bullet.
There may be a number stamped behind or below this, indicating the weight of the bullet in grams.
The German proof rules were finalized in law in 1891, but did not become effective until 1893.
The use of G.B.P. indicates that the rifle was proofed in/after 1893.

I am not going to write out a complete book chapter here with all the possible options. Instead, I suggest that you post good pictures of the complete rifle and the markings, which will enable a precise evaluation.

For the "three circles staggered as a triangle", which must be a commercial or inspector's marking, a photo is vital to avoid ambiguity.

[UNPROFOR1994]

Please post some pictures? Just a guess, but I think it could be commercial DWM Model 98.

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/...&Number=318719

http://olderthendirt.proboards.com/t...cial-98-mauser

https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.h...&f=14&t=423560

[Sentryduty]

The three rings in a triangle makes me instantly think of the Krupp trademark:

Similar:

[Patrick Chadwick]

The three rings in a triangle makes me instantly think of the Krupp trademark:

Me too, but I held back for the very good reason that Krupp made barrel steel, not (as far as I know) entire rifles, and in this case the mark is supposed to be visible in many places on the rifle:

Another strange making is the three circles staggered as a triangle on every part of this 7x 57 Mauser.

- which sounds more like an inspection mark.

Gert, it is up to you to provide adequate information (in this case: photographs) rather than leaving us to speculate.

[UNPROFOR1994]

Gert posted pictures here: http://www.africahunting.com/threads...-mauser.25237/

[Sentryduty]

Link is bad, needs the second occurrence of http:// to be dropped, then it works.

---------- Post added at 01:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:13 PM ----------

Looks like they have good idea what it is, a nice example. I had to search the photos but the floorplate does seem to have a Krupp factory mark, as stated above they did not make full rifles, but I think they may have done some of the small parts contracting.

From the linked thread:


Again, nice rifle.

[Patrick Chadwick]

This rifle is a puzzler. It does not seem to match any of the ZAR/OVS variations described by Ball in "Mauser Military Rifles of the World". Or any standard military model of the time.

Military rifles had the factory text (DWM or Ludwig Loewe etc) applied on the left side rail of the receiver. The receiver ring usually had the national crest of the country that placed the order. The (model) year was either in the text on the rail, or below the crest. And the number was always stamped on the left side of the receiver ring - in the position where this rifle has the proof markings. BTW, crown over N is the post-1893 proof mark for a nitro-proof. And military inspection stamps in Germany were a crown over a "fraktur" letter.

But no date at all? Neither as model date nor as manufacturing date? Very strange. I think this is a commercial Mauser made up on an action purchased from DWM (i.e. 1897 or later, DWM being founded in November 1896).

The trigger guard (see photo above) seems to have had a magazine-floorplate release catch at on time - you can see where the slot has been filled in.

The marking "C. 7 mm." on the left side of the backsight base is also a non-military feature. Since the German word for calibre is "Kaliber" with a K, I deduce that this marking was applied after the rifle had left Germany.

BTW. Gert, why did you write "split-bridge" in the first post. This is not a split-bridge Mauser, as was the Portuguese Model 1904.

[vintage hunter]

The trigger guard (see photo above) seems to have had a magazine-floorplate release catch at on time - you can see where the slot has been filled in.

Not sure it's been filled. From what can be seen it looks a lot like a Model 1909 assembly. These had a hinged floor plate and the release had no protrusions inside nor out on the trigger bow.
Possible found a clue in Mauser Military Rifles of the World 4th edition page 66 of the section concerning Brazilian models. Briefly mentioned at the bottom of the page is a DWM 1898 long rifle with commercial markings and proofs similar to the rifle in question.

[jmoore]

Looks like a 98 Mauser type of some sort. What with the 1909 floorplate release, seems a bit late for Boer War?