Description
This is an all matching Mauser G41(M). This was Mauser's submission to the Wehrmacht's request for an autoloading rifle. The requirements laid down for the rifle design resulted in an unwieldy weapon--it was not to have a detachable magazine, was not to have direct gas tapping from the barrel, and was to have a separate bolt for use if the semi-auto design failed. Mauser did comform to the latter requirement, resulting in a bizarre design incorporating a bolt to charge the weapon initially, and then a semi-auto mechanism to fire the remaining shots. The bolt was locked down during firing. The rifle had a fixed magazine, so could only be charger loaded with two clips of 5 rounds. Both Walther's and Mauser's submission (the G41 or G41W) used a "Bang" design of trapping the gas after it left the muzzle, using it to force back a level actuating the breech block. These rifles were awkward, and prone to fouling. As well, they used an annular ring over the barrel to trap the gas and move the rod backwards. In use, these heated up and constricted on the barrel, resulting in uneven accuracy. After the failure of the Mauser design, Walther removed the (W) from their markings, leaving the rifles just marked G41. Today, the G41 (M) are very rare, as only around 18000 were made to begin with, and they were not popular with the troops. It is unknown how many were lost on the Eastern Front.
This example is all matching, but unfortunately has been "dufflecut" and later repaired. Like my other one, it is missing its cleaning rod, and is also sans its sight hood. It is an example of a late production 1942 unit; Mauser started using stamped trigger guards to try and boost production. It is within a few hundred of the highest recorded serial number in Darrin Weaver's excellent book "Hitler's Garands".
I will try to get the time to post these rifles with detailed operational photos in the Knowledge Library.
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