Remington
Rolling Block (Argentine Contract Pattern)
I've
not been able to learn much about this piece. It is built to
the same pattern and .43 Spanish caliber as an 1879 Argentine contract gun,
but lacks any of the Argentine markings. Somewhere along the
way I read an article which speculated many guns like this were
assembled from left over parts and sold on the American market.
Wherever it lived, this particular rifle hadn't fired many rounds.
I shoot it once every other year or so. Aside from the world's
heaviest trigger pull and a slow lock time, its great fun to shoot.
You have to wait for the smoke to clear to see where the bullet
went. |
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1888 Commission Rifle
The Gew '88 had a relatively short career as a main battle rifle for the German army, but that doesn't mean they saw little service. In fact, most of them lived a hard life. This all matching example is not quite so pretty as it looks in a small picture, but it managed to sneak through without being rebuilt. The '88 was not a great design. Being the product of a commission, it combined poor design features from several existing rifles, including an en-bloc clip loading system and a jacketed barrel. Although it would be fun to shoot, the bore is a bit rough, and who knows what evils lurk under the barrel jacket. As such it serves today in the role of living room art object. |
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Mauser
Model 71/84 (Spandau 1888)
The
classic 11mm Mauser was built at a time when German martial craftsmanship
was as much a reflection of Prussian pride as the fulfillment of
any military need. Virtually every part (with the exception of
the bolt stop washer) is numbered to the gun. Beautiful wood, deeply
struck cartouches and a level of fit and finish any wealthy sportsman
would be pleased to have in his gun case. Its a shame they were
intended to slog through the mud in the hands of a foot soldier. |
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Model
1889 Danish Krag
My
knowledge of Danish Krags is pretty slim. The caliber is 8 x 58r,
and the barrel is surrounded by a metal jacket. Another interesting
feature of this version of the Krag is the loading gate, which
has a cute little locking knob on top and swings outward. This
may well be the only thing one could do to a Krag action which
makes it even clumsier to load than the US and Norwegian versions.
The
grasping grooves are different between the left and right hand
sides of the stock. |
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Mauser
Model 1891 Argentine Contract (B Serial)
This was one of those "don't need it, but want it" purchases. The market at large places a premium on DWM manufactured guns. As with most everything in my life, I prefer to be a contrarian and prize the older Loewe marked examples. There is nothing to call between them in terms of quality, it's strictly a matter of perception. Small differences on early vs. late 1891s include the tip of the cleaning rod, which at some point was changed from brass to plain steel, and a longer hand guard. Notice the difference in de-milling from one gun to another. It's a shame they did it at all. Thankfully, this practice was abolished when the 1909s were sold off. |
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Mauser
Model 1891 Argentine Contract (L Serial)
The
Argentine government sure bought some nice rifles. As they didn't
go to war very often, quite a few have survived in pristine condition.
The '91 used Mauser's original 7.65 x 53 smokeless cartridge. Today,
I make brass from 30-06 and use the same bullets as for .303 British.
While not as safe as the later 98 Mauser actions, the 91 action is
none the less acceptably robust and respectably accurate. I never shoot military loads anyway. It seems foolish to me to stress 100 year old steel. Although the de-mil process on this rifle included grinding the crest off of the receiver, the one on the stock was left in place. |
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Mauser
Model 1891 Argentine Contract (R Serial)
Originally, this was my almost too nice to shoot-r. Then on my way out of a gun show one day I spotted the L serial '91 above. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be even better than this one. So now this one sees the range a little more often. Notice the extended hand guard on this later DWM gun. By the time the various 1895 models rolled around, military procurement had come to realize a full hand guard was essential for handling a hot gun. |
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Mauser
Model 1891 Engineer's Carbine
The
difference between mountain carbines, engineer's carbines and artillery
carbines eludes me. I think the mountain carbine has an extra band
with a bayonet lug. I've always thought of the plain ones like
this as engineer's carbines. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
Unlike the 1894 Swedish carbine, which kicks like a mule, the '91
Argentine carbine is a joy to shoot. It looks a little nicer in
the photo than in reality, but the bore is near mint. When I bought
it, the
guy had this Loewe built gun and a DWM. The DWMs came later and
there are fewer of them, but his was in poorer condition, so I
chose old age and condition over the manufacturer's name. |
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US
Model 92/96 Krag Jorgensen
I
hope I got that right. This is a model 1892 rifle which has been
arsenal updated by filling the cleaning rod channel in the stock.
The action is dated 1894, and the stock carries an 1895 cartouche.
Although chosen as the first US smokeless powder repeating rifle
in 1892, it would be two years before Springfield Arsenal actually
began production. How the Norwegian design came to be chosen over
rifles such as the 1891 Mauser is beyond me. In its favor as a
classic shooting toy, it must be said the action is smooth and
crisp - much more pleasant than any Mauser military rifle. Unlike
the Danish and Norwegian Krags, the US model does not use the bolt
handle as a secondary locking lug. With only one locking lug, loads are kept to very modest power levels. After all, how much power does it take to perforate an old stolen road sign at 150 yards? |
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Model
1894 Norwegian Krag
As
a Norwegian design, it was inevitable the Krag would be adopted,
and enjoy its longest service life in Norway. This example was
manufactured under Nazi occupation in 1944! While the craftsmanship
is nowhere near what may have been expected at the turn of the
century, it is remarkably good considering the circumstances in
which it was produced. Many of the parts, including the stock are
numbered. This seems an extravagant luxury at such a late date. As proof of it's wartime occupation heritage, the gun exhibits Nazi acceptance stamps.
The Norwegian Krag shares certain features with the US and Danish
versions, though it is chambered for Norway's own 6.5 x 55 cartridge.
Like the US rifle, the cartridge door is hinged at the bottom.
Like the Danish rifle, the bolt handle serves as a secondary locking
lug. One can appreciate this feature on a bolt with only one locking
lug. |
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Swedish
m/94 Carbine (Carl Gustafs stads gevärsfaktori)
Military
thinking of the day understood engineers and artillery men couldn't
carry full size rifles, but they had yet to understand all soldiers
should have a light and handy rifle. The 1894 carbines were built from
scratch as carbines, not cut down from rifles. This example is
all matching and has an excellent bore. Unfortunately, it has been
heavily (and rather poorly) sanded. The barrel extension is a common
American addition. Apparently at one time it was thought the barrels
were too short to be legal, so owners and importers added a short
extension to the muzzle cap. Although the 1891 Argentine carbines are
pleasant to shoot, for some reason this little gun kicks like a
mule. The normal unit marking disc has been replaced by a bore
disc. I do not know if this is correct or if it was simply put
there to fill the otherwise empty hole in the stock. |
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Mauser 1895 Chilean Contract (C serial)
As with the Argentineans, Chile certainly did not skimp on rifles. By 1895, Mauser was using a double stack magazine, but this is still a small ring action. Workmanship is first rate, with all the major components numbered to the gun. From the condition of the fire blue on the magazine follower, this example is very close to, if not an unfired gun. As time goes by, I'm becoming less inclined to shoot my really nice condition rifles, thus the nearly identical shooter listed below. With the exception of a few minor handling marks, and some slight rubbing on the bolt release, there's not not much to improve on this gun. |
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Mauser 1895 Chilean Contract (D serial)
As a shooter, the 1909 Argentine combines the safety of the '98 action with one of my favorite cartridges, the 7.65x53, but 7mm is my most favorite old Mauser plinker round. Coincidentally, the Chilean Mausers happen to be in 7x57. This gun certainly wouldn't have come so cheap if it didn't have a mismatched bolt. Now I have a very pretty shooter, and no worries about wearing the fire blueing off the follower. Best of all worlds. I love going to the range and watching while the hunters try to find some sort of awkward rest on top of a rock. While they struggle to get "arranged," I'll go ahead and knock a couple holes in whatever they're trying to shoot at off hand with the Mauser. You can always tell their noses get tweaked by the fact they have to shoot at, and hit, the same targets I'm hitting with my old rotting wood and rusting metal antique. |
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1896
Swedish Mauser
Most
countries would have been thrilled to manufacture a gun as fine
as the Swedes rebuilt theirs. Other than a couple missmatched (non
critical) parts, this 1913 Carl Gustavs rebuild could easily be
passed off as new. The bore is perfect, the bluing is perfect and
the stock is new. It cost $79 by mail order and I don't recall asking for a "hand picked" gun. The funny spot on the safety is a lead seal wired to the safety.
Oh, and its accurate too. There is a great story, when Mauser built
the first model '96 rifles under contract, the Swedish government
required them to use Swedish steel specifications. Imagine telling
the Germans their steel wasn't good enough. |
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Mauser
Model 1909 Argentine Contract (E serial)
Among
the late 19th and early 20th century Mausers, its hard to say which
was the absolute pinnacle of quality. I've never seen a mint Gew 98
to compare, but the 1909 Argentine must be awful close to the top.
After attending the Pomona gun show several times, and seeing some really beautiful rifles for sale, I figured it was about time to buy one for myself. And it was just in time too, a year later the local government assholes outlawed gun shows in Pomona. Heaven forbid they should draw money and commerce to the property. This example has the matching brass and steel muzzle cover.
If I own a rifle which defines new or mint condition,
this is it. |
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Mauser
Model 1909 Argentine Contract (K serial)
Back in the '90s, 1909 Argentines were anything but valuable, that being said, I still have no desire to shoot a now 100 year old gun which has survived this long without being used. As any collector will tell you, this is more than sufficient justification to buy a shooter. By the late 2000s, values had climbed to where a shooter cost as a much as a wall hanger some years prior. Although values continue to inch upward, the 1909 is still probably one of the best deals, for one of the best made collectable Mausers. |
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Model
1911 Schmidt Rubin
This
is the second major variation in the line of Swiss straight pull rifles.
Although none of the Schmidt Rubin actions would be considered strong,
this version was an improvement of the original Model of 1889. This
rather long rifle is a joy to shoot. When clean and well cared for,
the action is fast and crisp. However, the record of straight pulls
in combat is decidedly mixed. Its probably just as well for the Swiss
they never had to fight with these guns. |
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SMLE
No I Mk III* (BSA)
I think this may have been my first ever mail order rifle out of Shotgun News. I spent the extra $10 bucks for hand pick, and for my $100 or so got a fresh cadet rifle. The forend wood is all new, dated 1947, and the barrel was pleasingly perfect as well. With an action dated 1917, it's a fair bet this old soldier saw service during the Great War. |
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SMLE
No I Mk III* (Lithgow)
Yup,
the star really belongs there on the name. It denotes the fact
the magazine cutoff has been removed. The cutoff was there so a
soldier, faced with anhilation by German troops, could treat his
rifle as a single shot and keep the capacity of the magazine in "reserve." Yeah
sure. If I had to carry a bolt gun in combat, this would be the
one. My Mausers, with iron sights, typically put five shots in a 3" 100 yard circle. With
the right loads, the Enfield puts 4 in a 2.75" circle. Number
five is always a flyer, but then you have twice as much ammo in
a faster handling gun. |
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Swiss Karabiner Model 1931 (K31)
Although commonly referred to as a Schmidt Rubin, the K31 was actually a later redesign. Straight pull action designs never distinguished themselves in combat, but it must be said, when the rifle is kept clean, the straight pull action is fast and fun to operate. The beech wood stock is not as neither as pretty, nor as durable as the previous walnut. Many of these later civilian owned rifles carried the name and address of the owner under the butt plate. Unfortunately, this example did not include an owner's name. The 7.5x55 Swiss cartridge is simple enough to reload. Brass is readily available, and in spite of the 7.5 Swiss name, it uses .308 bullets. |
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Geco
Deuches Sportmodel
I
am a little unclear as to whether this was a military trainer,
or civilian model. Although Geco single shot .22 rifles were definitely
used as trainers, this example seems fancier than necessary for
the military. Most of the rifles I have seen pictured were of simpler
detail. As a scaled down model of the 96 Mauser it was just too
cute to pass up. One could shoot this rifle rapid fire all day
long without getting the action warm. Unfortunately, the extractor
is messed up and appears to have been filed to the point of being
unusable. Spent rounds have to be manually extracted. |
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FN
Venezuela Contract Mauser
Among
the many licensed copies of the Mauser 98 action, the FN was probably
one of the best finished. This Venezuelan contract rifle is quite
good, but still just a tick below the level of finish one could
expect on a German made gun. Its chambered in 7 x 57. Although
not particularly valuable, condition of the gun is good enough
to discourage shooting it. |
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SMLE
No. 4 MKII
The
sun never sets on the British Empire, and apparently new ideas
never
take hold either. While the world's militaries had long since begun the
transition to semiautomatic and fully automatic rifles, the British
doggedly
held on to their belief in good old bolt action technology. This
rifle, finally the last of the line, was manufactured at Fazakerly
arsenal
in 1954. The fact it was sold new in the wrap on the US market as
a collector's piece says much about its usefulness. While some
would
argue its a shame to unwrap the rifle and shoot it, I'm sure enough
people have preserved their's unopened. Its an Enfield after all...better
for
shooting than collecting. |
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