It is clear that the firm of the Mauser brothers could not stay away from the "arms race" and already in 1889 created a sample of a rifle called the "Belgian Mauser model of 1889", which was the first development of their firm for a new, recently created small-caliber cartridge with a smokeless gunpowder. But in Germany itself, this rifle, however, did not like it. But in the same year it entered service with the Belgian army, then in Turkey (in 1890), and then in Argentina (1891), in very similar modifications.
Boers with Mauser rifles, model 1895.
In Belgium, rifles began to be produced at the private enterprise Fabrique Nationale Herstal (FN), which was originally built specifically for the production of these rifles, and the state arms factory Manufacture D'Armes De L Etat (MAE). When Belgium was occupied by the Germans during the First World War, they were also produced by Hopkins & Allen in the United States by order of the Belgian government in exile, and they were also made in England at a factory in Birmingham, where … refugees from Belgium worked!
Rifle and carbine М1889
Rifles for Turkey and Argentina were produced in Germany, with the Ludwig Loewe and DWM factories fulfilling the order for Argentina, and the Mauser brothers' enterprise for Turkey. Rifles "Argentinean model" were in service with many countries in Latin America, such as Colombia, Peru and Ecuador.
Carbine model М1889. Pay attention to the clearly visible barrel cover and the specific shape of the magazine.
One of the patents of Paul Mauser with one of the variants of a single-row magazine. May 1889
The reason was a good patron. The fact is that the Argentine generals, who considered the Prussian system of military training to be the best in the world (which is why the Argentines sent their cadets to study in German military institutions), collaborated very closely with the Germans in the production of weapons. And the result of this cooperation was the appearance in 1891 of the cartridge 7, 65 × 53 mm Argentino and, accordingly, the Argentine Mauser rifles developed for it in 1891 and 1909.
Here about the "Argentine Mauser" M1891 there is everything … The question of how to read and translate … And, of course, it would also be nice to hold it in your hands!
High fighting qualities led to its wide distribution in America, so companies such as "Remington" and "Winchester" were engaged in the release of these cartridges. Cartridge C. I. P.: 7, 65 × 53 Arg. - that was its official name, had a sleeve with an annular groove and without a rim, with a bullet with a diameter of 7, 91 mm and an energy of 3651 J. According to its ballistic characteristics, it turned out to be close to the British.303 cartridge, which is considered one of the best.
Another shop patent. June 1893. The shop has a slightly different shape on it.
It is interesting that when in 1950 - 1960. The cartridge 7, 62 × 51 NATO was adopted, the old cartridge continued to be used in Argentina in the reserve units of its army. Until the very beginning of World War II 7, 65 × 53 Arg. experts considered him a good cartridge for hunting any North American game, except perhaps the brown bear. Moreover, the production of this cartridge continues even today, that is, 125 years!
This is a Swedish-Norwegian 6, 5x55 mm rifle cartridge. At the time of its appearance, it was the smallest cartridge in Europe. True, the Italian rifle cartridge had the same caliber. But they appeared almost simultaneously, so it is difficult to determine the primacy in this case. In Norway, a Krag-Jorgensen rifle was created for it, which was already described on VO. But that's what they did in Norway. The Swedes did not break their heads, but simply ordered a rifle from the Mauser firm. “There would be a good cartridge, and there’s a rifle for it!”
The cartridge 6, 5x55 mm was produced for a very long time, until the second half of the twentieth century. In the photo, a clip of cartridges with pointed bullets of the 1976 release.
The model 1889 rifle was also a manual reloading weapon with a rotary bolt with two radial lugs in the front. The ejector hook was mounted on the bolt and rotated with it, and the reflector was in the receiver. The rifle was equipped with a box magazine of the James Lee system, with a single-row arrangement of cartridges and with spring bend jaws that held them in the magazine when the bolt was opened.
M1894 carbine chambered for 6, 5x55 mm. Swedish Army Museum, Stockholm.
The equipment was carried out from above, through a special window inside the receiver, when the bolt was opened, and either one cartridge at a time, or using five-shot plate clips. The magazine could be separated from the rifle for repair, cleaning or replacement. The magazine latch was in front of the trigger guard, and the safety catch was on the rear of the bolt. The Belgian Mauser model of 1889, like the carbines made on its basis, had tubular protective covers on the barrels. But the Turkish and Argentine Mauser models of this system did not have such a casing on the trunks, but they had a wooden barrel pad to protect the shooter's hands from contact with the hot barrel. In 1936, some of the Belgian Mauser were converted into short rifles, called M1889 / 36, with the barrel casing removed. A rifle stock of a traditional design for those years. All Mauser rifles of the 1889, 1890 and 1891 models and also individual versions of carbines based on them were equipped with several types of bayonets-cleavers.
M1896 rifle chambered for 6, 5x55 mm. Swedish Army Museum, Stockholm.
The barrel had a traditional length of 740 mm with four grooves, a cutting pitch of 240 mm and a right-hand stroke. The barrel was inside a tube of increased diameter, like that of the "88" rifle, which was done in order to protect the shooter's hands from burns, although this design not only weakens the forend, but is also more metal-intensive. The sight and front sight were mounted on the casing, so upgrading such a rifle was more difficult than the usual one, with a barrel without a casing. The sight was a frame sight with divisions at a distance of up to 2000 m. A cleaver bayonet with a length of 250 mm and a weight of 365 g should be attached to the barrel only if necessary, and so it was worn in a sheath on the belt. Length as for sample Gewehr 88 - 1240 mm. The weight is the same - 3800 g. The stock is made of walnut wood, and it also contains a light half-ramrod; with an English neck. The front swivel was attached to the first ring on the stock; the rear sling swivel is quick-detachable: it could easily be carried under the butt (if the rifle is carried on a belt) or under the magazine box when the belt needs to be folded under the forend.
But this is the carbine of the Carl Gustav company, model 1914, that is, the same Mauser of 1894, but only produced in Sweden under license.
Highly visible brand.
In 1894, the firm of the Mauser brothers created a magazine rifle (patented by them in 1893), which was also adopted in a number of countries and modified in 1895. This was their first rifle with a magazine that did not protrude beyond the dimensions of the box, and a staggered arrangement of cartridges. After loading, there was no need to discard the clip, since it was pushed out by a closed bolt. It was not only convenient, but it definitely saved time. The rifle of the 1894 model was produced for export to Brazil and Sweden, and the carbine in the same 1894 entered service with the armies of Spain and Chile.
It is interesting that many rifles of the Mauser brothers' company, supplied abroad, were designed for the 7 × 57 mm cartridge, which became in Germany the representative of the first generation of new rifle cartridges on smokeless powder. It used a sleeve from the cartridge 7, 92 × 57 mm, but the caliber of the bullet itself was reduced to 7 mm (actually 7, 2 mm). At the same time, its weight was about 9 g. The cartridge was developed in Germany in 1892, but it was not accepted into service, although in other countries it was very popular for a long time.
The Swedish quality is immediately evident: all the shutter parts are very well made and nickel-plated. The extra large finger cutout on the bolt carrier makes loading from the magazine easier. The fuse is provided with corrugation. A trifle, but nice! It is a pity that there is no clamp on the aiming frame.
So rifles of the 1895 model of the year chambered for 7 × 57 mm were supplied to Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, China, Iran and both Boer republics: the Transvaal republic and the Orange Free State, where not so much rifles as rifles of the 1894 model were in great demand, as more rider-friendly, as most Boers were.
Look, there is even a stamp on the feeder, which, by the way, is made in the form of one wide plate. Its design is such that after the last cartridge has been used up, the shutter cannot be closed. That is, you need to either insert cartridges into it, or squeeze the feeder down with your finger. User friendly!
The bolt has a very long and powerful spring-loaded extractor lever.
The extractor tooth (here it is clearly visible), covered the neck of the sleeve by almost one quarter of its diameter, which ensured effective extraction.
Shop cover.
In the famous novel by the French writer Louis Boussinard "Captain Rip the Head" (1901), describing the events of the Second Boer War of 1899 - 1902, Mauser rifles are mentioned more than once, and, obviously, this is exactly the model of 1895 …
Front swivel and ramrod head.
Front sight, muzzle (for some reason with a thread at the end?) And ramrod.
Finally, in 1896, the company developed a rifle chambered for 6, 5 × 55 mm for export to Sweden, where it later became known under the unofficial name "Swedish Mauser". These rifles were first supplied to Sweden from Germany. But then they began to be made under license within the country at the Karl Gustav enterprise (as the plant in the city of Eskilstuna was called.) The rifle had a length of 1260 mm, a barrel - 740 mm, without cartridges it weighed 3, 97 kg and had a traditional built-in magazine for five cartridges.
This rifle was produced in Sweden from 1894 to 1944. In addition to the M96, the improved M38 rifle, the M41 sniper and the M94 carbine are known. These samples were in service with the Swedish army for more than eighty years. And the sniper version of the Swedish Mauser, the M41, was completely removed from service only in 1978, but it was also encountered later …
Personal impressions.
In fact, "Karl Gustav" (carbine) is … a Mauser with an English straight stock and a straight, not bent down reloading handle, located in the middle of the bolt. That is, the model preceding the well-known Gewehr 98. Purely subjectively, the bed in the area of holding it with the left hand seemed too "plump". Perhaps that is why there are notches on the sides. That is, I personally would like more convenience in holding the carbine in this particular place, although it is possible that a person with large palm dimensions will not even notice this! The "Karl Gustav" is reloaded in the same way as the "mosinka" (both a rifle and a carbine), that is, with a separation from the shoulder, which is really not very convenient. But on the other hand, it is possible to grip it in the center of gravity, since the magazine does not protrude from the box. In general, again, if I were offered to choose between our carbine and the "Swede", I would have to think. The caliber is less - there are more cartridges, the firing distance is approximately the same, which means that the accuracy is also reloaded, that the one that the other is reloaded in the same way. The question of reliability remains, but judging by the reliability of the Mauser rifles themselves, it was quite large. So I would probably choose the "Swede" after all. It was clearly more comfortable to carry in hands, and the recoil was weaker !!!
