It's generally acknowledged that anything other than a cleaning of metal and wood will adversely affect collector value. I'm not so much of a collector that I'll turn my nose up at a mismatched cleaning rod. As for cleaning rods…well, I am unsure why Mauser felt it was necessary to number something like that, but there you go. Mismatching parts like bolts can result in chambering and headspace issues, which aren't good. Given the human attention and hand-fitting that went into these rifles, numbering major parts made sense.
#Chilean mauser cleaning serial#
The bore is bright and unblemished, the metal finish is intact, and the rifle has all matching serial numbers…with the exception of the cleaning rod. Mine certainly isn’t a mint, unissued piece, but other than dings and dents in the stock, and finish wear on the buttplate, my rifle is in fantastic shape. I was fortunate enough two years back to find an excellent example for about $350. Near mint examples go for north of $800, but you can get a beater for a couple hundred bucks.
If you were to make a rifle today the way Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken and Ludwig Loewe made them in the 19th century, it would likely cost several thousand dollars. Oil finished walnut stocks, nitre-blued small parts with acceptance marks, gorgeous rust-blued barrel and receiver, and a polished steel bolt left “in the white”. As I mentioned earlier, the craftsmanship on these rifles is something to be admired. More than a few Modelo 1895s have appeared on the market in recent years, varying in condition from "near-mint" to "dragged through the Chilean highlands behind a mule cart".
The 1895 Chilean Mauser, very similar to the 1893 Mauser in most respects Except for maybe in the hot, humid swamps of Cuba. These features allowed a decently-trained soldier to fire 40 rounds of aimed fire per minute without breaking a sweat. The action cocked on closing and was as slick as goose shit. A guide was machined into the top of the receiver that allowed the entire magazine to be reloaded in a second with five round stripper clips, a significant advantage over the Americans' Krags. The two-piece bolt and non-rotating claw extractor allowed controlled feeding (the extractor maintained positive control of the cartridge through the chambering, firing, and unloading process, a feature that improved reliability). Unlike previous Mauser designs, this double column magazine was flush with the bottom of the rifle, which contributed to sleek lines and easy handling. The brainchild of Paul Mauser, the Model 1893 sported a double column, internal five round magazine. The 1893 Mauser rifles used by the Spaniards were arguably the finest infantry rifles of their day.
Enough said.Īnother astounding development was the bolt-action repeating rifle. The Americans won a costly victory (thanks in part to Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders) and learned an important lesson the hard way, but they learned it well…well enough that they decided to commission a new military rifle and cartridge. The Spaniards illustrated this advantage (along with others) in the battle of San Juan Hill, where a mere 760 soldiers inflicted 5:1 casualties against a force of 15,000 Americans armed with inferior weapons, including single shot blackpowder rifles and the obsolete-as-issued Krag-Jorgensen. Instead of relying on large caliber, heavy projectiles moving at relatively slow speeds, smokeless powder allowed for the first “small bore” cartridges with lighter bullets moving upwards of 2,000 fps. More importantly, though, smokeless powder generated higher pressures, which meant increased velocity, which in turn meant a flatter trajectory and increased effective range. The giant clouds of smoke that enveloped entire regiments and made command and control difficult disappeared, much to the relief of the generals. The invention of smokeless gun powder, and the weapons and cartridges that used it were pivotal. The late 19 th century and early 20 th century was an exciting time in firearms development. I'm pretty sure this is how authorized resellers get their shipments.