Mauser Military Rifles of the World P-147.Pdf

Y1287pg134-189.FM Page 147 Friday, April 15, 2011 12:06 PM GERMANY • 147 The cut-off of the Kropatschek functions more smoothly and could handle. The smaller size of these cartridges did not require the reliably than that of the M71/84. In the M71/84, once the bolt is large M1871 action, so Mauser developed a small-size M1871 action. withdrawn, depressing the cartridge lifter forces the selector lever Figure 8.1 shows a rifle with such an action. This piece is a schutzen towards the butt. In this position it is impossible to replace the bolt into weapon chambered in 8.15 x 46R for target shooting. The components, the receiver. This difficulty is remedied only by disassembling the piece unequivocally of Oberndorf origin, bear the markings “Gebruder and pushing the lifter upwards from the bottom of the receiver. Mauser & Co.” on the barrel. Note that Wilhelm Mauser died in 1882, Additional differences exist in the cam action of the bolts. The M71/84 and in 1884 the factory changed its name to Waffenfabrik Mauser A.G. uses the lug positioned on the left rear of the bolt to bear upon a recess Because the 8.15 x 46R cartridge appeared after 1890, the illustrated in the receiver wall for cocking. The Kropatschek M1886 utilizes the weapon was fabricated around that time using older barrels projection of the cartridge lifter hinge from the receiver floor, which manufactured during 1880-1884. The action manufacture date cannot contacts a cam recess on the underside of the bolt, for cocking. In its be fixed with any exactitude; the factory might have made these short cocking action, the Kropatschek mimics the cocking of the M1869 actions well into the 1890’s to satisfy civilian shooters. The only other Interim Mauser. clue to the date of manufacture may be derived from the crown B and It is noteworthy that the upper barrel handguard came into being U proofs on the action. This would date the piece after 1891 when the about 1889-1890. Some Kropatschek Mausers with this feature are use of these marks was required by law. designated as the M1886/89. Oberndorf Mausers did not exhibit a Model 1871 short actions are comparatively rare due to the handguard until the advent of the M1890 Turkish rifle, and this feature availability of M1888 (commission) military actions sold as surplus was not on the service rifles of the major powers of that time (e.g., the after adoption of the M1898 Mauser and the introduction of the Lee-Metford; the French M1886; the Austrian M1888; the German Mauser M1898 action into commerce in the first decade of the 20th Commission rifle, etc.). The feature of the side-positioned ramrod of the century. The M1888 (commission), M1898 and Austrian Kropatschek also was incorporated in the Turkish Mauser M1887. In Mannlicher actions, all repeaters, and all able to handle the powerful any event, the handguard was a sufficiently desirable feature of smokeless cartridges, displaced the M1871 action from the repeating rifles to warrant inclusion in most military arms developed commercial market. during the 1890 time-frame. Portugal also issued the Kropatschek M1886 as a short rifle and as a The End of the M1871 Rifle cavalry carbine. Table 7.1 shows data on this series. It is characteristic of all major weapons systems that they undergo a To say that the impact of the Kropatschek rifles on the small arms history of development, evolution, and death much in the manner of market jarred the Mauser Company is an understatement. The living things, which is known as the Life Cycle. The M1871 rifle was Kropatschek M1878 pre-dated the M1882 by four years; and the no exception to this rule. Those rifles that preceded and followed it, Kropatschek M1886 pre-dated the M1888 Mauser by two years. but still possessed essentially the same action, all represented some It can thus be concluded that the OEWG more aggressively initiated modification of the basic M1871 action. We can, for sake of innovations in small arms during those times. illustration, divide the Life Cycle of the M1871 rifle into the following periods of time: M1871 Short Action Rifle 1862-1863 concept formulation The well known success that the Mauser Firm enjoyed as a consequence 1863-1867 of introducing the M1871 action rifle resulted in the firm expanding its 1867-1869 three well-defined development stages manufacturing capabilities in the last two decades of the 19th century to 1869-1871 handle large military contracts for firearms. The period between 1880- 1872-1887 product improvement stage 1886, when the huge Turkish contracts for repeaters were being negotiated, found the factory in a slack time. Mention has already been 1890-1910 conversion stage made of the activities then in progress to develop repeaters, magazines, after 1910 phase out stage and revolvers. Another concurrent development adapted the M1871 action for sporting use. The 11mm Mauser cartridge is quite long, and We have pointed out in previous chapters that both the Dreys and with the advent of the smaller smokeless cartridges, its appeal to Chassepot rifles strongly influenced the development of the M1871 civilian users would be minimal. The availability of powerful action. The last Dreyse pattern was adopted in 1869, and sometime smokeless cartridges to sportsmen preceded the availability of strong during the 1862-1863 timeframe Mauser made an analysis of its faults actions to handle them. This led to the development of weaker and devised a concept to correct them. From 1863 to 1867, the cartridges (as exemplified by the 8.l5 x 46R) that the M1871 action development of prototypes such as the Chassepot Mauser, the Norris Mauser, and the Mauser with the hooked cocking feature were undertaken. The concept was being explored. Crystallization of the idea took place in 1867-1869 during development of the interim models. The M1871 rifle could then be considered as in an advanced stage of development. The engineering development phase from 1869 to 1871 ended with the adoption of the rifle as a standard by the German Army. Those rifles developed during 1872 to 1887 offered no innovative features that could not have been foreseen as a natural consequence of the state-of-the-art, and represent a series of product improvements. These improvements sought to offer some advantage to the producer or the user. The user got improvements in capability and safety as follows: a. Exterior magazines - provided the user with increased firepower, but the method by which this was achieved was not fully satisfactory. Figure 8.1 A typical Mauser M71 Rifle Short Action compared with an b. Tubular magazine - the development of the M71/84 gave the M1871 Rifle Standard Action. user increased firepower with more reliability..

Load more