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Re: Original WW1 service rifles....show and tell
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 7:07 am
by FredB
If we are including Home Guard / National Defence rear guard rifles, this one qualifies.
Mauser 71 / 84. Never used in a major conflict but issued to home guard types right through until WW1.
Fred
Re: Original WW1 service rifles....show and tell
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 4:39 pm
by Justwatching
FredB wrote:If we are including Home Guard / National Defence rear guard rifles, this one qualifies.
Mauser 71 / 84. Never used in a major conflict but issued to home guard types right through until WW1.
Fred
Did they see any action in the Boxer Uprising?
Re: Original WW1 service rifles....show and tell
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 4:41 pm
by Justwatching
Romanian Steyr Mannlicher M1893 carbine / Portuguese M1896.
Re: Original WW1 service rifles....show and tell
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 6:31 pm
by FredB
- resizecoll2.jpg (34.71 KiB) Viewed 1379 times
Regarding the Boxer uprising--- I don't know. The 71/84 was only in production for four years. The round was obsolete from the start and the rifle was quickly replaced by the smaller bore Commision Rifle. In that short period, they did make rather a lot of 71/84s and they were issued to lots of places, but never to front line troops.
After the Boxer revolution ended in 1900. the foreign legations set up and armed military / police organisations to control China. One of these was the Guan Dong Brigade which is still in existence as part of the Red Army.
I have a Winchester '92 in 44-40 which was made in 1904. The barrel and stock are stamped "Guan Dong Brigade" in Cantonese. The rilfe was found in the attic of a house in South Kensington when it was being re-developed.
I can't find a picture of it on its own.
Fred
Re: Original WW1 service rifles....show and tell
Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 10:40 pm
by gashtyke
There's lots of History in that photo, Fred.
Re: Original WW1 service rifles....show and tell
Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 4:58 pm
by Justwatching
Ross MKIII. 1916 example.
Re: Original WW1 service rifles....show and tell
Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 8:47 pm
by PeterN
I have a 1916 Ross MkIII. Have you got any close up photos of the butt and action markings to see how they compare with mine?
Regards
Peter.
Re: Original WW1 service rifles....show and tell
Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 5:27 pm
by Justwatching
Any good?
Re: Original WW1 service rifles....show and tell
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:50 am
by PeterN
Thanks for that. Mine has an interesting history. It has a PLY prefix serial number that I am told means it was with the Royal Navy at Plymouth at some point. The stock also has a 1943 date stamp and the Indian ISA stamp that I am told means it was part of the batch that went to India in WW2, or at least the stock did as the metal would not always be with the same stock as I know some were restocked if the original stock was unserviceable for some reason. Mine is missing the sight hood and has some stock repairs but shoots very well.
Regards
Peter.
Re: Original WW1 service rifles....show and tell
Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 12:51 pm
by Mauserbill
Hello
My 1912 SMLE matching with mag cut off, but no vollies