Original Dutch Beaumont-Vitali M1871/88 Bolt Action Magazine Conversion Rifle Serial 1982 - Dated 1885 and 1891

Original Item: Only One Available. This Dutch Infantry Rifle was made by Stevens in Maastricht in the Netherlands, and is actually dated 1873. The model M-71 was a single shot 11mm rifle that was converted to a bolt-action magazine rifle with a capacity of four rounds in 1891. This magazine system was introduced in 1888, derived from Vitali's improvements to the Italian Vetterli rifle, and led to the designation Beaumont-Vitali M1871/88.

This example has serial number 1982 on the barrel and butt plate, and numbers 477 G on all of the bolt components, above the chamber on the receiver, as well as on the magazine floor plate. This is normal for the converted rifles, as the action had to be rebuilt. The barrel is dated 1885, and the metalwork was refinished at some point, so we are not able to see any maker markings on it. It is in very good condition overall with a nice refinished stock, still bearing a partly clear DELFT / 1886 cartouche with CROWN / W in the middle, for William III of the Netherlands. Most of these we see are from Maastricht, in the south of the Netherlands near the Belgium border, but this was made in Delft near the Hague. Additionally, the butt plate is marked 1891, indicating the year it was converted to the bolt-action magazine system.

The rifle is in very good overall condition, looking to have been fully reconditioned at some point in the past. This involved bluing all of the metalwork, and refinishing and repairing the stock. The bluing on the metalwork is well retained, though there is some oxidation on the barrel, particularly along the wood line. All components are solid and the bolt moves crisply with just a bit of slop due to wear. The magazine cutoff is present and functional, and the bolt extractor and ejector are both present as well, though we have no way to test to see if it still feeds. The bore is in very good condition, showing a bright finish with strong lands and grooves. There is just a bit of overall wear, as well as some oxidation close to the muzzle from exposure to moisture.

The wood stock is quite nice, with a very nice dark red brown color and finish. It shows some light denting and dings, which have happened since it was refinished. There is also a repaired crack on the left side that runs through the magazine well to the wrist. The removal of wood for the magazine weakens the stock significantly, so this type of damage is not rare. It has been pinned and glued, looking to have been done at arsenal Both sling swivels are present and move, though they are definitely stiff, and there is a cleaning rod that looks to be a period replacement that is incorrect for the rifle.

Still in use by the time WW1 came in 1914 but was much outclassed by the Mauser and Enfield rifle systems introduced in the late 1890s. An unusual system, the bolts spring is in fact housed inside the bolt handle, from an era of great firearms development worldwide, the dawn of the breech-loading period this is unusual and not easy to find. Ready to display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1885/86 - converted 1891
Caliber: 11.3mm x 51R Dutch Beaumont
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 32 Inches
Overall Length: 52 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 4 Round Magazine

History of the Beaumont:
Created in 1871 by a Dutch engineer named Messerecht, the Dutch Beaumont rifle was one of the first metallic cartridge bolt-action rifle to be adopted by any military. Firing an 11.3x50mm cartridge it was single shot only, meaning the user had to insert a new cartridge after every shot. Unlike other rifles, the mainspring of the Beaumont was located within the bolt handle, an exact copy of the Mauser Norris rifle, which would also be copied by the Japanese with the Murata rifle. This same feature, however, made it impossible to turn down the bolt on cavalry and carbine models.

While the Beaumont was state of the art for its day, by the late 1880's it was obsolete as repeating rifles became all the rage in Europe. To make up for the Beaumont's deficiency, the Dutch added a magazine to the rifle, the same type of magazine used by the Italians when they converted their single shot Vetterli rifles into repeaters. Since the Beaumont was outfitted with the Italian Vitali magazine in 1888, it was redubbed the Beaumont-Vitali Model 1871/88. The Vitali magazine held four rounds and was reloaded with an en bloc clip made of cardboard. When the clip was empty, an attached string was pulled to remove it from the magazine, no kidding.

Despite the upgrade the Beaumont-Vitali, much like the Italian Vetterli Vitali, was obsolete by the time it was introduced. By 1890 nations began to adopt smokeless powder designs which used smaller caliber high velocity cartridges firing conical shaped spitzer bullets. Eventually the Dutch phased out the Beaumont-Vitali and replaced it with the M95 Steyr-Hembrug.

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