Original Dutch Beaumont-Vitali M1871/88 Bolt Action Magazine Conversion Rifle Serial 2492 - Dated 1874 and 1890

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 fully cleaned example has serial number 2492 on the butt plate, while the barrel was never stamped, or the number was removed. There is M / 139 on 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 1874, and the receiver has traces of the original "P. STEVENS / MAASTRICHT" maker marking. It is in nice condition looking to have been cleaned multiple times, which has made the markings faint in areas. It has a nice stock that shows a very nice color and crisp markings, however there is a repaired crack on the left side of the wrist, a common place to see these due to how much wood is removed for the magazine conversion. The right side of the butt stock stil bears a crisp MAASTRICHT / 18 75 cartouche with CROWN / W in the middle, for William III of the Netherlands. Additionally, the butt plate is marked 1890, indicating the year it was converted to the bolt-action magazine system.

The rifle is in very good overall condition, with a great lightly patinated look from years of care and cleaning. The metalwork has a nice aged patina, showing some areas of staining and oxidation, and there is some rust present on the butt plate as well as on the right side of the nose cap. All components are solid and the bolt moves easily with just a bit of slop due to wear, cocking correctly with a crisp dry fire. The magazine cutoff is present and functional, though we have no way to test for functionality. The bore is in excellent condition, showing a bright finish with crisp lands and grooves. There is just a bit of oxidation near the muzzle. 

The wood stock is quite nice, with a very nice red brown color and finish. It has the usual dents and dings expected on a rifle used in service, and as mentioned previously, there is a repaired crack through the left side of the wrist, which does not show any movement. Both sling swivels are present and move, though the rear swivel can stick if moved all the way to the back or the front. The original cleaning rod is is present, and in very good shape, with intact threads on the end, however it takes quite a it of effort to get it out of the stock.

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: 1874 - converted 1890
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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