Original Dutch Beaumont-Vitali M1871/88 Bolt Action Magazine Conversion Rifle Serial 3248 - Dated 1875 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 3248 on the barrel and butt plate, and numbers N / 516 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 1875, and the receiver is faintly marked with P. STEVENS / MAASTRICHT. It is in nice condition overall with a nice stock, which definitely looks to have been arsenal reconditioned at some point before seeing further service. The right side of the butt stock still does bear a VERY faint 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, but there is no real rust or pitting. 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 very good condition, showing a bright finish with crisp lands and grooves. There is just a bit of wear and past fouling, now cleaned away. 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, but no major structural damage we can see. 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 unfortunately missing, which we often see.

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: 1875 - 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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