Original German Made Model 1895 Chilean Contract Mauser Short Rifle by Ludwig Loewe with Bayonet & Scabbard - Serial C 2156

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice service used condition example of the Model 1895 Chilean Mauser Artillery Short Rifle, officially termed the Mosqueton Mauser Chileno Mo 1895. It was made by the renowned LUDWIG LOEWE ARMS COMPANY of BERLIN, and comes complete with the correct bayonet, made by the well-known Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Co.. It shows signs of long service, but does not have any major wear or damage from abuse. This gives it a lovely worn patina that is simply impossible to duplicate, and comes complete with an excellent condition correct bayonet.

The Ludwig Loewe company was actually part owner of Mauser Waffenfabrik from 1887 onward, which is why they were the primary contractor for the export Mauser rifles. In 1896 the company consolidated its arms manufacturing, and founded Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken, the famous D.W.M.. All rifles made 1897 onward were marked with the new company abbreviation. Therefore ANY LUDWIG LOEWE marked firearm is considered Pre-1899 ANTIQUES by U.S. FEDERAL LAW. Most Chilean Contract M-1895 Rifles and Carbines found today are marked DWM, with examples by Ludwig Loewe being hard to find.

The left side of the receiver on this lovely example is marked with the production information:

MAUSER CHILENO MODELO 1895.
MANUFACTURA LOEWE BERLIN.

To the left of this is serial number C 2165, which is also stamped on magazine housing, stock, and down-turned bolt handle. There are also some smaller parts marked with partial serial number 65. The cleaning rod is the only non-matching component, marked with C 8466, probably swapped at arsenal long ago. The Chilean Coat of Arms over the chamber is a bit worn, but still fully discernable in the light, and the cartouche on the left side of the butt stock is still visible, and has M.E. stamped under it, which indicates that the stock was probably replaced at some point during service. The rear sight is present and fully

The metalwork was originally all blued, but years of service and cleaning worn this to a light gray matte patina, with some areas of past peppering, now cleaned away. The bolt was originally bright steel, but now is gray like the rest of the hardware. There is however still much of the "niter blue" finish on the magazine follower, as it is a very durable finish and well protected inside the action. The rear sight is still present on the barrel, and is fully functional. The stock is in good condition, showing wear from long service after it was replaced at arsenal, though it does not look to have been reconditioned, as the stock markings are still partly present, just showing wear from use. It has a lovely color, with no major damage such as cracks or repairs. Both side-mounted sling swivels are still present and move easily.

The rifle cycles well, with a crisp dry fire, though we are not able to check to see if the magazine still feeds. The bolt release works correctly, allowing easy field stripping of the rifle, and the extractor, firing pin, and ejector are all present. The wing safety works correctly, preventing firing in the up position, and locking the bolt closed in the right position. The bore is in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is some wear to the lands, and past oxidation and fouling in the grooves, later cleaned away. It has the look of a rifle that saw a good amount of use, but was well cared for.

The bayonet and scabbard are both in excellent lightly used condition, with the blade still showing the original factory crossgrain and blunt edge, having never been sharpened. It shows little to no signs of use, with just a bit of wear in the sides, and a bit of light staining. It still bears the Chilean crest on the ricasso along with the "three intertwined circles" trademark logo of Krupp steelworks, who supplied the blade steel. At this point they were the largest company in the world, and the three rings signified the famous seamless railroad wheels the company produced in the mid 19th century.

The other side of the ricasso bears the German Bayonet maker's name:

WEYERSBERG
KIRSCHBAUM & CO
SOLINGEN

This company is a famous manufacturer of military swords and cutlery in Solingen, Germany - a city famous since the middle ages for its metal-working and craftsmanship in sword making. Per J. Anthony Carter's fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS, the traditional manufacturing of swords at WKC dates back to the year 1774 when the Weyersberg first registered the ''Kings head'' as their trademark. Later in 1883 the company merged with the Kirschbaums and the company WKC was formed as it exists today. It was heavily involved with exporting edged weapons to South American countries in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Another Military Contract from the Victorian era that Mauser managed to snag from all its European competitors. In very nice condition, complete with bayonet and scabbard. Ready to display!

Specifications (Short Rifle):-

Year of Manufacture: 1895
Caliber: 7×57mm Mauser
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 21.25 Inches
Overall Length: 41.2 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 5 round internal magazine

Specifications (Bayonet):-

Blade Length: 10"
Blade Style: Single Edged bayonet
Overall length: 14 3/4“
Crossguard: 2 3/4”
Scabbard Length: 10 5/8"

More on the Mauser Model 1895:

The Mauser Model 1895 is a bolt operated magazine fed rifle using the 7×57mm Mauser cartridge. It was exported to many overseas powers, including the Chilean forces which adopted as the Fusil Mauser Chileno Mo 1895. It is the first major modification of the Mauser Model 1893 and was produced by Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken, known as DWM, and Ludwig Loewe Company from 1895 to 1900.

A Model 1895 short rifle was also produced, adopted as the Mosqueton Mauser Chileno Mo 1895, a slightly longer version of the carbine with an overall length of 41.2 in (1,046 mm), a 21.25 in (540 mm) barrel and a 1,400 m (1,531 yd) rear sight. The only other modifications are a bent bolt handle and sling swivels on the left side of the barrel band and stock

First supplied by the Ludwig Loewe & Co during 1895-1896 then later by the DWM (1897-1900), the Mauser model 1895 first made its appearance during a small arms race between Argentina and Chile in 1896 and 1898. In this period, over 80,000 Model 1895 rifles and 30,000 Model 1895 carbines were shipped and deployed to the Chilean army.

The Mauser Model 1895 also saw service in Mexico, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Iran, El Salvador and Honduras. Mauser Model 1895 rifles and carbines were the standard weapons of the various Mexican armies during the Mexican Revolution while the Paraguayan rifles saw combat during the Chaco War. Forces led by Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution and later guerilla campaign would have been armed with these rifles.