Original German Model 1895 Chilean Contract Mauser Rifle by Ludwig Loewe Berlin with Spurious Boer War Markings - Serial A 7353

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good service used condition example of the Model 1895 Chilean Mauser Rifle, made by the renowned LUDWIG LOEWE ARMS COMPANY of BERLIN. It shows signs of being carried in service for a good amount of time, as well as a good amount of use in firing. There are no signs of being arsenal reconditioned, as many often were, so it has lots of all original patina.

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 a pre-1899 ANTIQUE 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 example is marked with the production information:-

MAUSER CHILENO MODELO 1895.
MANUFACTURA LOEWE BERLIN.

To the left of this is serial number A 7353, which is also stamped on the bolt handle, magazine housing, and the stock, as is correct. The shortened serial number 53 is present on many of the smaller components as well, however the firing pin holder is marked with 91. The cleaning rod also looks to be an unmarked arsenal replacement, which makes this a very nice "Mostly Matching example, with no major parts swapped out over the years.

We did note however that there are O.V.S. stamps added above the serial numbers on the stock and receiver. This is for the Oranje Vrij Staat (Orange Free State), one of the three main groups involved in the 2nd Boer War of 1899 – 1902, which resulted in a British Victory and formation of the new South African Republic. This marking however is definitely spurious, added to try to enhance the value to the collectors not familiar with the Mauser rifles sent to the Orange Free State. None of those had the Chilean markings, and were true model 1893 Mauser rifles, without the Model 1895 modifications, and also featured a downturned bolt handle.

The chamber ring still has a fully visible Chilean coat of arms marked on it, and isn't worn down like it would be from a refinish. The left side of the stock still has a clear Chilean cartouche on it, which has a 1895 date in a box at the bottom. The stock is solid, and the wood shows the lovely dark red brown color of a rifle that was carried in service for a good amount of time but was well cared for. It has small dents, scratches, and dings, but no major damage, and there is even some nice figuring on the right side of the butt stock.

The metalwork is in good condition, with the original bluing worn to a nice dark gray patina on most of the metalwork. There is no major rust or pitting, and there are still traces of the "Niter blue" on the magazine follower, while the bolt release and band springs may have been spot refinished. The bright steel bolt and cleaning rod show some wear and light staining, but no major oxidation.

The rifle cycles great, with no issues that we can see, though there is no way for us to test to see if the magazine feeds correctly. The "wing" safety is fully functional, working exactly as intended with no mechanical issues to note. It prevents firing in the "up" position, and prevents both cycling and firing in the "right" position. The bolt release works correctly, allowing easy field stripping of the rifle, and both the extractor and ejector are present, though we have no way to test them. The bore is in good condition, showing clear rifling, but also a good amount of copper and propellent fouling from use, which is difficult to remove. We cleaned it multiple times, but it really would need a good bore cleaning to really shine. There is a clear primer ring burned into the bolt face, but it is not very deep.

Another Military Contract from the Victorian era that Mauser managed to snag from all its European competitors. In lovely cosmetic condition with a fantastic bore and great service used look and partially figured stock. Ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1895
Caliber: 7×57mm Mauser
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 29 Inches
Overall Length: 48 1/2 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 5 round internal magazine

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.

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.