Help with 1891 Argentine Mauser

[brandon91]

From what I've been reading this might be Peruvian? This has been sitting in the safe for around 15 years. Crest is gone, looks to be in really good shape except for some dust from sitting so long.

Serial number is R6488, all matching including bolt. Any idea when it was made and some history behind it?

Also if I wanted to shoot it, what measures should I take so it is safe.

[highpower]

I doubt seriously that a '91 Mauser that is marked "Modelo Argentino" would have been made for Peru.

Nice rifle though.

[brandon91]

Well, looks like I answered my own questions with a few hours of internet research, lol.

Apparently this info comes from Colin Webster's Argentine Mauser Rifles 1871-1959.


"R6XXX would be 1899 production. It should be marked "Deutsch Waffen-und Munitionsfabriken Berlin" on the receiver."

">Also the crest on the receiver seems to be ground down, any significance to this?

Yes. Argentina sold some of their M1891 rifles to Peru and Bolivia almost as soon as they received them from Germany. During the Bolivia-Paraguay Chaco War from 1932-34, Argentina was officially neutral. The Bolivians took their Argentine-marked M1891 rifles into battle against Paraguay, and when Paraguay captured them it was politically embarrassing for Argentina. The Argentine government passed a law that said that all military equipment sold as surplus had to have the national seal scrubbed to show their government no longer owned it. Most of the 1891 long rifles were surplussed when the law was still in effect. Rumor has it that Sam Cummings of Interarms refused to do any more business with the Argentine government unless they stopped defacing their rifles. This is why most of the 1891 carbines still have crests (they stayed in service longer than the M1891 rifles did), and the M1909 rifles/carbines as well.

You might notice that there's a bare spot on the right side of the buttstock and on top of the handguard; this is where the crest on the wood was sanded off."

This all applies to the rifle I have (pics below). It seems whoever was sanding crests that day missed the one on the hand guard.









Some really neat history

[Eljay]

Those 1891s are great guns. I really like mine!

[SVT-40]

Most of the all matching rifles have had their crests scrubbed...A few made it to the US intact. The bright fire blue on the ejector box cover / stripper retainer is awesome. You cant beat old world military rifles for their beauty and quality.

[knucklehead0202]

Yep, I've had 2 that were arsenal sporters but had matching numbers and scrubbed crests. The bores were perfect and they shot great, but I sold them because I wanted originals. I've still yet to get another '91 but I want one SOOOO badly. In my opinion the smoothest of the mauser actions ever. Triggers are nice on them too, and 7.65x53 is a great round. Still have a ton of ammo and brass, just no reason to reload it currently.

[brandon91]

You're right about the action, buttery smooth. Going to clean it up and shoot it soon. I'll take that poor unused ammo off your hands.