Bolt guns: modern traditional vs modern. Tikka fanboy put a Winchester Model 70 in lay-away

December 24, 2024, 09:39 AM

Here's a good friend shooting my 1912 Mauser Model B in 7x57.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2EX1EyfXE

It had been bought in 1913 from the Army & Navy Stores in London and taken out to Rhodesia that year by a farmer.

It had been a daily user for pot meat from the farm-workers. In 1990 it had come back to England, brought by some of the family, and sold at auction and was acquired for me for less than $150.

In the video, the guy shooting it is from Tanzania, and by a process of investigation, we found out that he'd gone to boarding school in Harare with the grandson of the farmer......

Small world, eh?

December 25, 2024, 08:19 AM

sprg03-A3

Very cool! I used to have a nice collection of near turn-of-the-century Mausers, Brazilian M1908s, which are long gone, an an 1895 Chilean and a particularly nice M1909 Argentine, both of which I still have. The 2 Swede Mausers I had were beautiful as well. Those pre WW1 Mausers are beautiful examples of old world craftsmanship, and really nice shooters too.

December 25, 2024, 09:07 AM

tacfoley

quote:
Originally posted by sprg03-A3:
Very cool! I used to have a nice collection of near turn-of-the-century Mausers, Brazilian M1908s, which are long gone, an an 1895 Chilean and a particularly nice M1909 Argentine, both of which I still have. The 2 Swede Mausers I had were beautiful as well. Those pre WW1 Mausers are beautiful examples of old world craftsmanship, and really nice shooters too.

Here in UK I have an 1897-made Ludwig Loewe [DWM] Mauser carbine used in the Boer War. I traced the original owner with the help of a friend in the Anglo-Boer War museum in Bloemfontein, and the farmer whose ancestor took the 'surrender' from the POW after the battle of Korannafontein on May 10th 1901.

If you watch Forgotten Weapons 'forgotten guns of the Veldt, you'll see Ian McCallum with a similar carbine to mine - his is #6988, mine is 6691.

Also an 1896, three digit M96 Swedish Mauser, re-arsenalled in 1936, and then forgotten.

My Mauser .22, a 1937 ES350B, is another gun with a story, maybe for another time.

December 25, 2024, 10:40 AM

sprg03-A3

quote:
Originally posted by tacfoley:
quote:
Originally posted by sprg03-A3:
Very cool! I used to have a nice collection of near turn-of-the-century Mausers, Brazilian M1908s, which are long gone, an an 1895 Chilean and a particularly nice M1909 Argentine, both of which I still have. The 2 Swede Mausers I had were beautiful as well. Those pre WW1 Mausers are beautiful examples of old world craftsmanship, and really nice shooters too.

Here in UK I have an 1897-made Ludwig Loewe [DWM] Mauser carbine used in the Boer War. I traced the original owner with the help of a friend in the Anglo-Boer War museum in Bloemfontein, and the farmer whose ancestor took the 'surrender' from the POW after the battle of Korannafontein on May 10th 1901.

If you watch Forgotten Weapons 'forgotten guns of the Veldt, you'll see Ian McCallum with a similar carbine to mine - his is #6988, mine is 6691.

Also an 1896, three digit M96 Swedish Mauser, re-arsenalled in 1936, and then forgotten.

My Mauser .22, a 1937 ES350B, is another gun with a story, maybe for another time.

I look forward to hearing that story sometime!