See post #20 for latest information.
Wednesday I picked up my latest Mauser from my transfer dealer. It was purchased from the Gunboards trader. If the seller wishes to identify himself, he may choose to post in this thread. He bought the rifle two years ago and told me it came from the SAMCO selloff. He thought it might have been a Brazilian trials carbine.
As identified from the 1911 ALFA catalog, this is a DWM M1907 carbine for sale to anyone. I was lucky to find a 1972 reprint of the 1911 catalog. I think my carbine was sold to Chile because it (1) has a Chilean M1912 short rifle bolt, (2) has an almost invisible SAMCO import mark, and (3) the SAMCO final inventory list had no Brazilian rifles (it did have many Chilean, including M1912 short rifles). The SAMCO list did not show this carbine.
Also, the book Rifles of the World by John Walter shows Chile buying "small numbers" of DWM M1904 "standard 1898 pattern export Mauser" rifles with front band altered to accept M1895 bayonet. They could have bought M1907 carbines along with those. If it was a "trials" carbine, there was a long gap before the M1935 Chilean carbines but maybe WWI just got in the way. It could possibly be that some Chilean General just wanted a single carbine.
The ALFA catalog shows the Brazilian contract carbine as M1904 (top of page, labeled as Brazilian) and my carbine as M1907 (bottom of page). Other books incorrectly show the Brazilian carbines as M1907. It seems doubtful that a M1907 carbine (mine) would be a trials weapon for a later Brazilian contract carbine that ALFA calls M1904.
The Carbines for Collectors website says about Brazil: "The Modelo 1907 Mauser" (almost certainly long rifles - I have one) "in 7x57mm was bought in small numbers from Oberndorf as were trial numbers of competing designs such as the Haenel in 7x57mm. In 1908, 7x57mm Modelo 1908 was adopted on a large scale as standard. It was made as a long rifle and as a 21" carbine which had a smaller rear sight with scaled down range on the tangent sight leaf." Before that Brazil bought M1894 carbines and after that they bought FN1922 carbines.
My carbine has no national markings or model number markings. It has DWM on the siderail and the receiver has a style of commercial proof that was not used after 1912. It is matching except for the bolt and was missing the lock screws until I replaced them. The design is distinctive with a short handguard, no bayonet lug, and no cleaning rod with a flat metal plate at the front of the front band. It's nice to get a new rifle and not have to go hunting a bayonet/scabbard/frog and cleaning rod. I will put a sling on it.
My best guess is that it was purchased by Chile, perhaps as a trials carbine or maybe for police use. The serial number is 252 but that does not indicate how many Chile might have purchased because this is an off-the-shelf gun. I wonder where the other 251 carbines went? So far it seems to be the only one known of the type. If anyone has more information on this carbine or even guesses, please post.
As a summary, we know the type was for sale to anyone, we know it is 7mm, we know it came from SAMCO, and we know SAMCO imported a lot of guns from Chile and Argentina but none from Brazil. And we know it has a Chilean bolt.
The photos below are two years old. I will take more when I get a chance.
Sneak preview: I am waiting for delivery of a Paraguayan M1907 long rifle (not Turk) with Lange sight.
Wednesday I picked up my latest Mauser from my transfer dealer. It was purchased from the Gunboards trader. If the seller wishes to identify himself, he may choose to post in this thread. He bought the rifle two years ago and told me it came from the SAMCO selloff. He thought it might have been a Brazilian trials carbine.
As identified from the 1911 ALFA catalog, this is a DWM M1907 carbine for sale to anyone. I was lucky to find a 1972 reprint of the 1911 catalog. I think my carbine was sold to Chile because it (1) has a Chilean M1912 short rifle bolt, (2) has an almost invisible SAMCO import mark, and (3) the SAMCO final inventory list had no Brazilian rifles (it did have many Chilean, including M1912 short rifles). The SAMCO list did not show this carbine.
Also, the book Rifles of the World by John Walter shows Chile buying "small numbers" of DWM M1904 "standard 1898 pattern export Mauser" rifles with front band altered to accept M1895 bayonet. They could have bought M1907 carbines along with those. If it was a "trials" carbine, there was a long gap before the M1935 Chilean carbines but maybe WWI just got in the way. It could possibly be that some Chilean General just wanted a single carbine.
The ALFA catalog shows the Brazilian contract carbine as M1904 (top of page, labeled as Brazilian) and my carbine as M1907 (bottom of page). Other books incorrectly show the Brazilian carbines as M1907. It seems doubtful that a M1907 carbine (mine) would be a trials weapon for a later Brazilian contract carbine that ALFA calls M1904.
The Carbines for Collectors website says about Brazil: "The Modelo 1907 Mauser" (almost certainly long rifles - I have one) "in 7x57mm was bought in small numbers from Oberndorf as were trial numbers of competing designs such as the Haenel in 7x57mm. In 1908, 7x57mm Modelo 1908 was adopted on a large scale as standard. It was made as a long rifle and as a 21" carbine which had a smaller rear sight with scaled down range on the tangent sight leaf." Before that Brazil bought M1894 carbines and after that they bought FN1922 carbines.
My carbine has no national markings or model number markings. It has DWM on the siderail and the receiver has a style of commercial proof that was not used after 1912. It is matching except for the bolt and was missing the lock screws until I replaced them. The design is distinctive with a short handguard, no bayonet lug, and no cleaning rod with a flat metal plate at the front of the front band. It's nice to get a new rifle and not have to go hunting a bayonet/scabbard/frog and cleaning rod. I will put a sling on it.
My best guess is that it was purchased by Chile, perhaps as a trials carbine or maybe for police use. The serial number is 252 but that does not indicate how many Chile might have purchased because this is an off-the-shelf gun. I wonder where the other 251 carbines went? So far it seems to be the only one known of the type. If anyone has more information on this carbine or even guesses, please post.
As a summary, we know the type was for sale to anyone, we know it is 7mm, we know it came from SAMCO, and we know SAMCO imported a lot of guns from Chile and Argentina but none from Brazil. And we know it has a Chilean bolt.
The photos below are two years old. I will take more when I get a chance.
Sneak preview: I am waiting for delivery of a Paraguayan M1907 long rifle (not Turk) with Lange sight.