All Mausers are world travelers. This is an early one. It's Mauser's first rifle, the 1871 11MM single shot. I guess it's the 6969th Mauser that they ever made since that's the serial number. Built in the Austrian State factory, later Steyr, stamped with the crown of Prussian King Wilhelm, the gun eventually found it's way to South America, then the United States. Then it ended up in the hands of a guy walking out of an Oakland, Ca. gun shop in the late 50s. Spotted by my dad, he bought it. Pictured here with a box of black powder 11MM paper patch cartridges. They are flat point for the 71/84 repeater version of the 71. The bore on this old timer is spectacular.

Very nice, thanks for sharing. I've been trying to find one for my single shot collection.

The biggest problem is, getting them to tell you where they've been and what they've seen!

Ivan

33" barrel! That's cheating Lovely piece, thank you for sharing.

__________________
Release the Kraken

I have an 1871 Mauser also, although mine has been thru the rebuild process for conversion to 6.5×53.5SR for the Uruguayan govt.. My dad bought it for me as a wall hanger back in the late 1950's from the May Company in Los Angeles. It was among a dozen or so in a barrel to choose from. I believe the price at the time (which I thought to be really high) was $12.00. It is still in my safe, never having been fired (by me) except for stuffing firecrackers in the breech & pretending they were live ammo. Even with all that abuse, the bore looks like it would still pass a bullet.

Beautiful rifle indeed but wouldn't the 6969th Mauser ever built been built at the original Mauser factory at Oberndorf am Necker instead of Austria?

I own 12 Mausers made in between 1895 and 1944, they are absolute works of art as well as joys to shoot.

__________________
LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE