Mauser Model 1871
| Mauser Model 1871 / Gewehr 71 | |
|---|---|
| File:Rifle Mauser M1871.jpg Mauser Model 1871 | |
| Type | Service rifle |
| Place of origin |  Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1871 - 1888(Germany) |
| Used by | Germany, Japan, China, Uruguay [1] |
| Wars | Sino-Japanese War, Boxer Rebellion, Second Boer War, Balkan Wars, Easter Rebellion [2] |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Mauser |
| Designed | 1870? |
| Variants | Gewehr 71/84 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4,5 kg |
| Length | 1350 mm |
| Barrel length | 855 mm |
| Cartridge | 11 x 60 mm R |
| Action | bolt-action |
| Feed system | single-shot Gewehr 71/84: 8 round tubular magazine |
The Mauser Model 1871 adopted as the Gewehr 71 or Infanterie-Gewehr 71 ("I.G.Mod.71" was stamped on the rifles themselves) was the first of millions of rifles manufactured to the designs of Paul Mauser and Wilhelm Mauser of the Mauser company.[3]
During 1870-71 trials with many different rifles took place, with the "M1869 Bavarian Werder" being the Mausers' chief competitor. The Mauser was provisionally adopted at the end of 1871, pending the development of an appropriate safety. It was adopted by the German Empire excluding Bavaria. The action was not based on its predecessor, the Dreyse needle-gun which had seen service during the Franco-Prussian War.[4]
The now well recognized Mauser "wing" type safety lever was developed for the Gewehr 71. The Gewehr 71 is a conventional looking bolt action chambered in 11 mm using black powder cartridges. The action included only a bolt guide rib as its single locking lug, locking forward of the receiving bridge. The original design single-shot, but in 1884, the design was updated with an 8-round tubular magazine designed by Alfred von Kropatschek, making this Germany's first repeating rifle. This version was designated the Gewehr 71/84.[5] The Gewehr 71 was replaced by the Model 1888 Commission Rifle (designated Gewehr 88) starting in 1888.[6]
