*Ottoman Turkey, M1893 Mauser Bolt Action Rifle, Dated 1894 (1312), Deactivated*
Serial Number: Ʌ9٤0r (not recorded on Deactivation Certificate)
Country: Turkey
Barrel Length: 29 inch, 123cm overall
Calibre: 7.92mm
The Turkish M1893 Mauser. 5 shot mag; 29” barrel. Converted to 7.92mm calibre.
The rifle was manufactured by Waffenfabrik Mauser in the year 1312 (Hijri calendar), which corresponds to 1894-1895 CE in the Gregorian calendar. The Ottoman Turkish inscription is on the left side of the receiver, “Oberndorfda Mavzer silah fabrikasi”: “Fabrique d´Armes Mauser à Oberndorf” year 1312 H. The rifle features the Turkish crescent moon and six-point star symbols throughout.
The Model 1893 Mauser rifle was part of a series purchased by the Turkish government from Mauser. It shares the same ammunition as the earlier Model 1890, using the 7.65x53mm smokeless powder cartridge adopted by the imperial army. The contract with Mauser allowed the Turkish military to modify the rifles in line with Mauser’s design innovations. In 1893, Mauser introduced a new rifle design for the Spanish Army, which led the Turkish Army to order over 200,000 similar rifles, marking the adoption of the Model 1893.
A unique feature of this Mauser rifle is the magazine cut-off, which allows the magazine to be held in reserve while the rifle is loaded with single cartridges. The magazine end plate, characteristic of the 1893 model, is slightly domed, unlike later Mauser models with flat plates. The rifle’s tugrah (seal) of Caliph Abdülhamid II is faintly visible on the receiver, and the serial number is inscribed on the right side in Arabic characters.
In Ottoman service, the Model 1893 saw action during several wars, including the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, and World War I (1914–1918). It was commonly used by the Turkish army, including during the Gallipoli landings in 1915.
This rifle likely underwent a conversion in 1933, as did most Turkish rifles during the 1930s, to standardize on the 8mm Mauser calibre. The conversion involved milling a cut in the top of the receiver to accommodate the longer 8mm cartridge, and re-boring or re-barrelling the rifles to fit the new calibre
*Condition*
Good used condition given age and service. Deactivated, the bolt has full moving action. The trigger moves but does not fire. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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