Hi guys,
I snagged this one back in March and took it down last weekend for pics. It was priced aggressively by the consignor, who clearly knew what they had. On the flip-side, it's fairly hard to find these, so it was a "I've got the money, screw it!" purchase.
As I mentioned in a prior post, the WMO 71/84 was only produced for the Württemberg. A contract was executed with Mauser and approximately 19,000 were delivered. According to Storz's work, production was completed in 1887, and despite further need by Württemberg, no more were produced as Mauser was swarmed with the large Ottoman contract for 500,000 rifles. The Württemberg 71/84s bore the c/W cypher on both the barrel and stock (for King Wilhelm of Württemberg). This, like most of the other surviving examples, came toward the end of that contract.
This particular rifle was part of CB's collection, but was never properly photographed and documented. It completely matches and is in wonderful shape, other than a few blemishes (missing front sling loop) and a crack on the stock fore-end. If you look closely you'll notice the odd SN conventions these have compared to the Prussian ones (3-digits rather than 4 on some parts, etc..) I am uncertain of the meaning of the "64" near the buttplate tang. I thought possibly a museum inventory #.
The unit marking is to the Ersatz battalion of IR 121. The muzzle cover is a Bavarian one, but it serves the purpose. I also have an M83 WMO Revolver that is also marked to the 121st, so they make a nice set.
I snagged this one back in March and took it down last weekend for pics. It was priced aggressively by the consignor, who clearly knew what they had. On the flip-side, it's fairly hard to find these, so it was a "I've got the money, screw it!" purchase.
As I mentioned in a prior post, the WMO 71/84 was only produced for the Württemberg. A contract was executed with Mauser and approximately 19,000 were delivered. According to Storz's work, production was completed in 1887, and despite further need by Württemberg, no more were produced as Mauser was swarmed with the large Ottoman contract for 500,000 rifles. The Württemberg 71/84s bore the c/W cypher on both the barrel and stock (for King Wilhelm of Württemberg). This, like most of the other surviving examples, came toward the end of that contract.
This particular rifle was part of CB's collection, but was never properly photographed and documented. It completely matches and is in wonderful shape, other than a few blemishes (missing front sling loop) and a crack on the stock fore-end. If you look closely you'll notice the odd SN conventions these have compared to the Prussian ones (3-digits rather than 4 on some parts, etc..) I am uncertain of the meaning of the "64" near the buttplate tang. I thought possibly a museum inventory #.
The unit marking is to the Ersatz battalion of IR 121. The muzzle cover is a Bavarian one, but it serves the purpose. I also have an M83 WMO Revolver that is also marked to the 121st, so they make a nice set.
