I picked up a rather nice 1891/12 Peruvian Mauser at an estate sale and in the course of cleaning all the storage dust and grime off it, I noticed the cleaning rod jag tip was loose. I re-brazed it on (the remnants of the old braze were still there), but it looked shabby so I bought a nicer rod from Liberty Tree.
The Liberty tree rods seem to be a mix or 1891 and 1909 rods. I believe the one they shipped me was an arsenal refurbished early 1891 rod that had a steel jag brass brazed onto it. Definitely been issued as the serrations on the tip are worn. It's an A-prefix rod.
The original rod in the gun was not serialized and the jag looked to be made of something else, maybe nickel alloy or German Silver. Really well worn and bent up a bit. It's also a bit longer.
So a 1909 rod (I measured the Liberty Tree rod and a couple matching new rods from two unissued 1909 argentines) and they were all 27,7/8".
The rod that came in the Peruvian was 28,1/4" long.
So the question - is the rod that came in the Peruvian proper and original from Germany, or a bodged-together depot replacement rod from Peru? If the latter, I'm inclined to install the real Argentine rod I have, despite it not being a S,T, or W prefix serialized rod. As Peruvian connoisseur will know, virtually none of the Peruvian 1891/12 rifles have matching bolts and most other parts were scrubbed and are un-numbered - even the stocks.
Thoughts?
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And the cleaning rod it came with before I re-brazed and straightened the bend in it.
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The gun came from the estate of a prodigious buyer of Century guns in the 70's, 80's and early 90's and like most of his guns was still full of cosmolene, so I doubt it's been overt monkeyed with. I suspect that if the rod it came with is incorrect, the swap was made somewhere in Peru.
PS: It also came with what is an obviously issued and much-used 1891 bayonet which I believe to also be Peruvian if, for no other reasons, the W prefix, well worn condition, scabbard that's been re-painted black a few times and then issued again, and the un-ground crest. (shown with my 1909 Mauser for comparison.)
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The Liberty tree rods seem to be a mix or 1891 and 1909 rods. I believe the one they shipped me was an arsenal refurbished early 1891 rod that had a steel jag brass brazed onto it. Definitely been issued as the serrations on the tip are worn. It's an A-prefix rod.
The original rod in the gun was not serialized and the jag looked to be made of something else, maybe nickel alloy or German Silver. Really well worn and bent up a bit. It's also a bit longer.
So a 1909 rod (I measured the Liberty Tree rod and a couple matching new rods from two unissued 1909 argentines) and they were all 27,7/8".
The rod that came in the Peruvian was 28,1/4" long.
So the question - is the rod that came in the Peruvian proper and original from Germany, or a bodged-together depot replacement rod from Peru? If the latter, I'm inclined to install the real Argentine rod I have, despite it not being a S,T, or W prefix serialized rod. As Peruvian connoisseur will know, virtually none of the Peruvian 1891/12 rifles have matching bolts and most other parts were scrubbed and are un-numbered - even the stocks.
Thoughts?
And the cleaning rod it came with before I re-brazed and straightened the bend in it.
The gun came from the estate of a prodigious buyer of Century guns in the 70's, 80's and early 90's and like most of his guns was still full of cosmolene, so I doubt it's been overt monkeyed with. I suspect that if the rod it came with is incorrect, the swap was made somewhere in Peru.
PS: It also came with what is an obviously issued and much-used 1891 bayonet which I believe to also be Peruvian if, for no other reasons, the W prefix, well worn condition, scabbard that's been re-painted black a few times and then issued again, and the un-ground crest. (shown with my 1909 Mauser for comparison.)
