[hickory kid]

I have been trying to find the Book Mauser Original Oberndorf Sporting Rifles and cannot find one since it’s out of print. Does anyone know if the book The Mauser Archive will have some of the same information need to research early Commercial and Military Sporting rifles? With the help from this forum it appears that I have a Type L sporting rifle made in 1913 and would like to find out more about this rifle? Does anyone know if there will be another printing of Mauser Original Oberndorf Sporting Rifles ?
Thanks for all the help I have received.

 

[windage]

Have you tried amazon? If you don't want to lay out the $100+ for a copy, go to the library and put in an intra-library loan request. The last time I did this, I think I got the book for a month. Having the time to look it over you might find it's not worth buying.

 

[hickory kid]

Book

I have tried Amazon and searched the internet found 1 on eBay for $289.00 with a buy it now price it’s been there for 26 daysor so, that’s just crazy money. I have my name at the library on a waiting/search list for the book they said it could be a few months before i see it. The reason I would like a book now is there is a gun show coming up and one dealer has a few Mauser sporting rifles and the one I really like he was asking $1800.00 for it and its close to what I have now but in a 8x57.

 

[gewehrpatrone]

Does anyone know if the book The Mauser Archive will have some of the same information need to research early Commercial and Military Sporting rifles? With the help from this forum it appears that I have a Type L sporting rifle made in 1913 and would like to find out more about this rifle? ?[/FONT][/COLOR]
Thanks for all the help I have received.

Hello,
I have a copy of the Mauser archives book in front of me, from what you`ve described you have a Type L "Special African Rifle", if it`s in 8mm Mauser it`s certainly pre-war as the treaty of Versaille (1922) forbade manufacture of sporting rifles in military caliber. Unfortunately I cannot find serial number lists in this book, only detailed descriptions of characteristics. Also lots of pictures....
I`ll be happy to help with what I have, there is alot of information here, but again no serial numbers that I can see.

 

[gewehrpatrone]

Hello,
I have a copy of the Mauser archives book in front of me, from what you`ve described you have a Type L "Special African Rifle", if it`s in 8mm Mauser it`s certainly pre-war as the treaty of Versaille (1922) forbade manufacture of sporting rifles in military caliber. Unfortunately I cannot find serial number lists in this book, only detailed descriptions of characteristics. Also lots of pictures....
I`ll be happy to help with what I have, there is alot of information here, but again no serial numbers that I can see.

Pardon, WWI obviously ended in 1918 so there`s 4 years of wiggle room about the caliber.
Does this rifle have a handguard and can you measure the barrel length in metric? Seems there are alot of variations ( there was a long list of factory options) but according to the archives book barrel length and caliber were some of the key distinguishing features. Also Jon Speed (the author of both books in question) has asked for any and all serial numbers be forwarded to him so if you`d like I can provide that info as well. I`ll keep looking through what I have and await your reply.

 

[crack...thump]

Hickorykid, Man you are lucky, a guy with more than one mauser sporters! I have been looking for an original oberndorf sporter for a long time. I haven't found the book yet either. Were is this gunshow!

 

[hickory kid]

This is the title of my other post with pictures of my Mauser . 9 x 5.7 sporter mauser expert needed

 

[Don S]

Art: Originally I identified your Mauser as a Type L "Afrikan Model" in the previous thread. I have since taken a closer look at the photos and it appears to have a 24" barrel. Original Type L Mausers have a 27 1/2" barrel. If it is a 24" barrel, your rifle started life as a Mauser Type G (full stock rifle) that was modified by cutting the stock forend back several inches. Unfortunately, this affects the collector value substantially. You still have a fine looking rifle that was built in 1913.

 

[lcmunn]

Windows of commercial Mauser production.

The change in German proof law helps identify periods of time in which a sporting rifle was made. The Original Oberndorf Sporting Rifles book indicates that the start of WWI in 1914 ended commercial hunting rifle production at about serial 82,250. The proof law at the time (1898) of initiation of manufacture required the letter BU proofs on the receiver. After WWI, rifles were made with similar proofs until the new law of 1924 required BUG proofs on the receiver. In 1932, the marks were changed to BUGN and after 1939, the marks were changed to an Eagle over N, with the addition of a barrel date that specifies month and year. The Original Oberndorf book lists quite a few serial number/dates along the way so an individual number can be assesed for fit but this should help fix the period for an auction offering. The bolt handle stubs through the 1898-1939 period should have BU letter proofs. Many of the rifles prior to WWI (and a very few after) had a date on the receiver ring.