South Georgia Pawn Shop find

Finnicky said:

DocAV,
In this case are the 6 pointed stars part of the Loewe Manufacturer’s marking or something done by or at the request of the Ottomans? In the book, there are pictures of a Spanish Loewe made rifle with similar stars. Are they Star of David related to Loewes Jewish heritage?

Click to expand...

This is a vexing question.
The six-pointed star ( Hexagram) is a part of Arabic iconography, seen in building decorations going back to the 1200s and earlier. I think the Judaic connection is co-incidental, as the M1903, 05 and 08 Mausers, made by Mauser and not L.Loewe had hexagrams as well. ( even though L.L. held a controlling interest in MauserWerk up till 1897, whereupon DWM was formed from L.L., after the
FN licensing court case.
DWM was owned by L.L as stockholders, as were several German Banks, Jewish and Gentile.
In fact, the DWM incorporation was partly to deflect Anti-Semitic bias against such Military Industrialists as L.L.,
The Anti-Semitic feeling in German culture was quite strong in the 1890s. As it was in France..."L'affaire Dreyfus."
Not as bad as the 1930s, of course, but still virulent in a more subtle, commercial manner.
But the true reason for the Hexagrams is lost in History...my take is that it is Turkish inspired.
DocAV

This is interesting. My initial thought when I purchased the rifle was to restore it. I am having second thoughts. It is still a very cool rifle, and now it's use as a sporting rifle is part of it's long history. The fact that the person who used it has a name certainly adds something to it. Wilbur Mincey. Here is his obituary:
WILBER MINCEY OBITUARY
Wilber was born on September 4, 1940 and passed away on Saturday, January 13, 2018. Wilber was a resident of Swainsboro, Georgia at the time of passing. Interment: Swainsboro City Cemetery Pallbearers: Nephews and Friends Flowerbearers Nieces, Friends, Classmates, and Volunteers Mr. Mincey was a native of Nunez, Georgia and a member of the Gethsemane Baptist Church, as a deacon, Secretary, and choir member.He graduated from Emanuel County School, and Swainsboro Technical College in the field of electronics. Funeral services will be held Saturday 01/20/2018 at 1:00 P.M. at the St. Philip Baptist Church with the Rev.Bennie Brinson officiating, assisted by Presiding Elder John Bass. Interment: Swainsboro City Cemetery Pallbearers: Nephews and Friends Flowerbearers Nieces, Friends, Classmates, and Volunteers Mr. Mincey was a native of Nunez, Georgia and a member of the Gethsemane Baptist Church, as a deacon, Secretary, and choir member.He graduated from Emanuel County School, and Swainsboro Technical College in the field of electronics.

Finnicky said:

I am a believer that the hexogram is an Ottoman mark. This article is very intriguing.

Click to expand...

One hint about the Hexagram mark:
this kind of hex mark was already used for the Turk Mauser M1887 (Oberndorf made), together with lots of other specific inspection marks. A detailed pic is in Ball's book MMRotW, page 377 (5th ed). The Turk Mauser M1890 used the Hexagram mark as well.

The Hexagram mark on Loewe-made Mausers (Spanish M93 and similar) is slightly different: here the hex has lines in the inside. Shown in the Spanish Mauser M1893 section of MMRotW, p. 345 onwards

Turk M1887:


Spanish M1893:

hope this is helpful, Chris