Its Friday and what better a day to admire the Gewehr that started it all! I dug this out of my safe last night for a show and tell as I don't think this particular piece gets the attention it deserves. The IG71 replaced the Dreyse Zündnadelgewehr (needle gun) and represented a huge leap forward in safety, reliability and performance. Gone were the days of broken needles and fragile cartridges. The rifle also offered an exponential leap forward in ballistics. 11X60mm or 43 Mauser is one of the most powerful standardized Black Powder military cartridges. Capable of launching a 370gr bullet at around 1,400fps (the very top end of what BP is capable of). The rifle is also long and heavy but extremely stout. Unfortunately for Mauser they were only ever able to produce the rear sights as adopted rifle designs were considered state secrets and made only in government arsenals.

This particular piece was made in Amberg. The mechanical condition of the rifle is excellent with an almost pristine bore! However the rifles stock shows a decent amount of use which to me only makes it cooler but it puts the piece squarely between NRA very good, and NRA fine condition according to the antique grading scale.

The buttplate is unit marked and if anyone could shed some light on the history or any details of the unit it would be greatly appreciated That part of collecting is not my forte

Infanterie-Gewehr 71 11X60mm The First MauserInfanterie-Gewehr 71 11X60mm The First MauserInfanterie-Gewehr 71 11X60mm The First MauserInfanterie-Gewehr 71 11X60mm The First MauserInfanterie-Gewehr 71 11X60mm The First MauserInfanterie-Gewehr 71 11X60mm The First MauserInfanterie-Gewehr 71 11X60mm The First MauserInfanterie-Gewehr 71 11X60mm The First MauserInfanterie-Gewehr 71 11X60mm The First MauserInfanterie-Gewehr 71 11X60mm The First MauserInfanterie-Gewehr 71 11X60mm The First MauserInfanterie-Gewehr 71 11X60mm The First MauserInfanterie-Gewehr 71 11X60mm The First MauserInfanterie-Gewehr 71 11X60mm The First Mauser

Anyone interested in seeing this exact rifle in action feel free to check out the video below!