Mauser Model 1871/84
Mauser Werke · Rifle · Discontinued · 1884
Also known as: Gewehr 71/84, Gew 71/84, Infanterie-Gewehr 71/84, I.G. Mod. 71/84, M71/84
Overview
The Mauser Model 1871/84 (Gewehr 71/84) is a bolt-action repeating rifle and the first repeating rifle adopted by the Imperial German Army. It updated the single-shot Mauser Model 1871 with an 8-round tubular magazine in the forestock, fed singly from the top with the bolt open, and a magazine cutoff that let the rifle be fired as a single-loader to conserve the magazine. Chambered for the black-powder 11x60mmR Mauser cartridge, it served as Germany's standard infantry rifle until the smokeless-powder Gewehr 88 replaced it.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4600 g (162.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1350 mm (53.15") |
| Barrel Length | 800 mm (31.50") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 8 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tubular |
| Muzzle Velocity | 436 m/s (1430 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2415 J (1781 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1600 m (1750 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 550 mm (21.65") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 11x60mmR Mauser · primary — also known as 11.15x60R Mauser, 11mm Mauser, .43 Mauser, 11.15x60R
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Bolt Safety
- Features: Tubular Magazine, Magazine Cutoff, Bayonet Lug, Full Length Stock, Iron Sights
Base model
Service history
Operators
- German Empire (Imperial German Army) · adopted 1884 · as Infanterie-Gewehr 71/84
- Ottoman Empire
Conflicts
- Herero and Nama genocide (1904-1908)
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,000,000 · Production years: 1884-1888
Over one million produced at German government arsenals including Spandau, Danzig, Erfurt and Amberg before being superseded by the Gewehr 88.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Paul Mauser
Discontinued: 1888
Notes
The tubular magazine, while a major firepower improvement over the single-shot M1871, was slow and awkward to reload and was intended largely as reserve firepower. The design was quickly rendered obsolete by the smokeless-powder Gewehr 1888.
Background
Adopted in 1884 after troop trials, the 71/84 gave the German Army its first magazine-fed service rifle. The under-barrel tubular magazine design drew on the Kropatschek system patented by Alfred von Kropatschek. Within a few years the rifle was rendered obsolete by the smokeless revolution, but surplus 71/84s lingered in colonial and second-line service into World War I.