Mauser M1903
Mauser Werke · Rifle · Discontinued · 1903
Also known as: Turkish Mauser M1903, Ottoman Mauser Model 1903, Mauser 1903/38, Tufek 1903
Overview
The Mauser M1903 is a German-designed bolt-action service rifle adopted by the Ottoman Empire in 1903. Based on the Gewehr 98 system with the Mauser controlled-feed action, it was originally chambered in 7.65x53mm Mauser. After the founding of the Republic of Turkey, the army standardized on the German 7.92x57mm cartridge, and from the early 1930s into the 1950s the Ankara (ASFA) and Kirikkale arsenals reworked the receivers and rebarrelled the rifles as the M1903/38, feeding from a five-round internal magazine via stripper clips.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4170 g (147.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1240 mm (48.82") |
| Barrel Length | 740 mm (29.13") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Two Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 760 m/s (2493 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3697 J (2727 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.92x57mm Mauser · primary — also known as 8mm Mauser, 8x57mm IS, 7.92x57mm
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Stripper Clip, Internal Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Three Position Wing Safety
- Features: Stripper Clip Loading, Tangent Leaf Sights, Non Rotating Claw Extractor, Internal Box Magazine
Variants
- Mauser M1903/38 — Rechambered 8mm Conversion
- Mauser M1893/38 — Converted To M1903 Pattern
Service history
Operators
- Ottoman Empire · adopted 1903 · as Model 1903
- Turkish Army · adopted 1923 · as M1903/38
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
- Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923)
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 150,000 · Production years: 1903-1950
More than 150,000 earlier Turkish Mausers were rebarrelled and rechambered to 7.92x57mm between roughly 1932 and 1950 at the Kirikkale and Ankara (ASFA) arsenals.
Origin
Country of origin: Turkey
Designer: Paul Mauser
Discontinued: 1950
Notes
Original 1903 production was 7.65x53mm; this entry documents the 8mm (7.92x57mm) configuration produced by the Turkish 1930s-1950s arsenal conversion program. Converted rifles show a crescent-shaped cutout at the receiver bridge to clear the longer 7.92x57mm cartridge during stripper-clip loading.
Background
When the Republic of Turkey reorganised its armory after World War I, it inherited a patchwork of Ottoman-era Mausers in 7.65mm. To unify ammunition with the widely available German 7.92x57mm round, arsenals at Ankara and Kirikkale rebarrelled tens of thousands of M1903 and older M1893 rifles, machining a distinctive crescent cutout into the receiver to feed the longer 8mm cartridge.