Mondragón M1894
Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft (SIG) · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1894
Also known as: Fusil Mondragón Modelo 1894, SIG Mondragon 1894, Mondragón Modelo 1894
Overview
The Mondragón M1894 is a Mexican straight-pull bolt-action rifle designed by General Manuel Mondragón and manufactured by Switzerland's SIG. Chambered for the proprietary 5.2x68mm Rubin cartridge and fed from a six-round en bloc clip, it featured a bolt with two sets of radially arranged locking lugs and a three-position safety with an experimental rapid-fire setting, making it a notable stepping-stone toward semi-automatic rifle design. Only around 200 examples of the M1894 were built, and a batch was issued to the Mexican Army's 25th Infantry Battalion for trials in 1894.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4180 g (147.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1105 mm (43.50") |
| Barrel Length | 577 mm (22.72") |
| Action Type | Straight Pull |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | En Bloc Clip |
| Muzzle Velocity | 750 m/s (2461 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1406 J (1037 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 5.2x68mm Rubin · primary — also known as 5.2mm Rubin, 5.2x68mm
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: En Bloc Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Three Position Safety
- Features: Straight Pull Bolt, Radial Locking Lugs, En Bloc Clip Feed, Selective Rapid Fire Setting
Variants
- Mondragón M1893 — Earlier Model
Service history
Operators
- Mexican Army · adopted 1894 · as Fusil Mondragón Modelo 1894
Production
Estimated total produced: 200 · Production years: 1894-1895
Roughly 250 Mondragón straight-pull rifles were built in total across two SIG orders: about 50 in 1893 (M1893) and about 200 in 1894 (M1894).
Origin
Country of origin: Mexico
Designer: Manuel Mondragón
Discontinued: 1895
Notes
Built by SIG because Mexican facilities lacked the precision tooling required. The M1894 succeeded the M1893 (chambered in 6.5x48mm with an eight-round clip). Both were forerunners of Mondragón's later gas-operated semi-automatic M1908.
Background
General Manuel Mondragón was a Mexican artillery officer and inventor whose straight-pull and later self-loading designs predated many European semi-automatic service rifles; the M1894's multi-lug rotary bolt foreshadowed mechanisms later seen in the Johnson and AR-15 rifles.