Siamese Mauser Type 47 Carbine
Tokyo Artillery Arsenal · Carbine · Out Of Production · 1904
Also known as: Type 47/66, Siamese Mauser Carbine, 8mm Siamese Carbine
Overview
The Siamese Mauser Type 47 Carbine is a bolt-action carbine built on the Mauser Gewehr 98 action by the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal in Japan for the Kingdom of Siam (modern Thailand). A shorter-barreled companion to the Type 45/46 infantry rifles, it fed from a five-round internal magazine and was originally chambered for the rimmed 8x50mmR Siam cartridge, later rebarreled in the 1920s for the more powerful spitzer-loaded 8x52mmR Siamese round (the Type 47/66 configuration). Like all Japanese-made Siamese Mausers, it is noted for its excellent build quality and its distinctive reciprocating bolt dust cover.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3400 g (119.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1015 mm (39.96") |
| Barrel Length | 514 mm (20.24") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 8x52mmR Siamese · primary — also known as 8mm Siamese Mauser, 8mm Type 66, 8x52R Siam, DWM 584
- 8x50mmR Siam — also known as 8x50R Siam, 8mm Siamese
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Stripper Clip, Internal Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Three Position Wing Safety
- Features: Reciprocating Dust Cover, Controlled Round Feed, Stripper Clip Charger Guide
Variants
- Siamese Mauser Type 45 Rifle - Long Rifle
- Siamese Mauser Type 66 - Rebarreled 8x52r
Service history
Operators
- Royal Siamese Army · adopted 1904 · as Type 47
Production
Production years: 1903-1908
About 400,000 Siamese Mausers of all patterns (Type 45 rifle and carbines) were manufactured by the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal between 1903 and 1908; carbine share not separately recorded.
Origin
Country of origin: Thailand
Designer: Paul Mauser
Notes
Rifles rebarreled from the original 8x50mmR Siam to the 8x52mmR Siamese cartridge in and after 1923 are commonly cataloged as Type 47/66. Overall length and empty weight are approximate figures typical of the carbine pattern; the confirmed 20.25-inch (514 mm) barrel is drawn from surviving examples.
Background
Siamese Mausers carry their model year in the Rattanakosin calendar rather than the Gregorian one, so the Type 47 carbine dates to R.S. 123 (1904); those later rebarreled for the new 8x52mmR spitzer cartridge in 2466 B.E. earned the compound Type 47/66 designation still used by collectors today.