Mauser Model 1903
Mauser · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1903
Also known as: Ottoman Mauser M1903, Turkish Mauser 1903, Mauser 1893/1903
Overview
The Mauser Model 1903 was a Gewehr 98-pattern bolt-action rifle ordered by the Ottoman Empire and built by Mauser at Oberndorf. Originally chambered in 7.65x53mm Mauser, it adapted the Gewehr 98 by replacing the Lange Visier with a simpler tangent leaf sight, simplifying the nose cap, and retaining compatibility with older Ottoman M1890 bayonets. After the First World War many were rebarrelled and rechambered to 7.92x57mm Mauser, paving the way for the later Turkish M1938 standardization.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4170 g (147.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1240 mm (48.82") |
| Barrel Length | 740 mm (29.13") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 650 m/s (2133 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2375 J (1752 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 | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.65x53mm Argentine · primary — also known as 7.65x53mm Mauser, 7.65 Belgian Mauser, 7.65x54mm, 7.65 Argentine, 7.65mm Turkish
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Stripper Clip, Internal Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Wing Safety, Third Locking Lug
- Features: Controlled Round Feed, Large Ring Receiver, Staggered Internal Magazine, Stripper Clip Loading, Tangent Leaf Sight, Gewehr 98 Pattern
Variants
- Turkish Mauser M1938 — Successor
Service history
Operators
- Ottoman Army · adopted 1903 · as M1903
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Estimated total produced: 200,000 · Production years: 1903-1905
Roughly 200,000 rifles were supplied to the Ottoman Army; many were later rebuilt to 7.92x57mm and to the M1938 short-rifle pattern
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Paul Mauser
Discontinued: 1905
Notes
Source figures vary; quoted weight of about 4.17 kg and length near 1240 mm reflect the full-length infantry rifle. Many surviving examples were converted to 7.92x57mm in the 1920s-1930s, so original 7.65mm rifles are comparatively scarce.
Background
Adopted by the Ottoman Empire in the twilight years before the Great War, the Model 1903 was Constantinople's bid to field a modern smokeless-powder Mauser; its rifles soldiered through Gallipoli and the Middle Eastern campaigns, and survivors were later cannibalized and rechambered into the famous 'Turkish club' M1938 rifles of the Republic.