|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
saving grace: an act of penance |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Article Contributed by: Jamie Mangrum | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the last store I saw an 1891 Argentine Mauser that someone had sporterized. Whoever owned it had installed a Fajen Sporter stock and had also chrome plated the magazine and trigger guard. Other than these modifications it appeared to be in good condition and intact. The price tag was only $53. I thought to myself - "what the heck would I do with a sporterized 1891 Argentine Mauser?" No answer came quickly so I walked out and drove home.
Lately I have become interested in collecting Argentine Mausers. This is because of the extraordinary beauty of the breed and as a result the thought kept turning over and over in my mind, "What would I do with a sporterized 91 Argentine Mauser?" I have been looking for a good specimen (91 Argentine - Original Military Configuration) for my collection and had yet to find one until now. In my opinion 91 Mausers should not be sporterized. Still, the Argentine Mausers are a favorite firearm for folks building custom Mausers. Whoever sporterized this rifle committed a crime. I am not preaching that all mil-surp firearms should be left in pristine condition. I am just making a statement that sometimes the original configuration is of such rare beauty that it should be left alone. The following Monday it finally came to me! After writing and publishing so many articles on Surplusrifle.com about modifying mil-surp rifles I decided it was time for an act of atonement.
I decided that I would purchase the 91 Argentine and hunt down all of the parts and return the rifle to its original grace and glory. I went to the store the next day and purchased it and thus started my adventure. After calling around I found a single place that had all of the parts that I needed. I found everything at Springfield Sporters, Inc (distributors of curio & relic parts - Since 1961) for a very reasonable price of only $88 including the shipping and handling. I did not mention I would be using the parts for an article because I wanted to see the quality of parts that I would receive just being the average Joe calling in an order. Here are the parts that I ordered:
From a fiscal standpoint I was very pleased. If the parts arrived in good condition and did not require any additional supplies for refurbishment I was only into this restoration project for $141 total (and some change). That is a pretty good price to pay for any rifle. While I waited for my parts to arrive I did a little research on my new friend.
The Argentine Modelo 1891 Rifle replaced the Remington Rolling Block Rifle and was built in Germany by either Ludwig Loewe & Co, Berlin, Germany or Deutsche Waffen und Munitions Fabriken, Berlin, Germany (German Arms and Ammunition Factories, Berlin, Germany), DWM.
After a short while the parts arrived and after
close inspection I was a very happy customer. I had
really been expecting that the stock would be oil soaked
and its surface covered with millions of dark dings and
dents.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
To my pleasant surprise the stock and hand
guard were some of the most pretty walnut pieces I
have ever seen and both were in unissued or new
condition. Neither piece had a single ding or
dent and the stock was not seeping oil. I applied
several coats of hand rubbed oil and bee's wax to
the surface of the wood and brought out a
nice luster. All of the metal
parts were clean and in good order.
I had the fever! I quickly
assembled all of the parts.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
One observation about the 91 Argentine Mauser is that it is one of the most slender rifles I have ever handled. A substantial overall length yet the balance is great. I have read that one of the only failings of this particular model is the external, extended magazine. The magazine design and function is very similar to the Mosin-Nagant, so I find this difficult to believe. The rear sight is an interesting design. While laying down flat the sight offers a fixed 250 meter. When lifted as shown in the photo to the left the sight begins at 350 meters, graduating out to 2000 meters. The chrome plated finish on the magazine no longer bothers me as much. I did have some crazy notion I would attempt to remove the chrome plating for this article and have read some pretty wild things on the internet about how to do this at home. None sound like they would be too safe and I have this crazy goal that I would actually like to keep layers of skin, both of my eyes, and all my body's appendages. I am just funny that way! |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Maybe when I am called before a court of my peers and accused of war crimes for altering other mil-surp rifles (as one email recently said I should be) the court will look favorably upon this act and be lenient on me. It sure felt good to take something that should not have been altered in the first place and make it beautiful again! Although with this particular rifle to make a thing of beauty did not take much to accomplish. I guess this is sort of like in the movies when they take a pretty girl and make her wear dumpy clothes and glasses. When she takes the glasses off and shakes out her hair - she suddenly is a gorgeous babe. This is my Grace. My 91 Argentine Mauser. An elegant and gorgeous babe. jlm;) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Article Contributed by: Jamie Mangrum | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
