1893/38 Turkish Mauser, Ankara, Antique, 8mm with Bayonet

ALL ANTIQUE RIFLES SOLD AS-IS. NEVER ATTEMPT TO FIRE AN ANTIQUE WEAPON WITHOUT CONSULTING A GUNSMITH. SEE PICTURES FOR CONDITION AND DETAILS

The Ottoman Empire was at one time one of the most powerful and well-armed nations on earth. They ruled from 1301 until 1922, and referred to themselves as Rumi - the continuation of the Roman empire.

During the military reforms of Abdul Hamid II, starting in 1880, the Ottoman army went from a collection of varied and differently equipped units, to a truly modern and well-disciplined army. By 1887 Mauser of Germany became the primary arms supplier of this new, modern military.

The 1893 Mauser soldiered along with the army well into the 1950s, despite more modern Mausers being adopted. The Ottomans, with their vast territory and army, and their successor Turkey, were never ones to mothball a good weapon. Instead, older Mausers were updated to "modern" standards  as the need arose. The largest scale operations to this effect was in 1936 and 1938 and 1945.

This Mauser appears to be all-matching except for the bolt, which is to be expected as these almost never have matched bolts. There appears to be a crack repair on the handguard. Wood and bore are good, and overall this rifle appears to be on the low end of NRA Antique Excellent.

The bayonet blade is very good, but the handle and scabbard have quite a bit of wear and surface rust.