Mauser 1871 cal 11.15 x 60 aka Mauser 43

**Gert Odendaal** · 26-05-2018, 07:26

Good members, I am extremely fortunate to have received a black powder Mauser . This Mauser 11.15 x x60 or known as the Mauser 43 will be my hunting rifle I will be taking to the next black powder hunt. These Mausers do not get old, just better. This is an original Mauser and not a good copy. Here is a photo, I will be doing an historical write up on this rifle.

**HoggerNaut** · 26-05-2018, 08:21

Congrats.

Really looking forward to following this.

**Peter Wells** · 26-05-2018, 08:53

Beautiful Gert. Bore good?

**Gert Odendaal** · 26-05-2018, 09:16

Thank you members, I will be able to fetch this rifle next Saturday , will then upload a detailed description of the condition regarding this rifle. Hansie Minnaar has brass for the caliber rifle available from old stock. So I will immediately be able to re-load...

**Gert Odendaal** · 26-05-2018, 19:02

I want to see if this photo will be enlarging when clinking on it: no, it does not..will upload better photos next week...

**Gert Odendaal** · 02-06-2018, 20:55

Members, I just received this beautiful old Austrian single shot Mauser 10.75 x 68 as a gift from it`s former owner. I will ask Johan Greyling, as usual to assist me in making a chamber cast to measure exactly the chamber and see what bore this really is..the rifling is as crisp as a rifle made yesterday...the stock has a crack since I think this rifle fell causing the crack;;but I will take it apart and mend the damage to the stock..naturally a lot of photos will be uploaded about this rifle

**carlp** · 02-06-2018, 21:05

Subscribed!!!!!!

Plenti close up pictures compulsary.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

**Gert Odendaal** · 03-06-2018, 07:52

Members, here are some info in regards to the rifle I got as a gift yesterday from a new friend I got to know as from yesterday,,,

Doc Av is spot on. It's a pre-WWI custom Mauser sporter. The stock style is typical of the pre-WWI style sold in competition with the classic British gun makers of the era. The 10.75x63 and later by 68 was developed primarily for African use. Custom Mausers were much less expensive than the British double-rifles and became popular with the Boers and other settlers of European descent who couldn't afford a double.

I have two J.P. Sauer custom Mausers from the same period with all of the same features,i.e. double-set triggers, octagonal to round barrel with full length integral rib, express sights, etc. I used both as the medium bore rifles in my African battery for over 20 years.

The scoped example was chambered for the .30-06 when I purchased it. The mark on the barrel listed it as "30 Govt". I tried to no avail to find a load that would group well, but the bore was in terrible shape. I sent it to Cliff LaBounty, the best in the business at that time to rebore and rifle and original barrel. He rebored and rerifled it for the .338-06 cartridge. I used it to great effect on everything up to Lion when firing the first shot, but only for plainsgame while guiding. With a variety of 250 to 300 grain bullets, it's a real killer! Excellent sectional density and ballistic coefficient at a moderate velocity.

About three years later I found the rifle below that is chambered for the 9.3x62mm cartridge, which is the legal minimum for dangerous game. With two examples with comparable calibers, I started using the 9.3x62mm in the field when not carrying either of my double-rifles and over the years, shot a number of Cape buffalo cows with it for Lion bait and of course, lots of plainsgame. While it's not a stopping caliber, with the heavier 300 to 320 grain bullets, it performs beautifully and I would hesitate to use in on all of the Big 4. Both rifles are light, i.e. 6 3/4 lbs. without scope and are a pleasure to carry in the field! My doubles tip the scales at around 11 lbs!

With twin rifles of equal quality and similar caliber, I decided to have a scope mounted on the .338-06. A top notch gun smith who did all of my work for years engraved a set of Redfield bases and rings to match the motif of the rifle and added a Pilkington lever for quick dismount and remounting of the 3x9 Zeiss scope it currently wears.

Both rifle, particularly using the set triggers, are extremely accurate for the first three shots. After three in rapid succession, the groups will open up as the lightweight barrels heat up, however in the bush there is no practical difference.

The 10.75x68mm cartridge that your rifle is chambered for developed a very bad reputation in Africa due to a combination of poor sectional density compounded by poorly constructed bullets. The combination of the two resulted in very poor penetration.

With the premium bullets available today, I'm sure that it would prove to be adequate for all plainsgame and Lion, however the typical bullet weight per the original load is 347 grain in either softs or solids. Here is a quick cross reference based on the data published by Woodleigh bullets on their website. They provide modern, high-quality bullets for the old obsolete cartridges. This data compares several cartridges deemed as dependable in the large-medium bore category. Your bullet diameter is .423.

Cartridge ~ Bullet Weight ~ Sectional Density ~ Ballistic Coefficient

10.75X68mm ~ 347 Gr. .~ 277 ~ .290

.416 Rigby ~ 410 Gr. ~ .338 ~ .307

450/400 NE ~ 400 Gr. ~ .338 ~ .307

.404 Jeffery ~ 400 Gr. ~ .321 ~ .335

You have a beautiful rifle that will perform wonderfully for hunting just about anything in the world. It is legal for all the Big 4 and I would hesitate to guide a client using your rifle since I would be carrying a stopping caliber for back-up IF required.

Hope this info helps!

Warmest regards,

JPS

**Gert Odendaal** · 03-06-2018, 08:02

The rifle I got as a gift yeterdayis a :
C.G Haenel 10.75 x 68 single shot. I still need to see if it is proofed for smokeless powder or only a black powder rifle. Here are some photos of such a rifle:

**Gert Odendaal** · 03-06-2018, 08:05

similar rifle from a Julia auction in 2008. (see pic)

I also found some earlier references of about 1909 for the 10.75x63 - of which it was indicated that some rifles in that caliber had their chambers later re-cut to 10.75x68 since only the case neck was a bit longer.

Is there any way to more closely determine the mfg date? It is my understanding that the 10.75x68 cartridge was not made until sometime after 1911.