1896 OVS Mauser

[Dick]

This morning Valdor Uren owner of Strand Guns asked if I could offer an opinion of a Mauser that had come into his shop. Its a Mauser that has been sporterised. The gunsmith did a good job, the metalwork and woodwork being very nice with nice checkering. The big surprise is that it has been rebarelled 303 British, which is the most unlikely calibre conversion imaginable and one I've never seen or heard of. But before I say more about that, the receiver ring is engraved OVS with a four digit serial number. I forget the first two digits but the second two were 92 which I thought might be the year of manufacture but wasn't. The receiver is engraved "Deutche Waffen und Munitionfabriek". The 1892 - 1895 series of rifles began in 1892 which was apparently experimental as I can find no record of sales. Model 1893 was a slightly upgraded version sold to several countries. Model 1894 was a further variant adopted only in Sweden. Model 1895 was same as 1894. DWM was formed by the merger of four companies in 1896. Therefore this particular rifle was supplied to the OVS as part of 2000 shipped in 1897 or the 8000 shipped in 1898, and almost certainly saw service in the Anglo-Boer War.

The 303 barrel is interesting ie as to it's source. Most rifle barrels taper to a bigger diameter at the chamber for obvious reasons. Some have a short parallel (cylindrical) portion immediately ahead of the receiver. This rifle has such a parallel portion about 30mm long which is not blued ie it has obviously been machined from a barrel which previously had no such parallel portion, and could not have been made from an SMLE barrel. Inspection of a P14 suggests that that's what it is (or was). All nicely done. If it had been original it might have been worth something because of historical provenance, but that has probably been lost by the conversion. At the right price it could be a useful sporter for someone prepared to have the receiver tapped and a cheek piece added to the stock.

[CorditeCrazy]

Unfortunately I have nothing to offer other than this is rather interesting. Don’t know what the serial number range is?

[koperaal koos]

Remembering last prices on Classic Arms for OVS Mauser she would have received a pretty penny. Very close to blasphemy to put a 303 barrel on an OVS Mauser
When I see the term sporterised I usually cry.. Same face when I joked with Oom Cassie a few years back - said I had M1910 Mannlicher Schoenauer, which I would like to sporterise - drill and tap for scope, thread for silencer and a new fiberglass stock... His eyes flared up - luckily I only wanted advise on reload

Do you perhaps have any idea of who did the gunsmithing - might fill in the gaps?

[mic]

If the serial number starts with a C then it could be from a batch ordered by the OVS / ZAR for the Boer war, intercepted by the British and then sent to Chile.

I have one of those rifles.

Pitty it's been sporterised, but we do not know the history of it. It could be that the original 7x57Mauser barrel was shot out or destroyed somehow.
I also agree that to re-barrel it in 303Brit makes no sense.