Very wisely, Chile retained the 7x57mm cartridge. In itвЂ™s place was an acceptance stamp on one side of the stock, and a unit disc on the other. Gone also were the grasping grooves on the stock as well as the stock washer for bolt disassembly. The upper handguard also wrapped around the rear sight. It dispensed with the complicated and expensive Lange-Vizier rear sight for a simple tangent sight. Stock disc that is used for unit markings. Additionally, the same rifle Chile ordered was also sold to Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, and even China bought a few. DevelopmentДЇirst and foremost of these changes, the Modelo 1912 was made by Waffenfabrik Steyr of Austria instead of by DWM/Mauser Oberndorf of Germany. Indeed, the rifle that Chile adopted was essentially the same as this the 1898 Mauser - though with a few changes. For them the choice was simple: adopt what the Germans have, which was the famous Model 1898 Mauser. Boer commandos taught the British some hard earned lessons about marksmanship on the veldt of South Africa with the 7x57mm Model 1895 Mauser.Д«y 1911 however, the cock-on-closing Model 1895 was starting to appear a little outdated and Chile wanted a new rifle. Chambered in the 7x57mm cartridge, the rifle and cartridge taught the US Army the importance of clip-loading high velocity cartridges in Cuba. The 1895 Mauser was essentially an evolution of the epoch-making Spanish Model 1893. Note the large locking lugs and claw extractor. Naturally their parade rifles are Mauser 98 and 95 rifles and their uniforms are often a spitting image for the German Army. Even to this day, their parade uniforms include Stahlhelms and elite units still wear Pickelhauben.

The military of the Republic of Chile has always had a bit of a Prussian slant. No longer the case, there is still hope for the average shooter. There was also little вЂњgloryвЂќ in the trenches when compared to WWII. It was once accepted that rifles of the First World War would be less-expensive than those of the Second they were older, and had been rode harder for a longer period of time. But with a rise in interest, so have we seen a rise in prices. While gun owners generally have an interest in historical arms, weapons from World War Two usually seem to overshadow those of the Great War, so itвЂ™s good to see these firearms get more attention. And as can be expected, this interest has also crept itвЂ™s way into the firearms world. This has been helped in part by various forms of media piquing the interest of those who may not have been informed about this incredibly important historical event. (Photo: Francis Borek)Д¬urrently, we are still in the centenary of the First World War (1914-1918) and in the past four years interest in this conflict has risen steadily.

A gorgeous rifle and an example of old-world quality. A Chilean Steyr Modelo 1912 Mauser rifle.

Chilean mauser rifle