Type 45 / 66 Siamese Mauser Rifle …….(F 894) Sold

Full Length Infantry Siamese Mauser Rifle

This is an opportunity for the Mauser or Imperial Japanese Rifle collector to pick up a fairly rare beast in good shoot-able condition.  The Mauser offered here is the full length rifle known as the “Type 45/66″  in 8mm x 52 Mauser.  The rifle is 49″ in overall length from muzzle to centre of butt.  The round blued barrel is  29.1/4” long.  Unusually and for the better this rifle has one of the single piece Siamese stocks which shows a Siamese cartouche below the semi-pistol grip.  The fore-end has the thin finger groves and the steel butt=plate has the sliding access cover for cleaning equipment.

On moving the sliding dust cover forward the Arsenal mark for the Kokura Army Arsenal is revealed.  These were built in Japanese arms factory as the German Factories were too busy to accommodate the orders. The rifle is fitted with a full length walnut stock and half length hand-guard. The hand-guard surrounds the rear sights completely and there are two sling swivels.

At a relatively early stage in its life this rifle was arsenal altered to the current 8mm calibre, it was at this point that it was refinished.  The blue we see today is from that arsenal overhaul.  Another sign of the change in calibre is the side of the fore-sight ramp, where the old markings are interrupted by the new contour of the ramp.  It can be taken that the first graduating to the sights, as viewed from on top is 200 meters with 100 meter increments.

Standard Mauser bolt system with straight handle and rear flag safety. Blueing most strong on the action, partly helped by the unusual protective sliding cover.  This protects the action from grit, dirt and copious amounts of water.  It is a plain blued half-moon cover which slides forward and backward over the action, independent of the bolt.  Once loaded this cover can remain in the closed position until a case needs to be ejected, then, it would need to be opened manually using the thumb catch on the right.

The chamber is clearly marked with a roundel; the Siamese crest known as the “Charkra” with characters underneath.  On the underside of the rifle is the floor-plate and trigger guard with a  “quick release” catch at the front of the trigger guard.   There are clear Siamese numerical markings on both the upper and lower action tangs.  This is a particularly good example of its mark with cleaning rod in position under barrel.  The rifle benifits from strong blues and little apparent high edge wear.  There is no major damage to the stock and the bore is in excellent condition.  A keeper and a shooter…..  shoot something a little different…

Stock No’ F 894

£ 850.  (Sold)

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